Daniel Angelus returns this year with yet another fully introspective, creative project. Act 1 offers further insight and a musically impressive leap forwards in terms of melodic progression, instrumental set-up, and lyricism.
Shoegaze
Stockhom’s Himmelsgräns have been a breath of fresh air to listen to this week. There’s a certain humble and quiet quality to their songwriting and to this sort of synth-pop and gentle indie-rock presentation
Instances of hope are met with softness, whereas those of frustration or turmoil are met with a much greater output of energy and instrumental expression.
The song progresses and evolves much like a short film – the intensity rises, the passion builds and subsequently explodes as the band reach their emotional peaks; united in this tightly packed moment of well-organised musical mayhem.
The band’s sound is classic, not instrumentally groundbreaking but strong enough to impress and entertain. What gives them their edge though is the songs, the approach, the heart.
Pushing the shoegaze boat out far into the creative distance, sweetsoak immerse their sound in lashings of reverb for this latest single – presenting the melodic and rhythmic qualities of rock through a dreamlike wash of warmth and lightness.
When the songwriting jumps out at you much more boldly than the genre, you know you’re onto something good. SpoonFed’s B With Me is a song that gets better and better as it moves along.
Ashley Left Last Night is far from a musically intrusive song, but it gets to you – that bass-line, the high notes in the hook, the switch from the single word to the longer-form line afterwards – it weaves its way into your consciousness for sure
Colin Read has balanced warming pop-rock grooves with deeply reflective, endearing lyrics on this album – making for a collection that’s a joy to have play for you; both for its welcoming musicality & its unwavering realness & truth.
You’re likely to appreciate Alden as the artist rather than simply the musician. In the way that alternative bands from a decade or two ago would take the time to build something expressive & meaningful, whatever the topic or cause, Alden has gone in for this same level of creativity.
Electric Drama have created a blissfully calming soundscape with this latest single Coincidence – one within which the delicately dark & deeply thoughtful melodic outpouring weaves an effective pathway of escapism around you.
The leading riff & melody are the sort that have you hanging on for dear life yet listening back at every opportunity. Strangely familiar & thrilling.