A lot of time and energy in the music world is devoted to finding something fresh and new. While it can certainly be a thrill to find a band that breaks the mold, I believe there is an undervalued charm in familiarity. Encountering a new act is a first meeting of sorts after all, and there are few greater pleasures in life than meeting someone new and falling into a natural rhythm. That moment when you and a total stranger are so perfectly tuned in to the same wavelength that you suddenly feel like you’ve both known each other for years. The debut EP from Brisbane based indie quartet Tiny Castle evokes that same sensation. Perspectives doesn’t feel like a first meeting, instead it’s as warm and familiar as a record that you’ve grown up listening to. It leaves you feeling nostalgic for some alternate history where the EP was the soundtrack of your youth.
‘Black Dove’ ascribes to The Cure’s school of being equal parts sweetness and sadness, reflecting on past love and enveloping the listener in gorgeous melodies, while frenetic synth driven rocker ‘World’ is the perfect soundtrack for hurtling down an empty highway faster than your demons can follow. The bright balladry of ‘Composure’ and ‘Madeline’ make you want to slow-dance around the room, ‘I’m Like A River’ is reminiscent of The Killers as it blends the synths with a dash of Americana, while closing track ‘Sentimental Holiday’s robust bass line, emphatic drums and light snappy riffs reminds me of The National. Perspectives is a swirling melting pot of everything from 80s AOR and post punk to modern indie and alternative. It never feels like a Frankenstein’s monster of styles however, rather a spectrum of colour combining into a brilliant white light as the band craft a sound all their own. Even on first listen it feels like they’ve already been one of your favourite bands for years and you just didn’t know it. This Tiny Castle just feels like home.
Fans of The National, The Cure, Holy Holy and The Paper Kites should check out Tiny Castle’s debut EP Perspectives
It seems odd to think that we’re only now writing about Natalie Shay’s debut EP. Ever since we covered her stunning single ‘This Feeling’ back in 2018 she’s been part of the furniture here on the blog, an unquestioned Belwood favourite right from the off. With just a handful of singles to her name she’s not only won us over, but has also become one of the UK’s most sensational rising stars. With each new release she has generated major buzz in the indie pop world, added to her ever growing legion of fans, and has also grown ever more assured as a songwriter and performer. Her previous releases have seen her sound grow and change, only to finally bloom on Naked as a glorious fusion of nostalgic day-glo 80s vibes and effervescent indie pop energy.
A lot changes in a year. We take it in our stride as we’re so focused on the day to day, but if you really think about it you can look at your life from one season to the next and the contrast can be so stark that it’s almost like different people living in different worlds. The summers so lush and full of life that we welcome their warmth with open arms, cast our worries aside, and jam to music that’s bright and boisterous; the winters stark, sombre and unforgiving so that we retreat inside to escape the cold, and our thoughts too turn inward as we cling to music that is quiet and introspective. Each season a disparate chapter of a long and winding story, each passing year holding something new and leaving its mark on you.
When reviewing new music I try to avoid comparisons where possible. Partly as it feels lazy, and partly because it can sometimes feel disrespectful to an artist’s hard work by condensing it down into something so simple. Sometimes it’s unavoidable however, it’s the great big musical elephant in the room. So when I say that London based artist Ollie Trevers is the most compelling candidate for a spiritual successor to Jeff Buckley that I have perhaps ever heard, understand it is a high honour for me to bestow. Grace is one of the finest albums ever made, and I hear so much of what made me fall in love with it in Ollie’s work.
In today’s music industry EPs are more important than ever. They have usurped the role of debut albums as a way for artists to make a good first impression, with some acts building up a massive following on the back of just a few EPs alone. At the same time however they are never given the respect they deserve. I’m a big believer in quality over quantity. Much like how a great actor can say more with just an expression than others can with pages of dialogue, an artist pouring their heart and soul into just a couple of tracks often makes a greater impact than most albums.
More new music gets released in this day and age than at any other point in history. While in decades gone by the key to getting noticed was to latch on to a trend and ride the wave of popularity, these days you’re often far more likely to simply get lost in the crowd. Why carry on down the same road as everyone else when you can take the path less travelled and lead your listener to something different. While Fidelity Freak don’t venture deep into the wilderness, you can find them operating at an unfamiliar crossroads between otherwise familiar styles. At the nexus of dancefloor ready funk, the warm glow of classic soul, and light and airy indie melodies, you’ll find their eponymous debut EP. The resulting blend of positive vibes is a refreshing twist on the modern indie sound.
Music is about more than just the notes you play. Sometimes music is as much about the notes that you don’t play. It works in much the same way that it does in film. How a moment of silence can build tension or drama, or draw you in to focus attentively on a specific scene. There have been plenty of great show-stealing vocal performances this year, but none are offered up as confidently as those found on Winnie Raeder’s debut EP From Here. The record plays out like a movie scene, an emotional climax wherein this leading lady bares her soul and ensures that you’re invested in her story.
Different forms of media are better suited at evoking certain emotions. Sometimes a particular indescribable sensation arises that is almost complete unique to a specific art form. Cinema has an uncanny way of capturing these obscure emotions that we can’t quite put our fingers on, one of which is the melding of bliss and sorrow. Moments that break you and bring a tear to your eye every time, yet also so beautiful and fulfilling that it keeps bringing you back for more. Pixar are the masters at this; like saying goodbye to fading friends in Inside Out, or the remembering of lost loved ones at the end of Coco. Though it’s a phenomenon best suited to cinema, there are some rare moments where music alone can capture the same feeling, and few examples come closer than White Seasons.
Sometimes the greatest artistic endeavours can come from self restraint. Instead of endless ambition where anything goes, rather challenge yourself by setting boundaries and push them to their absolute limit. That’s the impression I take away from Parasols, the debut EP from Germany’s Floral Shop. As charming as the synthpop aesthetic is, it doesn’t leave much scope to experiment. That hasn’t stopped this quartet from tackling the idea as well as, if not better, than any other examples I’ve heard. They have their own unique way of reaching outside their stylistic circle for inspiration without fully stepping over the threshold.
Time was that an artist would (understandably) try to make their mark on the world with their debut album. These days however things are a bit different. A first album is something that artists now build towards. It comes after building a buzz and a following with a series of singles and EPs. Now artists try and make their mark with their first EP, which can present much more of a challenge. Instead of summing up who you are, what you do, and what you’re capable of across a dozen tracks, they’re now forced to do the same with only a handful at their disposal.
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