We all have days when we feel like giving up. Either the world is busy tearing us down or it’s our own inner demons pulling us apart from within. When we have nowhere else to turn we can always find solace in music, we each of us have found our own songs which say exactly what we need to hear when we’re at our lowest. ‘Hide Away’, the title track of the upcoming debut EP from Oregon native Taylor Jahn, is just such a song. Taylor’s sweet message of comfort is paired beautifully with his effortless vocals. This lush piano driven ballad builds from it’s tortured beginnings into something grand and uplifting, reminiscent of fellow singer/songwriters such as John Legend and Rhodes. The haunting ‘Hide Away’ is currently available for free download via SoundCloud for all those who need Taylor Jahn to offer a helping hand.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Thom Hell – 1985
The critically acclaimed Norwegian singer/songwriter has returned with the latest single from his upcoming album Happy Rabbit out 16th December. From it’s simple bass driven intro ‘1985’ soon builds into a glorious track reminiscent of the heyday of 60s and 70s pop. It’s sweet melodies and heady guitar tones make for one uplifting listen. The latter half of the song in particular is simply divine and occasionally has hints of Belwood favourites Holy Holy. From it’s dark beginnings ‘1985’ soon blooms into vibrant new life, like the first flowers emerging from the thaw. With songs like this at his disposal it’s no surprise that he is one of Norway’s most established writers and producers. If his new album has more of the same to offer then I can imagine his fanbase is all set to grow.
Top Tracks: whenyoung – Actor
The new single from this Irish trio is a massive hit just waiting to happen. ‘Actor’ is up there with the best of the likes of Honeyblood, Sunflower Bean and Wolf Alice. Bristling with energy, with a fair deal of fuzz and a driving rhythm it certainly ticks all the right boxes. The bright vocal melodies carry an air of innocence and the big hooks are simply brimming with youthful exuberance. This is no mindless single however, it carries a deeper message. As frontwoman Aoife Power puts it the song “is about contorting your character to fit into a disfigured view of the perfect self in order to belong”. Had this track dropped earlier in the year and had chance to grow and weave it’s magic round my mind it would have been up there with the best songs of the year. If the band have more music like this to offer then they’ll be topping ‘best of the year’ lists in no time.
Top Tracks: The Little Kicks – You And Someone Like Me
The Aberdeen based indie rock quartet have returned with the new single from their upcoming album. The upbeat electropop of ‘You And Someone Like Me’ boasts an infectious funky rhythm which will surely see it in heavy rotation in indie discos across the UK and beyond. The track is made all the more delightful by it’s motion capture music video. The day will never come when I find dancing skeletons anything but sheer unbridled joy, and these boney bandmates have some damn slick dance moves. The winning combination of hit track and endearingly quirky video make this a real feast for the senses. The Little Kicks have already shown themselves to be one of the best Scottish bands of the decade and if their new single is anything to go by then the sky is the limit.
Top Tracks: Nick Valentini Collective – Worms
I’m always a fan of bands that boast virtuoso talents and love to show them off. Considering the fact that the Nick Valentini Collective have only been together for just over six months they perform like a well oiled machine and display enviable levels of technical wizardry. From the addictive opening bass line, soaring vocals and the alternative rock hooks, to the bewildering journey through jazz fusion and it’s closing moments of understated ambience, ‘Worms’ is one wild ride. Despite being crafted from an array of different genres into a new and inexplicable form lead songwriter Nick never loses control or strays too far from being interesting and accessable. Playing out like the contents of a demented doodle pad, the animated music video is just as bizarre and bewitching as the track itself. Call it madness, call it brilliance, but ‘Worms’, like most great music, has a fair share of both!
Top Tracks: She Makes War – Stargazing
There’s something to be said for those who can craft a beautiful melody seemingly out of thin air and ‘Stargazing’ is a perfect example of that rare musical phenomenon. Consisting of just Laura Kidd’s mellow vocals, a simple acoustic guitar pattern and soothing splashes of strings She Makes War has created a vast and striking musical landscape from the sparsest of arrangements, like a city of clouds standing firm against the breeze. There is little of the harshness of war in this gorgeous track save perhaps the uncertain calm of the aftermath. The song captures a sense of malaise and loss tinged with a glimmer of hope and determination to find the silver lining. The stunning ‘Stargazing’ is the new single from her latest album Direction Of Travel.
Top Tracks: TALLISKER – Salanfe
Thanks in no small part to the success of acts such as Bon Iver and Clean Bandit, there has been a sudden trend in combining electronica with more traditional styles. Riding the crest of that wave with the utmost ease and majesty is Parisian performer and producer TALLISKER. Try to imagine the musical lovechild of Sigur Ros and Aphex Twin and you’ll find yourself pretty close to the intriguing world awaiting you in her debut single ‘Salanfe’. The opening rise and fall of the classically influenced string section is soon interrupted by intricate percussion and a myriad of intruding electronic entities. The end result is the sound of order and chaos intertwining to create this diverse soundscape. TALLISKER’s debut EP Heliotrop is out 11th November.
Top Tracks: Oh Wonder – All We Do
Spellbinding synthpop duo Oh Wonder have outdone themselves with their brand new video for ‘All We Do’. To create their new video they reached out to artists and filmmakers across the globe and asked them a single simple, yet impossibly complex question: What does it mean to be human? Interspersed between Anthony and Josephine’s mesmerising trademark harmonies we are further gifted with life affirming messages from people of all walks of life. This is certainly the most moving video I’ve seen in a long time. The multitude of beautiful thought provoking statements represent the very best of humanity. We each have our own views on what it means to be human, but with all the hate and darkness currently suffocating the world we are all in need of such beautiful music and such a powerful message.
Top Tracks: Albert af Ekenstam – Made of Gold
There is a bitter chill in the air, fallen leaves litter the ground and winter is well and truly on it’s way. In many ways that often pass by unnoticed we as people change with the seasons, and for many of us the bleak autumn and winter months prompt the need for an introspective and melancholy soundtrack. Swedish singer/songwriter Albert af Ekenstam is the perfect solution, with his Bon Iver inspired arrangements brimming with powerful, emotive storytelling. With hints of The National and Kaleo his new single, the piano driven ballad ‘Made of Gold’, has a grand cinematic feel, yet at the same time carries a bittersweet and understated elegance. His deep brooding vocals cut through the delicate atmosphere to really capture your attention. What begins as a solemn funeral march concludes with a sense of new life blooming from the ashes of loss. Albert’s fittingly titled debut album Ashes is out now.
Top Tracks: Hieroglyph – Starlight (The High Priestess)
If you had to assign the term “awe-inspiring” to a certain genre it would fit very well with the world of progressive metal. With a plethora of virtuoso musicians and grand ideas it operates on a level few other bands can match. This six piece are a welcome addition to the family, and with their upcoming debut being a concept album they are not a band to hold back. Ouroboros, released on the 18th November, follows the theme of the first 11 Major Arcana Tarot cards, charting a journey from The Fool to The Magician. The band’s first single from the album ‘Starlight (The High Priestess)’ features high-octane guitar work, a frantic driving beat and the great two pronged attack of the melodic tones of Valentina Reptile and the harsh vocals of Mark Howes. There’s no doubting they have the necessary talent and ambition to produce a stellar debut. You don’t need Tarot cards to see the bright future this band has in store.
Belwood Music 