An absolute jam, in my own reactive terms – Michael P O’S captures an instant earworm and groove, with the infectious energy and reggae vibes of Words.
Indie Pop
Great songwriting, good vibes, a seamless voice that’s born to perform and connect in this way. Maria Monroy brings back the upbeat and colourful energy of indie pop’s past, with the catchy and live-band-backed Getaway.
Good songwriting stands tall, something authentic and well-built – a strong acoustic backdrop, a lush groove and lush vocals, a sense of meaning at its core. Wyoki delivers an alternative earworm on that front, with the strangely enthralling, imperfect but beautifully addictive Hotel.
Something cool, calm, and uncompromising – a strong groove, alternative but all-consuming, with delicate vocals that are intimate and honest in their self-reflective realism.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dreamy indie pop arrangements with surprisingly bold and energising vocals – Nia Perez pours her heart into soul into both the writing and performance process, and the result is a compelling and intimate yet often euphoric, personal EP.
Lush riffs, an old-school pop-rock warmth that’s organic and immersive, with vocals and storytelling that again lean towards the softer rock tones of the nineties and early noughties. US songwriter Zach Outman captures a sense of groove and emotional refrain that’s beautifully uplifting, memorable, and just distinct enough to stand out right now.
Vituia writes songs unfiltered and unafraid to really go there – the style is genuine, the stories devotedly unbothered by expectation or opinion, and the voice, in both writing and tone, is quickly unmistakable. The realism resounds, and Vituia’s creative escapism as such provides something defiantly pure.
Visa Anxiety are perhaps unexpectedly cool, somewhat quiet and uncertain, but ultimately uplifting in their careful contrasting of tentativeness and confidence. The band are playfully honest, interesting, and creatively rooted amidst the sounds that get things moving towards the end of a long week. I look forward to hearing more.