Canadian duo The Actual Goners have hit it out of the park with this new single. To quote their countrymen “I can learn to resist anything but temptation”, and this earnest offering of heartland rock is damn near irresistible right from the start. With the kind of simple yet striking riffs, bright infectious melodies and ever present effervescent charm that will delight fans of Tom Petty. Depicting the aftermath of a night on the town, and all the ill-made decisions while inebriated that come with it, I’ve never heard anyone make the hell of a hangover sound so sweet. The chorus’ tale of “pebbles on the window in the middle of the night” gives and endearingly romanticised view of how, with a little extra push, we find the strength to speak our hearts and forget the consequences. ‘Temptation’ is every bit of intoxicating as the night it depicts, but rather than leave you reeling you’ll be coming straight back for more.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Tiny Castle – Composure
Brisbane’s Tiny Castle are back with a brilliant new single. From the frenetic retro rocker ‘World’, this new release leads you in a different (but no less stunning) direction. ‘Composure’ is a gorgeous anthemic ballad that once again makes superb use of vintage 80s synths, but this time also drawing from the new romantics and classic indie to create a tender-hearted atmosphere. The way the ballad builds towards a cathartic guitar solo at its conclusion reminds me of Journey’s ‘Who’s Crying Now’, albeit with a more loving vibe. Lyrically ‘Composure’ lives up to its name, as the track is concerned with taking a step back to be able to look at hardships with the necessary perspective to endure them. Musically however it feels more like a slow-dance at the end of the world, offering a feeling that the storm that rages around you can do its worst so long as you can look into the eyes of someone that loves you. It offers the refrain of “I don’t ever wanna drag you through hell”, but the flipside of love is the willingness to walk through hell regardless for the chance to lend a helping hand.
Top Tracks: Natalie Shay – People Like Me
Eighties revivalism has seemingly skyrocketed in recent years. There’s just something about that style that keeps artists coming back for inspiration, and keeps audiences coming back to bask in its charm. Indie pop in particular seems to have a penchant for embracing all things retro, but I can think of few examples that do it quite so well as ‘People Like Me’. With its vibrant synths, energetic rhythm, infectious hooks, and one of the most quirky guitar solos I’ve heard in a while, it’s an endearing track that wins you over right from the first listen. The most uplifting and engaging single yet from Belwood favourite Natalie Shay, it feels like it has been plucked directly from the soundtrack of a John Hughes film. Dealing with the realities of life as an artist, rather than the rose-tinted view we see on social media, it’s easy to imagine it playing over a playful montage of someone trying to find their way in the world. Though it doesn’t shy away from the realities of life, the unrelentingly joyful tone of the song gives you all the positive energy you could ask for to persevere.
Top Tracks: Russian Baths – Tracks
This new offering from Brooklyn band Russian Baths is an absolute monster. Not in the usual sense, not something wild and relentless that claws for your attention, but something that makes the hairs on the bank of your neck stand up, that makes you feel small and insignificant. ‘Tracks’, taken from their forthcoming debut album, deals in the kind of existential dread you get from staring into the void and feeling the void stare back. The echoing beat that opens the track, like your heart pounding in your ears, gives way to a mighty post rock wall of sound that towers over you and seems to obscure the whole world around you in its shadow. The sweet crystalline vocals juxtapose this wonderfully; a siren song to lure you into the abyss. Though the song seems more like a soundtrack for summoning Cthulhu, it actually deals with a more familiar horror in seeing the worst in ourselves and others, and the subsequent search for forgiveness and self-respect that follows. Russian Baths are not a band for the faint of heart, but time and again they have proven to be masterful at what they do.
Top Tracks: Kail Baxley – These Arms Are Open
Some styles come and go, while others seem like they could last forever. As much as the new single from Kail Baxley draws from 60s soul, it never for a second feels dated. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and soul has always had a power to connect with people and capture emotion. ‘These Arms Are Open’ makes use of this warm and welcoming atmosphere to bolster the track’s message of reassurance and comfort. Kail’s fantastic vocals, reminiscent of Ray LaMontagne, stand out as this song’s secret weapon. Treading the line between honest earthy grit and silky smooth soul, his voice feels like home. Like watching the last rays of the setting sun through the window, or listening to the logs crackle in the fireplace, there’s something so pure and grounded about Kail’s vocals that makes you feel safe and fittingly enough welcomes you with open arms.
Top Tracks: The Bergamot – L.A.
I’ve lost count of how many press releases I’ve read that tell a tale of artists leaving home and heading to L.A. to find themselves. The fact that I’m hearing from them, that they are making music and sharing it with the world, makes them the lucky ones. What about all the artists that risk it all in pursuit of a dream, and find themselves no closer to it. Think too of all the budding actors, or folks starting new business ventures, or those just hoping to find any sort of meaning or purpose. All drawn in by the allure of the city of angels only to find it doesn’t hold all the answers.
The new single from husband and wife duo The Bergamot is in many ways a song about being strong enough to admit defeat and walk away. The heavy thud of the drums and the atmospheric reverb remind me of how in times of deep sorrow you feel numb to the world. You’re so lost in your thoughts that it sounds like a barrier blocking out everything around you. At the same time, within the bittersweet harmonies and gentle guitar, you find glimmers of hope. ‘L.A’ doesn’t mourn the end of a story, it is merely mourning the end of an important chapter. It’s a song to give you the strength to let go of broken dreams and turn instead to see what awaits upon a new horizon.
Top Tracks: Anatoli Tsampa – Only A Stranger
We’re all strangers to most people. Nothing more than a background character in someone else’s story. But when you find yourself in a new place, exploring a big city, stories can soon intertwine. Strangers meet, fall in love, and eventually part as strangers once more. A chapter of a story shared in the same city, each feeling lost and alone, isn’t enough to sustain a relationship when the differences outweigh the similarities. Sometimes all you can do is be thankful for the part of them you knew, rather than dwell on all the parts shrouded in mystery. As disheartening as this tale of fleeting love seems, Greek singer/songwriter Anatoli Tsampa delivers it so sweetly so as to dull the pain. Her light and genuine vocals offering up the age old adage: “t’is better to have loved and lost…”. The bright piano balladry of ‘Only A Stranger’ quickly wins you over, and you’ll cherish your time knowing it before parting ways.
Top Tracks: Windy Isle – Lonely People
No man is an island. Life seems to become increasingly difficult as society progresses, and we often feel burned out and disillusioned with it all. Though it is easy to shut yourself away from the world, the surest remedy is to open your arms to it, to turn to your friends for help, as chances are they feel much the same way. That’s the message shared by Niclas Edhenholm on this latest single under his Windy Isle moniker. ‘Lonely People’, taken from his forthcoming album White Apartment, further hammers its point home by bringing in other artists from the Stockholm scene to help lift the track to new heights. Paulina Palmgren, Tomas Hellberg and Mira Aasma all contribute verses to show that we’re all walking our own lonely road, so why not walk it together. ‘Lonely People’ carries a timeless feel, like it should have held pride of place on The Beatles’ Abbey Road in another life. It’s deeply honest, keenly human, and a relatable song for the ages.
Top Tracks: Western States – The Duke
I’ve always found it curious that most of our books, films and TV shows focus on character driven storytelling, but rarely our music. That just makes songs like ‘The Duke’ that manage to pull it off all the more memorable. In telling the tale of a boxer refusing to take a fall in spite of the dodgy deal he’s made, Western States paint a vivid scene with their rich imagery and create a character to empathise with thanks to their adept songwriting. This lead single from their forthcoming debut album From The Centre Out, released 19th July, channels Springsteen in his prime thanks to its lush Americana sound and potent hooks (pun definitely intended). The band clearly pulled no punches when it came to crafting this slice of heartland heaven. A genuine delight in every way.
Top Tracks: Pinero|Serene – Take My Soul
It’s one thing to make a great hook, one that stops you in your tracks and grabs your attention right away. It’s another thing entirely to craft a compelling atmosphere that seeps beneath your skin and grows on you a little more with each passing moment. It takes a lot of disparate elements working together in perfect harmony, which is something that this London based alt pop duo have nailed with their dark and stunning debut single. From the intricate and expressive bass, and the rising tension in the drums, to the stark monochrome imagery; it all comes together to build a vibe that succeeds in being both dreamy and sinister. With an air of confidence and a smoky veil of mystery, this entrancing offering is the kind of menacing, slow-burning pop record that you never knew you needed.
Belwood Music 