Unconfined by expectation nor style, mortez let the songwriting and performance process guide, and the result is a massive track like The Crossing, and a band who will no doubt captivate immensely from the stage.
Singles
More great music from Germany this season, the softness of nineties indie pop, acoustic and comforting, with genuine sentimental value at its core. The Last Lupine offer an evocative sense of escapism and story, with the stunning simplicity and wonder of Stay, Return.
Lush and hypnotic old-school trip hop vibes bring mellow ethereal mixing alongside organic guitar riffs and softly spoken melodies. Germany’s ATOMIC FRUIT capture a sense of alternative brilliance, in my view, with the humility and dark melodic stylings of Medicine.
UK acoustic vibes blending long riffs and summertime world-music rhythms with conceptual depth. Akiva Zneimer takes us back to the lightness of the warmer seasons, with a song fusing rap and melody to that alt-folk bounce of a style once made underground famous by the likes of Will and the People.
Ambient post-punk escapism of short rhymes and tuneful refrains – Manchester’s Lucigenic bring through a dreamy and rather anthemic indie hit, for the mighty Shine On.
Harmonised backing vocals and crisp guitar riffs orchestrate a country pop arena of colour and contemplation. Blue Julius master the songwriting space once again, with the mighty poetic sentiments and scenes, of a beautifully enchanting Is The Bloom Off The Rose.
From ambient vocal harmonies through an upbeat indie pop arrangement that’s timeless in its fusion of light dance and intimate heartbreak, FERDIE blends melancholy and optimism quite seamlessly, with the gentle to impassioned single Till Dawn.
Hailing from the Netherlands, New Key is an elusive modern artist, writing and recording songs organically, and with little concern for social media or image – the music speaks for itself.
COOL REBEL TUESDAY continues, another epic indie hit from the American rap force SC4REAL. The Interview brings a quirky old-school bassline and hi-hat combination, with tripped rhythms and that clean-cut vocal depth again drawing you in to the centre of a creative free-flow that’s grounded but playful.
Ultimately feeling like a huge power-pop ballad at its peak, the essence of Selfish is again that twist of angst and unexpectedness that runs throughout Kyle Jaymes’ songwriting. The music is beautiful, but the sentiments are loaded with pain and self-preservation; an outcry against someone whose Selfish choices have been unignorably suffered for far too long.
For those of us who’ve spent a lifetime drawn back and forth between the euphoric escapism of electronic dance music and the sheer ferocity and passion of rock, UAE powerhouse Sarah R Jay brings two worlds together, with her evocative and intimate tribute, to a song that proved immensely influential during her younger years.
Something cool emerges here, less density of lyric but lines that feel vast and impactful. It’s a shoulder-sway of an alternative track, a twist of organic trip hop adding further to the versatility of Tom Downing’s repertoire, and a personal favourite. We’re along the lines of the unexpected indie pop gems of Big City Life somewhat, only it’s new as ever, interesting, and musically satisfying.