Sometimes a song just intrigues you enough with its sense of character and unexpected story that you can’t help but grow to love it. French trio WOooodz seem to have mastered that quality here, blending the mildly unremarkable with the outright unpredictably powerful, for an evocative and catchy indie hit with a clear sense of conceptual relevance.
Pop Rock
Perhaps his first masterpiece, Leaving feels like a structurally knowledgeable yet still intriguingly alternative indie treasure of a track. I’ve mentioned The Eels previously in terms of that vocal rasp and warmth, the joyful twinkle of the instrumentation, but from a songwriting perspective Marshall Gray falls somewhere between the likes of the nineties emo artists and the more edgy realism of bands like Radiohead and REM.
Retro guitar pop with an equally nostalgic lyric-video to reinforce that yesteryear emo energy – Lanie Laynz recaptures the fun and jovial scorn of a simpler time, with the upbeat anthem April’s Fool.
This is the style The Rubicon have mastered, and these songs are arguably the best of the best in terms of their commitment and authenticity in the creative realm. Feel the uplift, the warmth, the honesty and heart, enjoy the genre-free expression and unplugged realness of a band both nostalgic and refreshingly true to their own artistic needs.
The big-band sound of folk rock and pop shines brightly, alongside a welcomed touch of intimacy in the breathy vocal-lead and traditional acoustic folk verses. Swedish songwriter SATRE delivers an uplifting to euphoric anthem in poetic celebration of love, with homebound.
Lighting up the space with the nostalgic sound of pop-punk guitars, drums and bass behind an eclectic vocal lead from gentle to impassioned, Serenity is essentially a love song with a twist of energetic uncertainty.
bert. balances scorn and even cursing with clear optimism and poetic colour, and the result is a strangely intoxicating, simple yet striking song, which again proves a memorable highlight from this uniquely compelling album.
If ever the word original should feel completely at ease alongside an independent artist, bert. deserves that title, and the songwriting is wonderful to match.
Created in direct response to the consistent rise of conflict and hate in the USA, Big Bus Dream releases the evocative protest single AMERICAN – an organic soft-rock arrangement and song reflecting on times past and the subsequent downward spiral of division and violence.
It’s a bittersweet contemplation, and the song has been crafted quite perfectly – a catchy hit that calls out with passion and power on behalf of the dreams we fail to achieve; and those we can still go after. Somewhat brave but respectable in its unadulterated honesty – No Mo Money is an absolute hit, and faultlessly delivered.
Punk Rock and Pop creatively intertwined with a welcomed twist of Folk, an accessible story, and a set of visuals that quickly lift the mood – New York fourpiece heavy on the heart. bring the anthemic escapism back to modern rock, with the infectious and relatable Smokin’ All The Weed.
Timeless musicianship and a catchy tune light up the space with comfort and colour, before Colin Cleary’s uniquely raspy, accessible and enjoyable voice guides listeners on a journey through simple gratitude and love.
What a vibe – catchy writing, strong grooves and topical relevance; Chad Rubin unites all of this in an instant, as the iconic anthem Wdayfg kicks off the EP Everything Is Fine. Chad Rubin first crossed our path back in 2022, the album Feels introducing an artist with a clear level of energy and esteem … Continued