Featuring modest electronic grooves that feel colourful but calming amidst the softness and self-reflection of Annika’s voice, Emerald Spy is an eclectic but well-grounded project, for which the riff-led ethereal warmth of Hell No makes an alluring introduction.
Rebecca Cullen
An interesting edge of character draws you into the colourful grooves and hooks of this project. Washington DC band Stephen Sol & The & 7 blend the excitable musicianship of folk-rock, with the softer conceptual and melodic stylings of pop, for their five-track EP Sunshine Wine.
Bringing anthemic intention and freedom to the conceptual side of creative RnB, ANASTÁZIE delivers an intoxicating blend of afrobeats and soulful jazz, with the ambient warmth and evocative, spiraling vocals of Kiss & Let Go.
Grammy Award-winner Mojo Morgan cuts through the noise with substance and style this month – Jamaica Love is a bold and brilliant new album, loaded with quirky riffs, colourful grooves, and provocative, intentional sentiments.
From the atmospheric to the outright gritty and groovy, this album encapsulates an artistic dedication to music’s history, celebrating the unforgettable blues influence of legends like Otis Redding and Robert Johnson, while delivering a timeless and characterful lead from Will Foulke himself.
The soulful depth of human poetry never loses its true appeal and identity – ideas that are unique because the individual speaking them has never done so before; a boldly personal story, with twists of accessible emotion and reflection that help bridge the gap. British-Nigerian spoken-word artist Temi T dives into the enchanting power of wordplay and artistic expression, with Painted Intentions.
Rising Memphis songwriter Mary Hatley gifts her uniquely expressive and sultry vocals to a full-length album of original songs this season, with the reflective stories and blues-country grooves of The Poison I Choose.
Completing the approach with an eighties-esque production tone and a fine fusion of metaphor and personal anecdote, Hate It Here counters the scorn of its implied topic, with an unignorably addictive drop into the resounding earworm of its title-line. The single makes for a quickly satisfying and unmistakable new addition to the autumn pop playlists.
South Korean vocal powerhouse Sonnet breaks things down to the bare essentials, for the timeless piano ballad and divine performative brightness of Wishing For Rain.
Unconfined by genre is the songwriter who writes because there is no real alternative. The songs are the answers to our inner conflicts and concerns – they provide solace, an outlet, and some kind of clarity, and you can feel that as an observer of Paper Crown. The authenticity is impossible to fake, and the emotion woven into each performance, each original song, reinforces that throughout.
It’s a huge moment of vulnerability, subtly meandering between the likes of Imogen Heap and Depeche Mode to an extent, with a hint of Rusted Root to the jitter of the performance. In short though, Frygian captures his own sound and style with this, a genuine moment of artistry, unpredictable and captivating. It’s an intriguing and immersive introduction to his music.
Ethereal folk of a divinely delicate and profound poetic depth – Ghost Singers keep things simple but striking, for the enchanting aura and contemplations of Lost In Time.