Awe hits so many sweet spots during its run time, it’s genuinely difficult not to keep hitting repeat as a reviewer. This makes me think real attention has been paid to the arrangement – there’s never a dull moment – and right up to the end, new colours are used to draw us in sonically. Great stuff!
USA
“We might not see it past our self observed flaws, but diamonds come out of the dirt to become something beautiful. Everybody can shine and I want to press that message.”
The well-traveled and musically eclectic artist that is Jonathan Anderson, better known lately as The Tiny Violinist, emerges as perhaps one of the most hard-working and passionate solo instrumentalists of 2019.
The album easily gets better and better as it goes along. Well worth a download, support the indie world and discover some fresh and professionally crafted new tracks along the way.
“Piano Blues is a moody bluesy instrumental record with an old school sound. I’d say experiment with it in different environments and dial in what best works for you. I am open to suggestions! I’d love to hear back from listeners about what they think.”
A colourful and fairly classic hip hop vibe meets with an uplifting and melodic soundscape, decidedly and intentionally retro, reminiscent of the nineties, and creating precisely those beach-side vibes and the rhythmic embrace designed to get you feeling good.
Chris Nole manages to captivate throughout this project, in the same instance as paying a more-than worthy tribute to the blues and its 100+ year history.
An achingly poignant lyric that (sadly) still holds true today, By My Silence essentially details how it’s wholly possible to be complicit in awful (or just unfair) things coming to pass by remaining fearful, passive and silent about them. It’s a lovely version of a melancholy-drenched tune.
Rico exercises a simple love for the genre, a fairly creative and surprisingly dreamlike backdrop accompanies a seemingly carefree, intimate vocal delivery that suits the upfront nature of the lyrics.
Savesomeone’s voice offers a fitting level of calm and quiet confidence. There’s honesty in the lyrics, vulnerability even, and this, combined with a notably minimalist backdrop, means the performance manages to connect well.
A pristine and professional soundscape creates a trip-hop-like ambiance, a peaceful moment of escapism. Alongside this you get Kenni’s seemingly free-style vocal melody, meandering through the layers, offering personal insight & contemporary references that often feel well-rooted in modern hip hop.
While the title is a nod to modern life, the phrasing, the tech, the search for understanding, what you’ll ultimately find within is a country-rock, jazz-piano-soaked classic – an explosion of organic instrumentation, high energy and nostalgia; enough so to take you way back to bar fights and big bands.