The idea was to pay tribute to the legendary astronomer Carl Sagan, and in the process highlight the creative freedom and versatility of music as play. It’s a job well done, and a project that’s impressively eclectic and accessible, for fans of multiple genres.
USA
From the atmospheric to the outright gritty and groovy, this album encapsulates an artistic dedication to music’s history, celebrating the unforgettable blues influence of legends like Otis Redding and Robert Johnson, while delivering a timeless and characterful lead from Will Foulke himself.
Rock and roll endures – US outfit Moonspit return with Sleaze, a self-reflective groove driven by slick guitar riffs, raw and raspy vocals, and the explosive crash of live drums.
Built upon a stonking guitar riff and a classic blues-rock hustle of a groove, Corned Beef Hash is a sharp and snappy, raw and honest recording, from a US band with a quirky songwriting style and refreshingly organic musicality. The Hushdown capture a great sense of impassioned evolution with Corned Beef Hash – we move … Continued
For fans of spiritual or etheric music, SilentButSpiritual delivers a masterful fusion of mantra-like vocals and meditative music, with cinematic textures and details building up towards a modest bass and beat combination that’s profoundly hypnotic.
It’s a song about hidden wisdom, loyalty, honesty, but it’s complex – not linear but meandering between various thoughts and feelings. The music and lyrics alike walk you through this hallway of introspection, and it’s catchy, uplifting, and confronting.
Indie pop with a hopeful groove and contrasting darkness on display lyrically – Cam Row delivers a gentle but impassioned and captivating pop-rock gem, with the therapeutic escapism and confrontation of Shoulderman.
Great production, ambient and soulful, hard-hitting – a crisp representation of classic dance-pop and EDM, but with something ethereal and modern to toy with at the forefront. tori bell delivers a catchy low-key anthem, with bad good.
The wonder of a poetic folk song, modern in concept, traditional but soulful in set-up. Grace Honeywell captures a feeling and a moment with seamless expression and hope, for the stunning Time Finds A Way.
Stylistically, Friendship Commanders have their own thing going on entirely here. The songwriting, for me, tips its hat to the likes of Pearl Jam, for its depth and reflection, its meandering melodies – that meeting of the unpredictable and the satisfying. Again though, there’s something clearly their own about these lyrics, and the way they’re performed.
An American songwriter with a certain humility and artistic authenticity about his writing and delivery, Levi Robin connects with realness and hope here, presenting a timeless folk single, with a lightness on first listen, which soon evolves into a vastness of depth and intention that’s profound, and that lingers; long after the music has ended.
Self-penned as their happiest beat yet, snow shack’s sunny day is every bit the smooth and uplifting good-vibes post-summer-celebration its title implies. The single features a finger-style folk groove, hip hop rhythms, a catchy hook, and talented bars from both snow shack and the featured Stickman favourite Atryp.