The music industry isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; beneath all the glitz and glamour there are some toxic folk around. More specifically, there have always been the petty few who get their kicks through gatekeeping. Eager to lord whatever meagre power they posses over new acts and dangle the promise of success over them. Things are getting better, but as in all things change for the better makes slow progress, and there are still those who cling to the old ways and insist “that’s just how it works”. Drawing from his own experiences within the industry, and having been on the receiving end of those exact same words, Nashville based singer/songwriter Ben Cramer reflects on the struggle for change with the latest single under his Old Sea Brigade moniker. Being told ‘How It Works’ doesn’t just apply to music though, it’s something we hear about all the many broken parts of society that hold people back. The hazy Americana arrangement and enthralling earworm melodies make this the ideal song to sit back and reflect on the slow march of progress around you. ‘How It Works’ is a song of real substance, and the accompanying video, of a wonderfully cinematic Western shootout in the Mojave Desert, compliments it with an extra dash of style to boot.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Lawson Hull – College Town
I’m fairly sure there’s a longing to escape ingrained within all of us. There comes a time in your youth where there’s nothing you desire more than to get away from the dead end town you grew up in and make your own way in the world. Meet new people, see the city lights, live out your dreams. The dismay of feeling trapped is one thing, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of breaking free, spreading your wings at last, only to then come crashing back down to the same old dead end town. With ‘College Town’, Australian singer/songwriter Lawson Hull perfectly captures the sense of quiet defeat that comes with being stuck in a familiar cage. Taken from his debut EP Dreaming is Easy, the sadness and regret of his latest single really hits home with lines like “I shouldn’t be out here in the prime of my life”. Underneath it all however, there’s a warmth and familiarity to ‘College Town’ that feels like coming home. The way the track interweaves the sadness, the yearning for something greater, with the warm glow of nostalgia and an unspoken sense of acceptance, serves as a poignant reminder that sometimes it’s better the devil you know.
Top Tracks: Megan Nash – Artifact
We have a remarkable ability to attach great meaning to otherwise unremarkable things. What would be a wholly insignificant trinket to one person could be a priceless heirloom to another. Even little scraps of paper could have years of memories attached to them. It’s quite magical in a way. How a picture or note that would be meaningless to most can become a portal to another time in the right hands; allowing a torrent of memories, and the emotions attached to them, to come flooding back. Canadian artist Megan Nash offers an exquisite exploration of this phenomenon with her new single ‘Artifact’. The track begins adrift in a dreamy wistful atmosphere, reminiscing on a past relationship and recalling how it felt to be in love. This alone would make ‘Artifact’ a sublime exercise in songwriting, but Megan takes things a step further. As growing tension and menace builds in the arrangement, the track turns to reflect on how things turned sour and fell apart, swimming with both the passion of the past and the pain of the present. It delves into how we can take the moments frozen in time contained with objects and look upon them with fresh perspectives once we’re a little older and wiser.
Top Tracks: Heavyman – Loose Lips
Picture if you will the world of music as a busy bar scene. There are many songs which are like the friendly bar staff who greet everyone with a smile. Some songs are like the quiet wallflower in the corner; easily overlooked at first, but after spending a bit of time with them they can become a friend for life. And some are more like grizzled strangers with an unapproachable air who are very much an acquired taste. Then you have tracks like ‘Loose Lips’ – our leather-jacketed, effortlessly cool leading man that commands everyone’s attention as soon as they walk in the door. This new single from London based alt rock outfit Heavyman is simply dripping with charisma. Between the heavy stomp of drums, the suave snaking bass lines, and the slick addictive riffs, it ticks all the right boxes with an assured flourish. It’s the textbook example of a “walk down the street feeling like a badass” kind of song. Beneath the bravado however there’s also some real depth to this debonair rocker. With lyrics dealing with the current torrent of fake news, and the kind of people who lap it up and let truth fall by the wayside, ‘Loose Lips’ has plenty of substance to go with its abundance of style.
Top Tracks: Rebekah Fitch – Dust
Much of what I do revolves around finding the right words, but sometimes my job is made impossible by those words simply not existing. To my knowledge there’s no word to describe a perfect unison of music and visuals. No handy expression to convey just how a great music video can elevate a song, and how a stunning song can in turn add another level of storytelling to the visuals. If such a word existed it would apply perfectly to ‘Dust’, the new single from Irish alt-pop artist Rebekah Fitch. Lyrically it deals with the heartbreak that comes with losing someone you never thought you’d lose. The sorrow that hits like a bolt from the blue when they’re suddenly not around, off living their life without you. The memories of the time you shared together marred by loss, the future that you dreamt of crumbling away before your eyes. If such a message wasn’t already enough to tug at your heartstrings, the track is paired with one of the most arresting and emotionally devastating videos of the year, depicting an elderly couple struggling with separation after many years together. Between the incredibly moving video, earnest lyricism and Rebekah’s stunning soaring vocals, ‘Dust’ is the kind of track that just tears out your heart and still has you pleading for more.
Top Tracks: Slow Pulp – Montana
I think at this point 2020’s never-ending doldrums and looming sense of dread have brought everyone’s spirits low to some degree. Though we’re all facing much the same struggle, it hits far harder for some more than others. For those who have struggled with their mental health, and have fought hard to keep their demons at bay and find peace of mind, the toll that this year has taken can be difficult to bear. It’s a devastating setback that can feel as though it’s undone years of hard to work. With this latest cut from their debut album Moveys, Chicago based Slow Pulp offer a reminder to try not to define yourself by your mental health. There’s no straight line from struggle to salvation, it’s a constant up and down with plenty of bumps in the road. ‘Montana’ pleads patience and forgiveness, to not beat yourself up when you falter but to take what time you need to recover before you can start moving forward again. The dreamy vocals, soft slide guitar and the gorgeous heartwarming harmonica serve as a comforting hand on your shoulder to say “hey, we all stumble sometimes, but if you’re patient with yourself then you’ll get there in the end”.
Top Tracks: Kris Angelis – My Quiet
We all need a sanctuary in life, something that provides a bit of contentment, peace and fulfillment. An escape after a hectic day when the world is dragging you down. Maybe that something is a person, and simply being close to someone you hold dear is enough to make the world seem that bit brighter. Maybe it’s some place you call home, where you can just snuggle up in a blanket and weather whatever storm rages outside. Or perhaps your respite comes from the pursuit of a passion, finding solace in a hobby that lets you tune out all your worries and while away the hours doing something you love. While we’ve all built up our own unique safe havens, one thing we all share is the longing to get back to them, and the new single from Kris Angelis perfectly captures that feeling. Sometimes just the fact of knowing that your safe harbour is waiting is enough to get you through a tough day, and ‘My Quiet’ is a thankful reflection on the joy and comfort it brings. The warm welcoming melodies, sublimely sweet lyricism and Kris’ heavenly vocals serve as a welcome reminder that sometimes the little things in life can make all the difference.
Top Tracks: Michael Lane – Coming Home
What truly is “home”? Is it the place where our bed is, the building that contains most of our possessions, the house we spend more time in than any other? Is it the same four walls we’ve been staring at while in lockdown for most of the year? When you think about it, home needn’t be connected to just one place, home is wherever you make it. It’s wherever you find safety, peace and comfort, it’s how you feel when you’re surrounded by the people that love you, it’s your sanctuary from the outside world. Home isn’t four walls, it’s a feeling of contentment and meaning that you can carry with you. The new track from Michael Lane not only serves to remind us of that fact, but also offers a taste of how it feels. He breathes blissfully vivid imagery into every line of this track; birdsong and babbling brooks, forests and fireflies, sunsets and the smile of your dearest love as you walk hand in hand. All set against a musical backdrop of soothing and contemplative folk, ‘Coming Home’ provides the very refuge it describes, and reminds us not to take the small moments of quiet joy for granted.
Top Tracks: Rett Madison – Kerosene
Did you know that scientists can’t even begin to match the computing power of the human brain? We’ve seen technology advancing at an astonishing rate over the past few decades, but our own minds are still the most complex machines that we know of. Even 100 years from now we still might not be able to surpass what nature itself has made. Songs like ‘Kerosene’ make me look at music in much the same way. Hearing LA based artist Rett Madison’s vocals on this track, it strikes me that even after centuries of work from skilled craftsmen and artists we are yet to make an instrument to equal the human voice. Rett’s voice is the centrepiece of this track, and with it we are gifted with a gentle and charming country twang alongside stunning soulful crescendos. Between the pain, doubt and vulnerability you can feel in your very heart in the song’s softer moments, and the defiant, passionate force-of-nature chorus that fills the room, you’re left feeling caught in a maelstrom of emotion being dragged deeper with each listen. I can’t think of any instrument made by human hands that can do all that, can make you feel all that, but an incredible voice at the disposal of a supremely talented artist can do all kinds of miraculous things beyond our understanding.
Top Tracks: Cristina Hart – Bad Girlfriend
Belwood favourite Cristina Hart is back with another brilliantly addictive hit of polished pop taken from her forthcoming debut EP. While her last stunning single ‘I’m A Mess‘ talked about how we try to flaunt some flawless facade to the world and hide all our struggles away, her latest liberating bop ‘Bad Girlfriend’ takes the idea a step further. At no point do we try harder to pretend that we’re perfect than at the start of a relationship. The stakes are never higher than when you have someone new in your life that you’re keen to impress, and so you strain to hide away all your flaws as you fear any one of them could tip the scales and scare them away. At times you may even find yourself dwelling on how past relationships fell apart, and end up focusing more on stopping history from repeating itself than on the new love that’s blooming right in front of you. Cristina shows wisdom beyond her years in embracing the honest, open and unapologetic approach to love; recognising that if it’s meant to be then they won’t run from emotional baggage, but rather help carry the weight. If you’re busy hiding away who you really are then they’ll never love the real you, and when you truly love someone you do so faults and all.
