I’m rather stretching the definition of Top Tracks here, as ‘Paper Earth’ is longer than most EPs, but a piece of music this extraordinary couldn’t just be passed by without mention. Performed with the Boston Conservatory Percussion Ensemble, this half hour, 6-part epic about how our memories affect the present is every bit as inventive and otherworldly as you’d expect from ambitious art rockers Bent Knee. These Belwood favourites have really outdone themselves with this new project, rivalling Tubular Bells in both scope and execution with this classical inspired progressive masterclass. Displaying the full range of their talents, and bolstered by the unique percussion at work, this magnum opus of theirs just serves to secure their place in my mind as one of the most innovative and exciting bands out there at the moment. ‘Paper Earth’ is a singular experience, one that I can’t recommend enough.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Caleb Kopta – Burning House
If it wasn’t for the difference in vocals, you could almost just close your eyes and get lost in ‘Burning House’ and be left thinking that it was a new track from Ryan Adams. Occupying that same perfect balance between honest, heartwarming Americana and expansive, ethereal indie rock, Pennsylvania based singer/songwriter Caleb Kopta simply excels with this new single. With its infectious hook, gorgeous melodies and lush instrumentation, this track is a must-hear for fans of The Killers, The War On Drugs and Matthew and the Atlas. Superbly well-crafted and effortlessly cool, this latest release following his debut EP Ghost seems set to be one of the standout singles of the summer. In ‘Burning House’ we find the embers of greatness all set to catch given the right opportunity. Caleb Kopta has hit upon a winning formula with this track, and if he can keep it up he’ll be a real one-to-watch very soon.
Top Tracks: Brightwood Patriarch – Bow + Arrow
One of the best ways to discover new music in recent years has been through TV. Sometimes the most unassuming of shows can be harbouring hidden gems from up-and-coming artists. Soundtracks can make or break a scene, and this new song from New York band Brightwood Patriarch is perfect for the small screen. The introspective Americana of ‘Bow + Arrow’, from its pensive verses and anthemic chorus, to its fuzzy blues solo and closing refrain of “it’s not your fault”, is like an award-winning drama in and of itself. While we wait for TV producers to discover this gem, we’re lucky enough to experience the song on our own terms, and make our everyday lives seem that bit more cinematic and noteworthy. ‘Bow+ Arrow’ is the kind of song you listen to while staring out the window that makes you feel like you’re playing an important role, and that each challenge you face is just a part of a greater plan.
Top Tracks: Trope – Lambs
From the first dark and mysterious bass line of ‘Lambs’, immediately reminiscent of Tool, you know you’re in for one hell of a ride. With the latest single from their forthcoming debut album Eleutheromania, Canadian band Trope offer a master class in building tension. There’s so much energy longing for release here that you can feel it tingling away at your skin. Opening with a heavy stomp as the song reflects on the nature of bullying, the track soon turns a corner into more frenetic territory as it turns to face the topic of betrayal. The change in tone, from steadfast to suspicious, says a lot about how the people we trust most hold the most power over us, and we are left to trust them not to break us down. From the intricate yet powerful instrumentals to Diana Studenberg’s show-stopping vocals, this is a track that demands your full attention and is more than worthy of it.
Top Tracks: Noah Derksen – Nothing
With this latest single, exploring his own unique style of “contemplative folk”, Canadian singer/songwriter Noah Derksen reaches new levels of heartwarming innocence and charm. The gorgeous ‘Nothing’ is sure to be a wedding song for the ages, complete with Noah’s sublime vocals, a lush, comforting arrangement, and lyrics so sweet as to bring a tear to your eye. Often love songs can come across as cheesy, but this track can reach even the fiercest cynic like a single flower growing through a cracked pavement. A perfectly crafted ballad, it describes the greatest feeling of peace and contentment that someone can experience; that feeling of being with the one you love and knowing that it’s the only thing that matters. If that’s what love is then it’s safe to say that I love this song, as when it’s playing it’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.
Top Tracks: Arbour Season – Leaving Delaware
You don’t have to be the next Milton or Shakespeare to say something meaningful. Sometimes all it takes is a simple message told in a heartfelt way to leave a lasting impression. There are plenty of lines like that in ‘Leaving Delaware’, the new song from husband and wife duo Arbour Season, but it’s the line “there’s too many streetlights I’d like to see the stars” that most strikes a chord with me. Whether you take it literally and feel the wanderlust it induces, or see that same sentiment elsewhere as we’re being held back from living the life we want, I don’t doubt it will leave its mark on you. Great words work best though with great delivery, and on ‘Leaving Delaware’ you’re treated to some of the finest harmonies you’ll hear all year, and understated harmonica that feels as though it’s merely the breath of the wind as the very world itself plays along with this charming song.
Top Tracks: Luna Pines – Spring
They say that even within genres you generally dislike you can find exceptions that you love, and that’s true for both music fans and critics alike. I get sent no end of electronic music that I end up having to turn away, citing that it’s not something I enjoy. This new track from Luna Pines, formed by three Leeds based producers, is the exception to the rule. ‘Spring’, taken from their debut EP The House We Lived In out 1st June, uses the electronic elements alongside traditional instrumentation to craft a bewitching ambient soundscape. This song flows over you effortlessly as though it were made from the finest silk, and leaves you at peace adrift in the calm endless ocean of your thoughts. Poignant and perfectly produced, I urge all other doubters of electronic music to indulge in this track and experience the rare kind of beauty that it offers.
Top Tracks: Alec Gaston – Waiting For The Sunrise
While I don’t approve of throwing vinyl around like in the beginning of the music video, I do very much approve of this sun-drenched new song. ‘Waiting For The Sunrise’, the first single from Brooklyn based artist Alec Gaston’s forthcoming debut album, is a masterclass in laid-back psychedelica. The kaleidoscopic soundscape simply screams summer. It shimmers bewitchingly like some heat haze in the distance, and when you sit back and really listen to this track you can practically feel the sun on your face as you soak it all in. Alec’s excellent vocals here are as versatile as they are compelling, drawing as much from funk and soul as they do from the classic trippy 60s sound. This is the kind of song you play to make the most of those rare lazy days, where you can just lie back and bask in great music all day long.
Top Tracks: The Mason District – Lose Your Mind
Channelling Kings Of Leon at their very best, indie trio The Mason District – hailing from Cleveland, Ohio – have hit it out of the park with their infectious new single. ‘Lose Your Mind’, taken from their new EP The Blue Room pt.1 out now, is packed to the rafters with positive energy. A real understated highlight for me occurs in the breakdown around the two-minute mark, as each member is given their time to shine. Tom Tobias shares a simply sublime guitar lick, Colin Nutter offers a great little drum flourish, and Maria Petti rounds it out with a fantastic bass run. It shows that they adhere to the age-old law of musical trios; each member needs to carry their weight or it all collapses. There’s no danger of that happening here, The Mason District have worked in perfect harmony to create a track that would be the perfect addition to any feel-good indie playlist.
Top Tracks: Sam Valdez – Farther Away
After a few years of running a music blog, you begin to pick up on trends and take note of what genres and styles most frequently appear in your inbox. Much to my delight a plethora of great Americana and dream pop tracks end up being sent my way, but it is rare indeed to find a song that so perfectly balances both styles. Inspired by the likes of Sufjan Stevens and The War On Drugs, the new single from Sam Valdez ‘Farther Away’ boasts blissful shimmering soundscapes paired with honest heartland folk vibes. Sam’s dreamy vocals are the kind that you can just get lost in. Having grown up on the edge of the Nevada desert, it’s not hard to see the effect it had on Sam’s songwriting. ‘Father Away’ radiates warmth like the desert sun itself, all the while dancing like a mirage on the horizon and luring you deeper under its spell.
Belwood Music 