When it comes to love, finding “The One” is like finding a needle in a haystack. In fact that would be a massive understatement. In reality it’s more like trying to find a needle in a haystack without knowing what a needle even is. We like to think we have a “type” and it’s just a case of ticking off the right boxes, but love doesn’t follow logic. Sometimes opposites attract and you fall for someone you never thought you would. Over time your priorities may change and you may find yourself looking for different things. And sometimes we can get hung up on the wrong person or meet the right person at the wrong time. All this means that we don’t know what we’re looking for until we find it, and there are no shortcuts on that journey, the only way forward is to keep looking. That search is the basis for the brilliant new single from John Adams. Following on from last year’s stunning EP No White Lies, ‘Kiss Every Stranger’ reflects on the struggle of searching the one and the demoralising feeling it can bring, but it also carries an undercurrent of hope that they’re out there somewhere and keeps faith in the fact that true love will win out in the end.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Zac Pajak – Retrograde
They say that sometimes less is more, but that’s usually the exception to the rule. In most cases, more is more. I often hear songs with simple, stripped back arrangements that just feel like there’s something missing. Sparse acoustic tracks that seem like they had a fuller sound at one point and have been stripped down to the bare essentials. ‘Retrograde’ doesn’t feel that way; there’s nothing missing here, no working backwards to make it more empty and quiet, instead it seems to have emerged fully formed and ready to win your heart. Scarcely more than soft acoustic guitar, some understated electronics and some wonderfully soulful and radio-friendly vocals, this new track from London based singer/songwriter Zac Pajak is greater than the sum of its parts. All about letting go and trusting that things will work out in the end, it makes sense that ‘Retrograde’ does such a great job of basking in the calm and the quiet. It is simple but surprisingly satisfying, the exception that proves the rule. It’s like a single candle that’s somehow able to keep the whole room bright and aglow.
Top Tracks: Remington Super 60 – I Don’t Wanna Wait
Some songs are intrinsically linked to a place or time. They capture the spirit of a particular scene or movement, or reflect the culture surrounding where they first came to life. Some songs however are a lot harder to place, they shift and evolve to become whatever the artist wants it to be. Take ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait’ for instance, what setting does it conjure up in your mind? There’s a dreamy warmth to it that evokes images of a Californian summer, yet there’s also a suave and sophisticated aura around it which you can picture drifting out from some Parisian cafe. There’s a subtle psychedelic shimmer to the track that simply screams 60s, but the groove feels so fresh and contemporary. It’s whatever the band wants it to be, and they revel in whisking you away to wherever they please. And so, from their cold and quiet Norwegian homeland, Remington Super 60 take you on a grand summer voyage to golden beaches and bohemian bistros. In the end the destination doesn’t matter however, not when the journey itself feels like drifting across the clouds without a care in the world.
Top Tracks: Holden Laurence – Wild Horses
We all have a longing to forge our own path ingrained within us, one that bubbles its way to the surface as we get older. We want to see all that the world has to offer, we want the freedom to find ourselves and make our own mistakes. This is the case even when you’ve had a happy and healthy upbringing, you still can’t help but wonder what else is out there, but when you come from a broken home that feeling grows tenfold until the dam is fit to break. It’s that latter scenario that ‘Wild Horses’ reflects upon as it tells the tale of a girl yearning to break free. When your house doesn’t feel like home then it’s not just a case of the grass being greener, it’s more like living life in monochrome and wanting to finally see colour on some new horizon. It’s imagining bars on every window as you find yourself caught in the crossfire of every spiteful family squabble. It’s not simply wondering if there’s a better life out there, rather longing to truly live for the first time, a longing that won’t be denied no matter how long it takes.
Top Tracks: Jenny Kern – Now We Know
New York based singer/songwriter Jenny Kern manages to up her game with each new release. In many ways her latest single ‘Now We Now’ pulls together all the finest parts of her prior releases. Musically it is the perfect blend of the warm and fragile folk of her debut EP and the indie pop synths explored in ‘Satellite’. It’s her most assured vocal performance to date, and the lush arrangement and beautifully bittersweet tone make this the kind of song that you end up listening to on repeat and losing all sense of time. Most of all however it showcases her songwriting at its most open and vulnerable. ‘Now We Know’ is a track all about facing the end of a relationship; the pain of parting, the struggle that comes with facing up to your mistakes, and ultimately a sense of understanding and acceptance. By opening her heart and being honest with both herself and the listener, you feel a keen sense of the hurt and emptiness, but with a feeling of peace and closure shining through, on this entrancingly introspective track.
Best Songs of the 2010s (#25-1)
It’s time to live in the past for just one brief moment longer before we fully embrace the future. Time for one last shot of nostalgia as we look at the very best songs of the past ten years. Songs that dominated the airwaves and became anthems for millions, and the ones that formed the backbone of our playlists and became the musical lifeblood of a more personal journey. Songs that have hyped us up ready to take on the world and ones that helped us escape into daydreams, ones that have given us goosebumps and some that have even brought us close to tears. So, assuming you’ve caught up with part one, let’s get to it! Continue reading
Best Songs of the 2010s (#50-26)
There’s nothing quite like a truly great song. Just a few short minutes of musical brilliance can change your life. It can be the backdrop to falling in love and be the soundtrack to the first dance at your wedding, or it can be the voice you rely upon to talk you down from the edge when your world feels like it’s falling apart. Great songs can stay with you for a lifetime, and there was no shortage of songs like that over the course of the past ten years. We did our best to narrow it down to our top 50, and as with our albums list we limited it to one song per act. Let’s get to it! Continue reading
Top Tracks: Jonathan Hultén – The Mountain
Some songs resonate with you on a personal level. Perhaps the lyrics find just the right words to say what you’re thinking, or the beat almost seems to fall in time with your heart. There’s just something about it that you can feel in every fibre of your being. Songs like ‘The Mountain’ take that idea a step further however, they feel like they resonate with the world itself. Like you could close you eyes and listen to the hum of nature around you, the wind, the trees, the ground beneath your feet, all in tune with the song. The simple dark folk arrangement, reminiscent in places of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon, the hair-raising choral harmonies, and the fantastic video that flows like a living tapestry, all make it feel like there’s something ancient and mystical at work. Taken from his debut solo album Chants From Another Place out 13th of March, this new track from Swedish songwriter Jonathan Hultén is something to behold. There’s magic in ‘The Mountain’, as though its melody has echoed down the generations or its words lie engraved in some long forgotten ruins.
Top Tracks: Woods End – Waves
This Swedish band never fails to impress with their superb ability to craft a compelling atmosphere and conjure up evocative imagery. Their dark gothic folk styling particularly excels at creating a mood akin to some isolated wintery cabin, the kind where you gather round the crackling fire and tell tales of great adventures, of heroes and monsters, stories passed down through the generations. Their new single ‘Waves’ changes up this formula however, offering a more energised and progressive spin on their sound. Rather that a story shared on a quiet winter’s night, ‘Waves’ feels far more like the adventure itself. The riffs like the icy grip of the wind tearing at your skin, the brilliant percussion crashing like the waves upon the shore. This song feels like an epic tale in the making, the soundtrack of a titanic battle or the start of a grand voyage across a raging sea.
Top Tracks: Flo – Between The Lines
A new year and a new decade now lay at our feet. While it’s been fun to look back on the highlights and successes of 2019, and the growth and progress made across the 2010s, it can be a daunting prospect to now acknowledge the vast unknown future that lies before us. Endings and new beginnings can be difficult, especially for us creatures of habit, and it can be hard to move forward without seeing where the road ahead leads. Thankfully Belwood favourite Flo has the perfect song to reassure and inspire as we head into 2020, offering up another simply spellbinding performance. With its calls of “there’s always something better on the other side”, ‘Between The Lines’ feels like the comforting hand on your shoulder that lifts the weight of the world, or the words of encouragement that we long to hear but are too scared or proud to ask for. The dreamy arrangement, the reassuring and hopeful message, and Flo’s ever gorgeous vocals are the perfect guiding light to lead us into the year ahead.
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