Epic electronic arrangements and the poetic exploration of topics both thoughtful and fierce – HeartherLee Sounds creates from a place of conceptual inspiration, and as such, her album Battleground features a boldly eclectic array of styles.
Dream Pop
“I definitely struggle with finding good places to walk away from a song, and really the whole album was made simultaneously, with me bouncing between songs to avoid having to finish the other ones. Even If I’ve already written the whole song on one instrument, when I begin recording the song feels like it’s buried under a thick fog, and overtime I slowly clear away the fog until the song is completely clear.”
Fearlessly vulnerable songwriting from Nami Shafaghi, emerging under the moniker of NumyNumyNumy – Lovely Headache is a dreamy deep-dive into personal struggle and uncertainty, and blends poetry and personal anecdote throughout a modest, keys-led arrangement and intimate performance that naturally suits the depth and emotion of the writing.
Having climbed higher and higher with each new evocative and stylishly original release from recent years, Lithuanian-Canadian songwriter and producer Aistis returns this year with a sublime new album, and continues to highlight the profound thoughtfulness of both his songwriting and musicianship.
London songwriter and artist Lola Wild softens the weight of the world, with a dreamy soundscape and Lana-esque vocals quietly luring us into a state of poetic contemplation and vulnerability.
From smiling, laughing, and connecting with nature, to embracing the simple pleasures of food and daily life, Don’t Forget is a creatively distinct ode to all that makes life wonderful, and it speaks volumes on behalf of the creative intentions of producer and songwriter Bee-Pet.
The perfect title for a well-grounded but uninhibited collection of creatively free songs. Erik Louis James celebrates the freedom of honest expression and musicianship, with the distinct but aptly diverse album Eclecticism.
It’s a devastating ending, but the calm and quiet of the music, the humility and tiredness of the vocal, all counters the impact of this – making it feel like a necessary surrender of sorts, to the unsolvable desperation and ache of searching for someone who can’t be found.
The unique sound-design and evocative pitched vocals of Simon Jaglom meet with a quickly catchy hook, as LIFELINE tops the modern collection for an impassioned earworm that’s both inspiring and uplifting.
Dreamy dance-pop of a divinely gentle aura meets with a certain rhythmic uplift and lightness that’s equally alluring. RODEO HOTEL have captured a sound of their own, and driven through the noise of the world with quietly reflective sentiments and vocals that naturally soothe the mood.
Indie duo The fin. explore the depths of human expression, with their latest artistic venture that is the evocative synth-pop EP Echoes.
A brand new year means brand new music from the scientific storytellers and genre-blending creatives Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice.
Introducing a mellow groove and humble keys, Hidden Figures presents us with a warm leading voice, and proceeds to pay tribute to NASA legends Katherine Johnson and John Glenn.