Frank Viele sets the mood with ease and captivates for his storytelling and vocal prowess combined, with Hearts We Left Behind.
Pop Rock
Returning to the limelight after a brief hiatus, with both the passion and skill required to set the vibe, songwriter and artist Jacob Chacko’s album Better Now Or Never presents a hopeful, inspiring and heartfelt approach.
Riding high on the simple strength of a crisp acoustic guitar sound and calming fingerstyle of hammer-ons and familiarity – Ray Flanagan draws listeners in with ease, for the beautifully heart-broken, topically poignant You Don’t Hear Her.
The California sound is alive and well, and there’s no better time to delve in and appreciate the uplift and musicianship of this professionally crafted, largely cheerful collection.
Refreshingly bass-led to begin with and somewhat capturing a fine balance between freestyling and a catchy set of riffs – BATES energise with chaos and calm united, for Catalyst.
Free from the confines of expectation or even genre, guided entirely by a heartfelt connection to the therapeutic process of making music – Darren Middleton’s album HOME makes for a sublime and striking listen.
Capturing affection from the outset with a cleanly-mixed and hypnotically rhythmic vocal lead; somewhat akin to the sound of The Cat Empire, but with a twist of classic indie rock.
Love Game is chaotic yet colourful, hypnotic and catchy but non-intrusive – feeling like both a rise-and-fall classic and an alternative, occasionally freestyle-seeming expression of true angst and uncertainty.
Rainy Thursdays were made for this kind of enchanting rock arrangement – D2UR drown out the noise of the world, with the beautifully melodic, organic and mighty Remember My Name.
Perhaps his finest project to date, Hey It’s Not Just Me brings things back down to the ground, for a deeply moving look at the many thoughts and feelings that haunt us as humans.
An indie anthem with a smooth dash of soul and pop to light up the outer edges and ultimately deliver a mainstream-ready, genre-free or uninhibited song.
From the creative who brought us Robot Raven, WHISTLEWIT is the multi-faceted new ID, delivering memories of what many considered a simpler, happier time, through the Sunflower ’69 album.