Every now and then you come across a song that seems all-encompassing. Listening to it feels like being immersed in a vast and vibrant tropical ocean; you don’t hear it so much as feel it with every fibre of your being. Cristina Hart has captured that all too rare feeling with this, her debut single, so Lord knows what incredible feats she could achieve with future releases. The soulful R&B of ‘House Of Tears’ begins with simple piano balladry and soon builds into an expansive and elegant soundscape, although it is never enough to draw attention away from the most important instrument. Not even the world’s finest orchestra could distract from Cristina’s astounding vocals. Her voice is truly one in a million, the kind that speaks to your very soul, making this an early front-runner for song of the year.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Matt Gresham – Home
“Home is not a place, it’s a feeling”. We’re all looking for a sense of belonging and purpose. Some wander for a time and find something new worth sticking around for, some wander and fall in love with the sensation and carry that feeling of home wherever they go, and some do so only to find that home was right where they left it. It’s a journey that can take many shapes and forms, but it is one that we all take, and this new song is the perfect soundtrack for whatever path you choose to take. Australian singer/songwriter Matt Gresham fuses heartwarming folk with cinematic electronic flourishes and a wealth of pop sensibilities with his latest single. Life is a journey; it’s not about the destination, it’s about the people you meet and the memories you make along the way, and this is the perfect song to make memories to.
Top Tracks: Titus Makin – Suicide
The multi-talented Titus Makin is back with another dose of first class pop. ‘Suicide’, the latest single from this wonderful actor and singer, sees him feature more electronic elements and stray further into chart topper territory, and yet still keep the R&B influences and addictive hooks that give him an extra air of authenticity and charm. A far cry from his feel-good hit ‘Ropes‘, this latest offering details a toxic relationship, the kind where you’re so blinded by love that you don’t realise you’re being pulled down into the crushing depths until it is too late. It only serves to secure his reputation in my mind as the ideal role model for modern pop artists. Titus continues to perfect his sound with each new release, while maintaining the effortless and endearing charm that makes him stand out from the crowd.
Top Tracks: Frank Turner – 1933
One of Britain’s most celebrated modern songwriters is back with one of his most electrifying tracks yet. Frank Turner’s new single ‘1933’, taken from his forthcoming album Be More Kind out 4th May, sees him firing on all cylinders as he sums up the incredulous rage that most people feel towards the recent rise of the far-right. Seething both at the perpetrators and at those willing to stand back and do nothing, this fired up number is packed full of lines even Bob Dylan himself would be proud of. It’s always hard to pick favourites with his lyrics, but the lines “If I was of the greatest generation I’d be pissed, Surveying the world that I built, slipping back into this, I’d be screaming at my grand kids: “We already did this”” hits the nail pretty squarely on the head. If you’re not angry then you’ve not been paying attention, and if you have then you’ll know that this is exactly the song we need right now.
Top Tracks: Raye Zaragosa – American Dream
With this thought-provoking new track, singer/songwriter Raye Zaragosa has perfectly summed up the sense of dissociation that is plaguing the US. With Trump’s reign in full swing, with hatred, dishonesty and a complete lack of empathy becoming the new norm, many decent folks feel like strangers in their own country. This new face of the nation stands in complete opposition to the America they once knew, and the good that they see in ordinary people each day. It’s all too easy to get stuck in sorrow and think that things are only gonna get worse, that one person can’t make a difference. ‘American Dream’ acts as a reminder that there are millions of people out there feeling exactly the same. One person can make a difference in that they can rouse others to stand up and be counted, and this song is the perfect catalyst to inspire people to be the change they want to see in the world.
Top Tracks: Holly Miranda – Golden Spiral
It’s rare that I find a song so baffling as to defy classification, and yet here we are. The foot-stomping ‘Golden Spiral’, the latest single from Holly Miranda’s upcoming album Mutual Horse out 23rd February, doesn’t need to be understood when it sounds this good. This track boasts elements of folk and blues, electronic flourishes and futuristic funk, and yet somehow makes it all work in perfect harmony. They say that Dark Side of the Moon lines up perfectly with The Wizard of Oz, well this track proves that there is some combination of Kid A era Radiohead, Metals era Feist, and St Vincent at her most vivacious that fuses together to form this bewildering beauty of a track. If the planets align like this for all of Holly’s project then her new album will certainly be one to note in your diary.
Top Tracks: Steve Hewitt – Pushing Me Away
It’s rare to find a song that leaves you awestruck a few mere seconds after pressing play, but ‘Pushing Me Away’ does all that and more. The complex acoustic guitar work, elegant strings and Steve’s gritty vocals are more than enough to make this an early contender for song of the year. By the time you’ve thrown the Eastern influences, airy backing vocals and expressive percussion into the mix, the song just ascends to a higher plane. There’s something mystical about this track, like Steve is channeling some ancient spirit, and just by listening to it you can feel somehow connected to the world around you. Far from pushing you away, this track draws you in deeper under its spell with each listen as you bask in this incredible display of artistry.
Top Tracks: The Minnesota Child – Stay With Me
Don’t be too deceived by the dreary days, spring is just around the corner, and there’s no better song to announce its arrival than ‘Stay With Me’. With this track Ethan Buckner (aka The Minnesota Child) cuts through the gloom like the first rays of the rising sun as the ethereal folk intro gives way to bright and uplifting pop. Taken from his latest EP Fireflies, released 2nd February, the song boasts the kind of rich imagery that instantly carries you away. Picture yourself on a road trip through forests and by mountain streams with someone you love, unsure what you are more thankful for: to bask in the bountiful beauty of nature or to have someone special there to share it with. Wherever you feel like heading, this is the song to take you there.
Top Tracks: Oh Malô – Don’t Look, Don’t Stare
As time goes by the once firm boundary between genres blurs more and more, to the point where electronics are a key element for bands seeking to explore new territories and even create their own. With their new single, Brooklyn’s Oh Malô utilise electronic flourishes alongside alt rock and post punk instrumentation to build a glitchy, frenetic tension that is perfect for fans of Radiohead and newer Bon Iver. ‘Don’t Look, Don’t Stare’ keeps you on edge with its panicked percussion and anxious angular riffs. It feels like a song of restrained chaos, ready to let loose the tempest but instead letting the pressure build. You can practically feel a frenzied mix of apprehension and anticipation prickling at your skin as it teases a release that never comes. The release just isn’t necessary when the build-up is this good.
Top Tracks: Monti – Cowards Castle
We all build emotional walls around ourselves to a certain degree, but some people find it all too easy to take things too far. They keep building brick by brick, pushing you further and further away, and before you know it you realise they sit atop some lofty spire while you’re left out in the cold. There’s no point beating bloody fists at the gates of the citadel, when you can barely even recognise the person atop the tower as someone that you once cared about. This stunning new track sees Monti walk away dignity and purpose as the walls crumble to dust behind her. Full of pop sensibilities, boasting passionate soulful vocals and a cathartic guitar driven climax, ‘Cowards Castle’ is one of the first big stand-out songs of the year.
Belwood Music 