Back for 2020 with mighty levels of emotional intention, Aratrea’s Till I Loved You is a powerful declaration of appreciation, vulnerability, regret, and realization.
Music
Much in the way that the soundtrack to shows like Sons Of Anarchy offered these intimate recordings of songs that touched on broad, intriguing concepts, Union Town leads with a clear-cut, acoustic presentation.
An accomplished mix of rigid discipline, sound songwriting and fab musicianship, All Night Long boasts savvy production, compelling vocals and memorable moments aplenty. Nice.
This is extremely accomplished – full of 90s nostalgia, joie de vivre, a terrific sing-along melody in the chorus and tasty, funky keyboard chops layered on top. It snakes into your headspace and stays there, probably mooning you as it arrives.
Initially reminiscent of M83, an eighties aura soon emerges, blending warm synths with an overall comforting audio wash that softens every edge yet embraces the listener in an energizing, uplifting fashion.
Fast Paced & Freakish rattles along and has a real confidence and swagger in its delivery, and it really delivers. In Erin’s vocal we get a convincing, accomplish, tuneful and connected performance that lies at the heart of the song, also utilising multiple layered vocals in the chorus to hammer the points home.
Borrowing the keyboard aesthetic of a Tame Impala album, On My Mind is a very cool piece of electro pop that is chock-full of aural delights. Truly great arranging and sharp production elevate a memorable tale of longing.
PANORAMA manages to move from a near-heavy aura to something far more colourful and perhaps mainstream friendly within the walls of a single provocative and deeply thoughtful song.
Undoubtedly an artist with passion and talent combined, plus a beautifully addictive vocal tone.
A profound and powerful release, uniting shots of London with a personal story and a simple, anthemic hook. Home takes story-telling in hip hop to the next level.
The role of art and music with such a specific backbone is to provoke a certain shared manner of thinking – these topics need to be discussed, and this is where that conversation ultimately begins; with music, or art, which kicks up a fuss, grabs attention, and refuses to be ignored.
An Americana classic with a certain contemporary softness that quickly brings it right through to the modern day. Smiling not only sounds stylistically satisfying, organic and shoulder-swaying, soulful and melodically addictive, but it means something brilliantly real, too.