Belwood favourites Evening Darling are back with a brand new single. ‘Schuyler Street’ offers a new and refreshing twist, while still keeping the same endearing charm that made the finer points of last year’s eponymous debut album so unforgettable. Combining their finely crafted, hook-driven Americana with a dash of bright and airy synths, this latest offering is reminiscent of the more introspective side of The Killers. ‘Schuyler Street’ is made for late night drives, starlit scenes, and those moments where you can just get lost in silence with someone special. With an overall more mature and understated approach, and melodies that remind me of The National’s ‘Graceless’, it seems Evening Darling still have plenty of tricks up their sleeve. Roll on album number two!
top tracks
Top Tracks: TesseracT – Juno
Though indie and folk usually make up most of the site, there are times we crave something a bit more ambitious and imposing. What better way to fulfil that need than with the latest single from TesseracT. Taken from their acclaimed new album Sonder, ‘Juno’ shows the bands incredible aptitude for both immense earth-shaking riffs and intricate technical wizardry. Daniel Tompkins’ vocals really shine here, weaving wonderful melodies into the track while still maintaining just enough aggression to get your blood pumping. Having the band stood beside raging suns in the accompanying video is the perfect metaphor to capture the scale and power of ‘Juno’. This track really stands out as some of their best work to date, and with this latest record the band have ascended to become one of the foremost progressive acts in the world right now.
Top Tracks: Layer Cake – Keep Me Awake
They say that not only good things take time, but they also come in small packages. Every rule has exceptions however, and sometimes good things happen can happen all at once. Recorded in just one take, ‘Keep Me Awake’ is a fine example. The part about small packages though, does still ring true here. This new single from Australian band Layer Cake packs all the bright riffs, infectious melodies and driving rhythm you’d expect from a first class indie hit, and concentrates it into just a couple of minutes, like a dense neutron star of indie rock splendour. The track conveys such energy and urgency that you soon find yourself under its spell, drawn in by a vibrant and animated aura that just excels in exuding positivity at every opportunity.
Top Tracks: Curtsy – A Better Pet
When it comes down to it, loving someone is giving them the power to break you and then trusting them not to. Letting someone in, showing a side of yourself that’s seldom seen. To be entirely vulnerable around a certain someone, and having faith that they will still love you just the same, can be a daunting prospect. It’s a risk you have to take however to know the joy of being with someone who knows you better than you know yourself, someone you can be completely open and free around. This lush new indie pop track from Curtsy follows that same feeling of apprehension of taking things to the next level, and all that comes with it, but ultimately taking the plunge anyway. ‘A Better Pet’ is a song to help cut away at the insecurities holding you back, and encourage you instead to follow your heart.
Top Tracks: Colour Picture Book – This Time Around
I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. Do I talk about the funky bass that’s simply begging you to dance, or the unerring and steadfast drums that navigate complex rhythms with ease. How about the warm vintage organ glow that permeates the entire track, the soaring yet gritty vocals that come from somewhere deep within, or the incredible guitar solo plucked straight from another time that feels as though the instrument is an extension of the player. All of these elements require at least a full post on their own to do them justice. How much soul can you pack into just one song? – an awful lot it seems. To say this Canadian power trio are on fire with their latest single would be a massive understatement, on ‘This Time Around’ they are a raging inferno.
Top Tracks: Tom Leeb – Are We Too Late
Any song whose video opens with a gorgeous car cruising through serene countryside gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me, but there’s a lot more to the latest single from French folk artist Tom Leeb than just its wanderlust inducing visuals. Tom’s striking gritty vocals work wonderfully with the elegant swell of strings to make a song that is raw and passionate, whilst also carrying a quiet air of thoughtfulness. Detailing the struggles of a long distance relationship, of being loved but still feeling isolated, that feeling of sand slipping through your fingers no matter how hard you cling on, it is a masterclass in heartfelt songwriting. Though the love regaled in the song may end in heartbreak, the song itself is a long distance love built to last, as with ‘Are We Too Late’ Tom will assuredly make people the world over fall in love with his music.
Top Tracks: Vulgarians – Dead People Are Easier To Love
This latest track from Hull’s up and coming post-punk powerhouse is just the song you need to get you feeling fired up. ‘Dead People Are Easier To Love’ feels as though ‘Eric’s Trip’ by Sonic Youth has been pushed to absolute breaking point. The fact that it was written a mere matter of hours before being recorded only goes part way in explaining the sense of spontaneity and urgency found here. The tortured guitar tones and wild frantic vocals create just the most glorious chaos you could ask for. The rock solid bass line keeps the whole thing grounded, and the polished and stylish synths that weave their way through the song contrast wonderfully with all the anarchic elements in the foreground all vying for your attention. Post-punk has seen a real resurgence in recent years, and Vulgarians have provided us with one of the finer examples with their unbridled new single.
Top Tracks: Hamish Anderson – No Good
With such a tried and tested style as blues rock, forming the backbone of rock music as we know it for generations, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. You need to bring something new to the table, or be very good at what you do. Australian artist Hamish Anderson dabbles in a little of both with his new track ‘No Good’. Channelling the likes of Tom Petty and Ryan Adams, this Americana tinged track offers a warm and welcoming sound with its melodic hooks and the golden glow of the vintage organ sound. ‘No Good’ has plenty of contemporary pop panache to ensure that it grabs your attention right from the start, and ensures that the song stays with you long after in a way that very few modern blues acts manage to pull off. ‘No Good’ is wonderfully accessible and memorable, but the slick and stylish guitar work shows that Hamish can still hold his own against the blues’ heavy-hitters from days gone by.
Top Tracks: Sarah MacDougall – We Are Fire
What starts as just the soft repeating hum of retro 80s synths soon transforms into something else entirely. This new track from Canada based singer/songwriter Sarah MacDougall launches from gentle synthpop into a full-blown anthemic fight song. ‘We Are Fire’, taken from her forthcoming album All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything out 2nd November, is a song to unite and inspire those who dare to be different. Celebrating those who abandon labels and seek to forge their own path in life, the bombastic drums resonate within you like some primal call to arms. Seeking to embrace our differences and encourage those who defy the norm, ‘We Are Fire’ is the kind of song to ignite change and ensure people start seeing others, and themselves, a little differently.
Top Tracks: Emma’s Lounge – Gimme Yer Love
It takes a mere few seconds for it to register that you’re in for a fun ride with ‘Gimme Yer Love’. With opening keys that sound like something straight out of a carnival, this latest track from North Carolina natives Emma’s Lounge appeals to your sense of childlike innocence and encourages you to lose your inhibitions and enjoy the moment. Taken from their new album Confluence out 12th October, this funky number boasts an irresistible chorus, glowing melodies and an unwavering whirl of positive energy. The band have truly thrown everything they’ve got at this track, and the end result sounds like Haim operating on overdrive. A song this exuberant and infectious must be the product of a secret lab dedicated to creating the most danceable groove imaginable, it’s the only logical explanation for a song so full of life and unreservedly joyous.
Belwood Music 