I try to stay a bit away from the realism of life, that’s not what music should be, it’s should be about the beauty and magic of it.
Pop
Tay Campbell sets the mood well with this latest single, offering a colourful yet calming soundscape, a mellow beat, and a string of smoothly soulful vocals that suit the overall vibe perfectly.
Less important than the genre these days is the songwriting and what you put into it – how much of yourself you allow the music to present, how well structured it is, how easily it connects and entertains or lets an audience escape. You get a good balance of all of this with Cleaned Out.
DeeZire are a duo with voices designed for precisely the kind of smooth and soulful RnB vibes presented on this single. All Night Long is a gorgeously ambient track with a classically warm aura and some likable levels of nostalgia – the sort that easily take you somewhere calm and comforted.
Junior’s single Love Is Gone is one that swiftly evolves from simple pop to outstanding soul-rock within a few short minutes. Where the verses have a certain delicacy about them, a quietness even, the hook pours through as this completely unexpected moment of brightness – a choir of voices, a multi-layered rock soundscape, and a wonderful reminder of acts such as Queen and Prince alike – a fine fusion of royalty.
The soundscape itself loops out & around you as a soothing constant – that riff, that subtle sense of rhythm, that voice; all of it connects in a masterful yet natural way. Fusing poetry with personal reflections on life, the lyrics captivate & offer a fine balance between individual truth and a more widely accessible feeling of isolation or being lost.
I was channeling an alien whose home planet got destroyed, who’s now hovering through space by themselves not knowing where to go next. I didn’t plan on it, it just happened. The galaxy theme represents the spiritual side of the EP. The ring represents a vow.
There’s familiarity in the way the whole thing pours through. There’s not a common set-up, it doesn’t feel verse-chorus-like, it just emerges and moves along like an ambient hip hop loop; adding further to that laid back, calming energy.
The song offers a sense of empowerment, of overcoming – exemplifying the very idea and art of letting go. It’s a song of strength, and it showcases this in the performance and the artistry of the whole soundscape – not just in the lyrics.
KC Sisters harmonize beautifully on this refreshing take on The Marvelettes 1960’s classic Please Mr. Postman. It’s a pleasure to hear this song again after so long, especially when it’s been given such a light and lovely makeover.
LA-based duo Elizabritz somehow bring smoother vibes than ever with this latest single Durant Ave. More than that in fact, there’s a blissfully nostalgic and natural flow to this track that takes you back and calms you in a totally genuine way.
A fine balance between professionalism, passion and creativity makes the song feel completely new but also easily memorable in the way that any lasting Christmas hit should be.