Ambient acoustic grooves and stylish bass meet whispered, breathy layers of voice, as the elusive artist you wouldn’t know him, presents the poetic and contemplative depths of his album test of time.
Songwriter
Crafted during a time of profound personal turmoil, the single speaks out on behalf of self-worth and not seeking validation from external sources. It’s an incredibly relevant topic given the rise of image-based influencers, and SABINA has approached it in a broadly accessible, musically timeless fashion, effectively presenting a classic power-ballad with a stylish twist of modern contemplation.
Introducing a piano ballad of fearless honesty and revelation, the clear emotion and theatrical charm of Eddie Wang refuses to disappoint, as his latest single I Can’t Get You Out Of My Head addresses the unrelenting ache of a breakup you aren’t ready to accept.
Ambient acoustic country with a smooth sunset vibe and a catchy melody – Annika Catharina brings the lyrical originality, with the contemplative plot and desire of Bandit.
Standing tall on the strength of its underlying solo acoustic guitar pattern and the sheer positivity and glow of the writing, RJ Dennis strips things back to the bare essentials, connecting with heart and some much-needed hopefulness, for After The Storm.
The humble strum of an acoustic guitar, the breathy warmth of an intimate, melodic folk-pop vocal, subtle synths in the distance – Italian artist Alaïs reflects with sophistication and respect, on the highs and lows of learning to love yourself.
The writing feels genuine, the melody intoxicates, and the subject matter inspires. Mary Oz is carving out her own carefree lane in modern music, and the songs speak volumes on behalf of that.
Chris establishes the artistic journey really well, the final section acting as a brief second verse; a momentary return to quiet poetry, before we explode back into the peak of the arrangement, for the mighty and resounding, familiar ache of ‘I’m reminded that you’re not here anymore – As I pull myself from off this floor’.
Adrien’s voice maintains its authenticity – the performance feeling genuinely like a simple ode or letter to a significant other, never initially meant to be heard by strangers, but all the more intoxicating for that quality.
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.
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.
Recently made record of the week on FM-R Radio in the Netherlands, When We’re Home offers a timeless sense of musicality and appreciation for the little things in life – the calming sense of stillness and safety provided by coming home; wherever in the world that may be.