When do we grow up? At what point in our lives does everything fall into place? At what age will we finally feel settled, feel that we have things figured out? For many of us the answer may be never. Many of us will never be able to afford a house, or raise a family. The way the world is now, there’s a whole generation that will never know that kind of peace and security, never able to put down roots of their own. ‘Teenagers Forever’, the latest angsty anthem from sibling duo Durry, captures the sense of aimless frustration that many of us know all too well. The feeling that the people around you were the lucky ones who managed to escape, while you’re still walking a path that leads to a dead end. Stuck in that liminal space where you’re still clinging to the hobbies and dreams of youth to give your life some joy and meaning, while pretending you have it all figured out, pretending that the happy ending you were promised truly exists. This hard hitting new single reins in the duo’s wry self-deprecating wit in favour of a more unflinching dose of reality, offering some small silver lining in that at least there are many of us stuck in the same boat together.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Miccoli – Night
Never trust anything your mind tells you after 10pm. There’s something about late night introspection that seems to lend itself to worry, self-doubt and melancholy. I’ve learnt that thoughts like that are a sure sign to call it a night, and just hope that the world looks a brighter place in the morning. But there are other schools of thought. Belwood favourites Miccoli make their triumphant return with ‘Night’, their first new single since 2020’s Arrhythmia. Showcasing their unmistakable command of melody, entwined here with heavier alt rock elements, ‘Night’ preaches a different path to deal with your inner demons; let loose and dance through the darkness. Drown out that doubtful voice in the back of your mind with the sound of laughter and music, replace the ache in your heart with something that will make it soar, find something to fill the void by embracing the world with arms wide open. With its infectious hooks and striking visuals shot on the Sicilian coast, this resilient escapist anthem sees the talented sibling trio firing on all cylinders.
Top Tracks: The Greatest Endangered Thing – Balancing on the Horizon Line
The best things in life are often fleeting. The radiant glow of golden hour illuminates the world for mere minutes before fading into twilight. The playful innocence of childhood, a brief blissful reprieve before adult responsibilities begin weighing us down. Some days even a whole lifetime doesn’t feel enough to do everything you want to do, be the person you want to be. The best parts of our lives burn out in a blaze, and we’re left trying to fan the embers to keep the moment alive. “We’re far too young to fade, Let’s light these fires again, we’re burning“. ‘Balancing on the Horizon Line’, the latest track from Transatlantic folk duo The Greatest Endangered Thing, holds a yearning to rekindle all those moments left on the road behind. Taken from their forthcoming EP Phosphenes: Volume 1, out 1st May, its message is echoed in how the arrangement burns bright in its brief runtime. With its gorgeous vocal interplay, rich welcoming violin tone, and the dramatic way the drums build, rumble and fade like distant rolling thunder, this track is a stirring spark of greatness that leaves you longing to relive it again.
Top Tracks: Ella Cicely – One Day
One snippet of wisdom that comes with growing up is accepting that there isn’t really an answer to that voice in your head asking “why am I here? What is it all for?“. Most of us don’t have some grand destiny that our lives have been building towards, no singular meaning of life which defines our existence. Instead of looking for a bigger picture, the key to a happier life lies in finding meaning in the small details. There’s just as much purpose in a life lived one day at a time. Yet even taking this wisdom to heart, there are countless ways to spend a day, a myriad of places and people to share them with, and only one life in which to live them. ‘One Day’, the debut single from Ella Cicely, is a tapestry of uncertainty that reflects on whether you’re living each day as well as you could be. Flitting between new places and new experiences, but none of them quite feeling like home. Being stood at a crossroads wondering if the happiest path is the one you left behind, or one still waiting to be discovered just beyond the horizon. Ella’s tender vocals and bittersweet piano balladry imbues her introspection with a haunting wistful haze, yet never obscures the silver lining at the heart of ‘One Day’; that feeling of home is still out there to be found, and there’s no mistaking the calm in your heart when you finally find it.
Top Tracks: Ålesund – Thrive
Nostalgia is deeply woven into human nature. Maybe it helps us build a home, a sense of the familiar to pull us back to safety, or maybe looking back at better times helps keep us grounded when times get tough. Whatever the root, we’re all prone to reflecting and reminiscing; perhaps moreso now than any other time in history, given how much of our lives we’re able to document. We can pull up a picture and bask in memories of brighter days contained within with the mere swipe of a finger. Yet given that we never know when a new happy memory is waiting just around the corner to be made, it’s all too easy to miss it entirely by dwelling too long on the past. ‘Thrive’, the latest single from Bristol band Ålesund, offers a warning not to coast through life daydreaming about days gone by, but to instead live each new day to its fullest. ‘Thrive’s compelling, pulsing bass lines and snappy drum work echoes a relentless march forward to seize the day, while Alba Torriset’s soaring vocals strive to reach new heights of grandeur. A welcome reminder that when we make every day one worth reminiscing on, then we’re “not just living, or surviving, but we thrive”.
Top Tracks: Gown – In Your Head
Running a site dedicated to highlighting new music, you would think it would feel exciting being ahead of the curve, discovering something special before it takes the world by storm. While I have been lucky enough to experience that sensation a few times, more often such discoveries leave me strangely frustrated. Imagine hearing a transcendent piece of music that truly connects with you, followed by the sudden realisation that you might be one of just a handful of people in the world to have heard it. Nice as it is to have a little oasis all your own – and it’s a beautiful notion that every piece of art, no matter how obscure, will mean the world to someone somewhere – I want the art that resonates with me to reach as many people as possible, so that they might share the same connection I feel. Enter ‘In Your Head’, the debut single from LA based outfit Gown, an astonishing piece of dream pop far too beautiful to be wasted on me alone. Its wistful haze, the tender plaintive vocals, the cathartic release of emphatic drums and haunting guitar that it all builds toward. It is a perfect paragon of the genre at its best, and it deserves to be heard the world over.
Top Tracks: Charm of Finches – Clean Cut
Probability has no memory. It doesn’t matter how many times a coin may have turned up tails, the next flip has just as much chance of showing heads as any other. Every flip of the coin, every roll of the dice, is a world unto itself; what happened before has no influence on what comes next. When times get tough, we can view our lives in just the same way. Every day has the chance to be a fresh start if we wish, free of all the baggage that preceded it. ‘Clean Cut’, the new single from Melbourne based sister duo Charm of Finches, applies a similar way of thinking as a way to move on in the wake of a break-up. Leaving the misfortunes of the past behind, and letting the new day bring with it a fresh roll of the dice. Taken from their forthcoming album Marlinchen in the Snow, out 19th April, its rich harmonies, understated strings and bold emphatic drums make this one truly charming slice of baroque pop. With its memorable self-directed music video, interpreting the cut ties as the strings of marionettes come to life, further deepening the track’s bewitching appeal.
Top Tracks: Oliver Hohlbrugger – Velveteen
Thrilling as it is to hear something entirely new, music that makes you think “I’ve never heard anything like this“, sometimes it’s just as thrilling to hear music that makes you think “I didn’t know they still made music like this anymore“. Hearing a track that so perfectly embodies the vibe of a by-gone era, while still managing to add its own unique twist, you can almost imagine being flung back in time to hear a classic song for the very first time. With his new single ‘Velveteen’, Norwegian artist Oliver Hohlbrugger astutely captures the protopunk spirit of acts like Iggy Pop and The Velvet Underground. Raw and rough around the edges, boasting unrelenting energy and unassailable swagger. Its gutsy driving pace, akin to Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’, ignites something within you with a kind of zeal that almost feels like a forgotten art. And just when you think the tank must be running on empty, it pulls a spirited sax solo out of reserve as one final parting gift.
Top Tracks: Exploring Birdsong – The Collapse
Much as we love to hear about works of art born in mere minutes in a sudden rush of inspiration, I think there’s a similar romanticism to be found in projects that need fresh perspective from an older, wiser self in order to be fully realised. Maybe the artist needed time to hone their craft before they could realise their vision, or there was some missing piece in need of discovery, or maybe fate was just intent on saving the final form for a special occasion. Sometimes great paintings can go years between brushstrokes, noteworthy novels can go through many drafts before going to print, and in the case of ‘The Collapse’ sometimes bands can breathe new life into old demos. Spellbinding progressive pop trio Exploring Birdsong – reflecting first on where they started, before looking forward toward their debut album – have taken what started life as a piano demo and reimagined it as one of their most heavy and fierce outings to date. With its gut punch bass and towering chorus, the final destination is well worth the journey.
Top Tracks: Dover Lynn Fox – Winter Son
The most commonly sited advice for budding authors is to “write what you know”. It’s a good rule of thumb for songwriters too; turn those butterflies in your stomach into a love song, channel heartache into a cathartic break-up ballad etc. But rules are made to be broken, and to my mind ‘Winter Son’ follows a very different philosophy – write what you need. What you yearn for, what you’re missing. Penned in the wake of her father’s cancer diagnosis, Canadian singer/songwriter Dover Lynn Fox’s latest single doesn’t linger on the sadness and fear which comes with such revelations. Instead ‘Winter Son’ is alight with a sense of hope and comfort. The punchy rhythm section driving you forward to take each day as it comes. The breezy earworm melodies and Dover’s warm wistful vocals finding light on the road ahead. Brimming with confidence and polished to a perfect finish, this track manages to turn a time of great uncertainty into something solid and dependable to lean on.
Belwood Music 