A masterpiece, by all accounts. A complex, multi-layered audio experience that has been flawlessly crafted & considerately presented to its audience. Fully immersive, beautifully catered to escapism, powerfully designed to enhance any moment with energy & vibrancy.
Rebecca Cullen
Sweet Surrender offers a lot in the way of that big band, jazz-funk, almost Christmas joy style of musicality. A memorable, warm track – loaded with good vibes, soul, and a dash of rock & roll.
The instrumentation feels incredibly full – the warmth of the music is greatly strengthened by this big-band sound & subsequently Caroline’s own performances seem soaked in a new level of passion.
I heard a little Half Moon Run in the songwriting style, a reminder that lyrics that come from somewhere real & thoughtful are often the most intriguing. The Hills and the Rivers are a superb band.
Their experience is undeniable, you can hear it in how the song has been crafted, the poetic lyricism, the build-up, the fluidity. They work as a unit & give the music so much strength & colour.
This is alternative pop at its greatest. It has all the building blocks of a memorable hit, but it also has so much character & so much that is unpredictable.
It’s a beautifully performed piece of music, but it comes with such a bittersweet wave of feelings – all in all proving to be about as relevant to the sadness behind it as possible.
The unwavering rap flow featured on this release is incredible – the main take-away from listening & by far the one thing that takes you aback as the music plays out. This is hip hop story-telling at its best.
Showcasing Komie’s superb guitar playing, but more than this – creating around you a colourful, detailed, emotional soundscape, within which you can completely forget about your concerns for a while.
Stew has done well to capture the sound of the moment with this, as well as not overwhelming his audience with weight or multiple layers of volume, colour & detail. The space & the simple beauty of it are likely to appeal for their originality & how easy they are to take on.
The band create complex & provocative soundscapes around you, occasionally making you forget the instrumentation of it & consider this far more of a producer’s catalogue.
It’s a little like you’re meditating somewhere, surrounded by the noise & smoke of an industrial building site, having found your peace regardless but still unavoidably aware of the heaviness & tension nearby.