This slice of exuberant, unashamedly pop-tastic insanity comes courtesy of a clutch of 80s synth sounds and a very clever arrangement that somehow boots the retro-ness of its experience into a throughly enjoyable romp for right now!
Singles
The elusive Mayer returns with perhaps his most engaging groove yet. Kicking into gear with a soulful up-pitched vocal for a hook, a light and summer-style beat, The Love You Left Behind drives with swagger and possibility – a sense of overcoming, regret followed by strength and progression.
A hypnotic, pulsing, rolling piano motif welcomes in the listener and then the rubber hits the road and we’re off! It’s a clever, classy and contemporary sound, with pristinely-captured vocals (as precise as you like) treated lovingly with compression, reverb and delay.
These days, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear a different kind of arrangement in the single format. And like a clockwork ballerina winding down to a stop, Malicious Monotony proves it is anything but. Well, it may be malicious, but it’s chock-full of imagination and interesting and brave choices.
Storming through the speakers with nothing so much as an introduction or a moment of quiet, Open My Mind is a brilliantly upbeat and deeply thoughtful pop-rock song – one that subtly leans towards punk-pop with its fast-paced power-chords and the often grunge-soaked nature of the leading melody.
Lounge Act Jam return with an indie-rock-infused, grunge-soaked yet rhythmically uplifting new single – the lyrically minimalist but conceptually quick to the point When The River Flows.
A relentless sub-bass rumbles and drives right through the heart of this song, insistently underpinning the satisfying chord changes that refuse to be ignored. It’s clearly been loved, this arrangement, with smart drum programming that uses the full stereo spread and there’s buzz and warmth and bubbly synths at the edges, too. The song feels like it’s breathing; like the whole thing is an intellectual exercise in side-chaining. But with heart.
Growing from solo vocal and reverb-heavy guitar strums that leak cool everywhere, into a stereo spread and mix of wet and dry sounds that are superbly managed, No Worries delivers on every level, has broad appeal and I believe should do incredibly well.
Producer and artist EL Mo3 has taken a creatively free-flowing approach with this latest release, conceptually encapsulating the very nature of embracing sobriety – the intensity & high that can come from life, from music – by means of a chaotically colorful, multi-layered & decidedly alternative dance anthem that refuses to be ignored.
This smart piece of acoustic rock from Bruno Brocchi wears its heart very much on its sleeve, doing all the things that a smart piece should. Bruno’s vocals are tense and emotional, panging with regret and feel like they are properly attached to a love-lost story that should resonate with many listeners.
As the hook hits, as those voices meet, this moment offers a passionate peak that hits with immense impact thanks to contrast and the way the song builds up to it. That resolve works perfectly, and contrast again runs within as the line itself speaks of condemnation – the end, the curtain closing.
With almost fifty seconds of pure musical introduction, I Done Came Down proves to be a creatively free-flowing, partly organic and partly industrial whirlwind of rhythmic chaos; the sort that toys with your head-space.