Sometimes a song manages to do the impossible. Some tracks can draw from opposite ends of the spectrum and combine styles that seem otherwise incompatible. Some pieces of music can be both gentle and heavy, happy yet sad, in a way that is difficult to put into words. ‘Takes So Long’, the debut single from Belfast quartet ABQ, manages to be both a raw and honest rock powerhouse as well as a sing-along pop anthem. The distinctive vocals carry such passion, equally suited to both the soaring optimism of the verses and the gritty realism in the closing calls of “it takes so long”. The slick, cinematic video shows the band create inviting festival-ready melodies, albeit with a deeper tension bubbling away beneath. The song serves as a great mission statement of what ABQ are capable of. It’s an assured start that keeps you on your toes as to what to expect next from this promising 4-piece.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Tiny Castle – World
I keep an ongoing list of standout songs of 2018 as the year ticks by, but in the end the best song on the list boils down to whichever track most makes my heart sing when I hear it. ‘World’ is one of the first major contenders for that title. Aussie outfit Tiny Castle are on par with some of the best Australian bands going right now, and given the high standards I’ve seen in recent years that’s no mean feat. ‘World’ combines the retro 80s synths and airy atmosphere of The Paper Kites with the soaring indie riffs of Holy Holy, and with some truly electrifying drums thrown in for good measure. A song all about not wasting your energy on negativity, that surplus spark is channelled into making this track an intoxicating thrill ride, like some high-speed chase along shimmering neon-lit highways. It’s the kind of song that makes you feel invincible; bursting with technicolour life and an inescapable aura of joy.
Top Tracks: SHY Martin – Lose You Too
Some of the greatest artists have started out by writing songs for other people, though the trick is to save the best songs for yourself. After penning big pop singles for the likes of The Chainsmokers and Ellie Goulding, the stage was set for Swedish songwriter SHY Martin to strike out on her own, and ‘Lose You Too’ comes as a thank you to all those who’ve supported her on the journey thus far. This stripped back ballad shows an exciting new side to her music, swapping commercial pop for plaintive folk. Her delicate vocals speak of coming to accept that sometimes we drift apart from the people who mean the most to us, like sand slipping through your fingers despite your best efforts to hold on. This spellbinding ballad is surely one of the most beautiful tracks of 2018, and I’m glad SHY Martin shared it under her own name, as I’m not sure anyone else could have captured quite the same magical feeling found here.
Top Tracks: Gen Z – Generation Z
Channelling hints of Fleetwood Mac, Ryan Adams and The War On Drugs, this new track from LA trio Gen Z is essential listening for thoughtful late night drives. Though it’s the rich and inviting guitar tone that keeps ‘Generation Z’ grounded, it’s the airy, bittersweet atmosphere and introspective lyricism that makes the song so special. Reflecting on the pitfalls of modern life and the haunting hollowness of youth, this track is an anthem for the lost and confused in search of meaning. This song teaches you to revel in the little things, to bask in the minor triumphs in this messed up world to keep from losing your way. ‘Generation Z’ is the sound of a lonely winding road; you’re not sure what’s awaiting you around the bend, instead you just have to take solace in the small victory of simply moving forward.
Top Tracks: Mars Motel – City Streets
When you grow up listening religiously to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Rush, it’d be a major understatement to say that you soon learn to appreciate a good rhythm section. With this latest track from Brooklyn based rockers Mars Motel, the rhythm section in particular offers some of the most memorable instrumentation I’ve heard all year. Recorded live for their new EP The Eclipse Sessions, ‘City Streets’ lures you in with its emphatic shuddering drums and a bass line that winds its way towards you like a python through the undergrowth. Upon this foundation of post punk menace, the guitar and vocals build up a mix of Britpop inspired melodies and psychedelic reverb to provide real light and shade. All about young love and subsequent heartbreak, the two sides to the song do a great job of portraying both the innocence and optimism of youth alongside the angst and anguish of a break-up.
Top Tracks: Big Kettle Drum – Bring That Love To Me
How long does it take you to love a song? Some take years before they finally click, some manage to catch you on the first listen. ‘Bring That Love To Me’ took less than five seconds. A hearty little drum intro, a rich old-school organ sound, and a splash of warm welcoming brass was all it took to assure me that I was in for a good time. This latest track from Florida’s Big Kettle Drum, taken from their new EP I’d Thought You’d Be Bigger, offers lashings of classic Motown vibes adorned with a gritty Southern charm. This soulful little number is pretty close to faultless, and carries that all too rare universal appeal. This song is like a magic spell that brings warmth and contentment to whoever hears it.
Top Tracks: Amanda Shires – Parking Lot Pirouette
While some songs are firmly rooted in the past, some embrace a sound that seems like it’s visiting from a not too distant future. This new single from Texan singer/songwriter Amanda Shires is in the rare class of songs that manages to do both. Taken from her new album To The Sunset out 3rd August, ‘Parking Lot Pirouette’ feels like a song made to span generations. That unmistakable lush Wurlitzer sound and the soft country twang of Amanda’s vocals imbue plenty of classic Americana vibes into the track. Her husband Jason Isbell’s guitar work however takes the song to a whole other world. Blending subtle psychedelica with raw droning tones, and with some synth flourishes for good measure, it gives the song an unearthly flair akin to Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’. Projecting the spirit of the wild west to distant stars and far-off worlds, Pirouette is a song that is thoroughly deserving of a few spins.
Top Tracks: The Hip Abduction – Can You Feel It
This latest track from Florida based collective The Hip Abduction is like the musical equivalent of someone who makes friends wherever they go. You know the kind of person, someone that’s universally popular; no one has a bad word to say about them, and they’re loved by people from all walks of life. ‘Can You Feel It’ would be equally at home on heavy rotation on a top 40 station, blaring out of a club in Ibiza in the height of summer, or being sang back at the band from onlookers at some indie festival. I’d struggle to think of another song from recent years that would be such a welcome addition to so many vastly different crowds. All about the sensation of facing a defining decision, a choice that will become a turning point in your life, ‘Can You Feel It’ delivers its message with a mix of infectious synthpop and emphatic drums. Even if this never becomes a worldwide chart-topping hit, it feels like it should be.
Top Tracks: Callum Pitt – Away From The Rousing Parades
Two worlds collide on this latest single from up and coming Newcastle based singer/songwriter Callum Pitt. ‘Away From The Rousing Parades’ opens with folk finger-picking and an airy atmosphere that conjures an image of an endless natural expanse, just begging to be explored. These timeless Americana vibes are shaken up however when Callum throws some homegrown British indie into the mix, combining the raw heartland vibes with some bright melodies, big hooks and an invigorating burst of energy. All about not comparing yourself to others and finding comfort in following your own path, this uplifting single carries an unavoidable air of positivity. A swirling cocktail of influences from both sides of the Atlantic, this intoxicating new track is sure to warm your heart.
Top Tracks: Georgia Blackwell – Stranger
Some of the most enduring pieces of music ever written have been break-up songs, and ‘Stranger’ is a fine example as to why. When a song is written from the heart, like this track from London based singer Georgia Blackwell’s debut EP Good Intentions, it gives the message far more potency. When you feel someone expressing their innermost thoughts and troubles in their work it resonates more deeply with those walking a similar path. It helps even more so to adorn sadness in beauty, and there’s an abundance of beauty to be found here. While the arrangement is lush and refined in its way, it takes a step back to allow Georgia’s enrapturing soulful vocals to take centre stage. Understated and affecting, ‘Stranger’ is a sublime offering of old-school soul that will assuredly find a place in your heart, no matter how broken.
Belwood Music 