From folk pop softness to Johnny Cash confidence and grit, the style of Allan J rings loud as consistently unique for this release. The set-up and production, the lyrics and melodic meandering, the voice itself, all leans in the direction of something both original and inspiring, and fittingly, that’s also the essence of the song itself.
Music
Around You sees us move away from the shoulder-swaying grooves of the past, for an upbeat indie gem of a track; one that feels like a slept-on classic from the late nineties days of Girl From Mars and Drinking in LA.
Acoustic roots return to lift up the forever unmistakable vocal stylings and lyrical darkness and depth of 3mind Blight. The iconic indie songwriter collaborates once again with Crimson Violet Blight, this time for a melodic and guitar-led venture through an evocative story of betrayal, denial, disgrace, and desperation.
2024 was a huge year for Westie Subz. Larry Bird OG hit the scene as a dark and deeper-toned single from the rising artist, and highlighted the old-school rap roots that inspired the creative in everything from storytelling to the clarity of the mix to the nostalgic and mellow yet heavy nature of the beat.
THE SUN WITHIN provides a near-four-minute dose of inspiring escapism, built around a three-chord piano pattern that rises and falls, evolving intensely, with layers of Sarah’s unmistakable voice and fearlessly poetic lyrics guiding the way.
The track blends melody and rap in a familiar way, flooding the space with storytelling and scenes that help keep things grounded amidst this underlying topic of Kings.
Unpredictable to the core yet ever impressive for his intricate fusing of vastness and precision – Swiss composer and producer David Ratmoko continues to blur the lines between classical and contemporary electronic genres, with the darkwave depth and gothic etherealism of Andante One.
Music-making racoon Trash Panda collaborates with long-time friend Andrew, to deliver an aptly-titled album of original compositions that quickly sets listeners off on an immersive and dreamy journey.
The overall creative set-up rings loud in a similarly distinct way, the music blending the familiarity of pop with the alternative freedom of an artist whose creative pathway is clearly uninhibited, and genuinely focused on feeling and intention as it pours through the airways.
Dreamz holds nothing back, both lyrically and performatively, and this is what lets these songs become the perfect accompaniment for any and all modern listeners – in particular, those who are feeling equally uncertain or lost whilst Roaming In The Dark.
Bryan Braning was inspired by his wife and daughters to write the songs of Rise Phoenix. The tracks read like poems in many ways, often abstract and provocative, rather than literal and detailed or following specific scenes. There’s a depth to the wonder of each song, and the music backs that up well.
Beautifully captured for that reverb-kissed ethereal chamber of contemplation, There Is A Sound pours through like a nostalgic feeling of depth and wonder. The song achieves a sense of intimacy and vastness all at once, utilising contrast beautifully from these lower-toned verses to the impassioned and higher-pitched hook.