Beautifully uplifting, organic pop-rock and country-fusing songwriter and artist Paul James releases an earworm of optimistic energy this summer – a universally relevant dose of gratitude and grounding motivation, in the form of the timeless warmth and wonder of Shortcut To Nowhere.
Folk Pop
“Instead of feeling tormented by memories, keeping his coffee mug and the sight of his favourite chair, I started to see them as sources of comfort. As a songwriter I like to wrap heavy subjects in a pop sensibility.”
Featuring an eclectic playlist of songs built around acoustic guitar and Brian Elodi’s distinctly raspy, relatable and modest indie voice, this album is something of a time capsule from the artist – a collection of moments years in the making, brought together in honour of his daughter.
Settle into this one for the evening – lightly reverb-kissed electric guitar, inviting and warm, akin to the kind of playing delivered by Jeff Buckley or James Bay, but a voice and songwriting style that’s a little more distinctly indie-band-like and engaging for its originality.
An enchanting debut, a breath of fresh air from nostalgic origins – Swedish/Canadian duo FUSES bring a folk-rock charm and fluidity back to modern music, with songwriting and stylistics that appear to draw influences ranging from Larkin Poe to the mighty Fleetwood Mac.
S.E.N is the global collaborative musical project founded by Slovakian artist and songwriter Branislav Pitoňák, and All-Encompassing is a debut album blending passion and playfulness across 10 original works.
Romantically minded as ever, Fly Me To The Moon suits the nuance and tone of Simon’s quietly expressive voice, the song a comforting whisper of confidence and fantasy united, with less of the big-band bravado that first made it recognisable – more of a heartfelt plea under Simon’s guidance.
An eclectic and high-quality repertoire with tens of thousands of monthly listeners already speaks volumes, but this year New Jersey songwriter and artist Dave Vargo takes things to greater heights still, with the release of his beautifully crafted and performed album of heartfelt nostalgia Ghost Towns.
Catchy country pop jams with an old-school pop-punk vocal lead and brilliantly accessible, snappy and vivid lyricism. Kevin Farge delivers a fine collection of original songs, for the extensive new album Country Love Song.
There’s a healing quality to an arrangement like this, and Peter DiMaggio’s politely expressive voice suits that type of ambiance rather beautifully, furthering the satisfaction and appeal that is the light and rather lovely Chasing a Trace.
From the upcoming debut album Beauty Left Within, singer and songwriter Rudi Burke lays down a colourful balance of folk-pop sentiments and something like pop-punk vocal nuance for that essential twist of character. Red, dead ladybugs presents a full arrangement built around the familiar strum of an acoustic guitar, with the equally distinct fireside fluidity … Continued
Mialuna has crafted a stunning track for this release, even moving into a pure Gospel-choir a-capella breakaway as the final third swings into view, and the lyrics and warmth of the arrangement become all the more euphoric and powerful at this moment.