Be Happy cries out loud for you, its chorus resounding and looping in the mind, and it’s the perfect antidote to the trivial fakeness of forced joy and overproduction from much of the recent music realm.
Rock
Realtime rock and roll artist Daneka Nation takes on the mighty Vixen, with this anthemic and live-sounding version of the unforgettable yesteryear single How Much Love.
Written as an ode to their beloved cat Tracii, about the ‘paradox of love and the limitations of time’, Ashes Upon a Zephyr is simultaneously a tribute to Brazil’s renowned Orelha the dog, and overall, makes for a melodic and passionate dedication to everyone who’s loved and lost a treasured pet.
London’s Dream Delay access something real and profound with this single – a stunning introduction, to an alt-rock act with a clear sense of purpose and songwriting charm that resounds.
Ireland and Northern England unite for an anthemic explosion of raw punk energy and outright uplifting rock rowdiness. DEAD RAZE are based in the mighty Liverpool, and their single Feeling tackles the ever familiar fear of failure that all too often stops us dead in our tracks.
Sometimes a track just works, a sound just gets to you, and its purpose is satisfied. As I Speak counter the intensity and weight of hard rock and grunge, with the delicacy and poetic introspection of singer-songwriter expression.
Real indie reverb and riffs for days, vocals that are beautifully alluring, pairing moments of bold passion and softness throughout – Feral Family have that independent energy and confidence to gift the music scene something outstanding this year.
Vocally unique and recognisable, there’s a raw and distinct tone and character to the sound of ILIA’s voice, and this heavy metal arrangement from the band adds something completely unexpected to the existing anthemic power of Halsey’s original song.
Electronic pop-rock and evocative self-reflection tackles the process of building, breaking, and redefining one’s identity and life. Sonic Pulse Project’s 4th album to date brings 10 original tracks of slick riffs and contemplative stories, for The Blueprint.
The verses have a kind of old-school trip hop vibe to me, melodic and charming, unpredictable but effective, and the lyrics further this connection and sense of lostness and self-scorn that is the freedom of thought; through darkness, highs, lows, and everything in between.
Snappy and catchy as it should be, with great vocals building towards a superb and nostalgic hook, You Don’t Wanna Know is dark and moody but uplifting – the kind of old-school nu-metal track that screams out on behalf of those stories and emotions that weigh heavily in the backs of our minds.
I love this, unusual but satisfying, dark and mystifying, with great songwriting, distinct vocals, and faultless production from Max Zanotti. Absolutely worth a listen for the alt-rock fans craving something real and unpredictable.