Musically beautiful, conceptually fascinating and often notably provocative. The wordplay and the framing of ideas is consistently impressive, occasionally phenomenal.
Alt Folk
From the climate to social justice, history, health, war, refugees, pointlessness, by way of undeniable Gypsy-folk prowess & lashings of addictive, memorable melodies.
Ben Stout fronts the deeply atmospheric, contemplative project Memory Sphere, offering up an album of original songs and compositions that prove powerfully immersive, emotive, and a pleasure to escape within.
Sometimes things get intimate, other times they stand back and stare at the world, attempting to deliver an explanation.
What a refreshing route to take when compared the glaringly obvious cliches presented by much of modern pop. Interludes and misdirection aplenty. The mind of the artist invites you inside.
Musically brilliant, rising up from delicacy to weight, from mellow spaciousness to full-throttle vibrancy and volume – Coyote Kid are unmissable. Listen loud.
“Sufjan Stevens was a huge inspiration. So I began bleeding that with folk sounds like Mumford or Lumineers. I also spent a lot of time listening to speaches by Alan watts.”
Delicately rhythmic and intimate production meets with softly emotive vocal work, deeply human lyricism, and a quiet rain of detail; building atmospheric bliss and ultimately offering powerful respite from the weight of the world.
Out of the depths of artistry and human thought, out from behind the bright colours and the iPhones and the ‘neverminds’, the UK’s own musical wizard that is Dizraeli re-emerges from his creative cave.
The careful hints of emotion that Lily injects into her performances help really bring the lyrics alive, letting them connect on a profound and lasting level. This is the kind of escapism that embraces the darker parts of life and somehow turns them into a strangely warming arena of understanding.
Charles Ryan Davis has mastered the art of turning acoustic simplicity into an absolute performance – emotional and captivating, brilliantly skillful. A live show would be superb, though sadly Charles Ryan Davis doesn’t perform. In a way, this makes this playlist all the more enjoyable – it feels like a rare appearance, a one-of-a-kind chance to escape into something truly unique.
There’s a certain caliber of artistry represented here that extends skyward without limits. Poetry and societal or political relevance intertwine in again subtle manners that slowly but surely paint a clear and striking picture before you. Meanwhile, oppression and struggle are represented visually by various characters locked in fist fights that edge their way around the building.