There’s a sense of identity to it, those contemporary hip hop layers are still present – the rhythm, the confidence, the leadership vibe and a sense of independence – but musically and indeed in the way POPMFS has structured this, the whole thing speaks volumes for originality and creative freedom.
Music
Cross My Heart sounds beautiful, passionate & musically supreme. It’s memorable in a subtle fashion, not intrusive or irritating to have running through your mind – on the contrary, it feels soothing to consider the loyalty & love at the heart of the song; even with its turmoil & regret – that realness is everything.
What keeps this project united within its intentions and sentiments is a shared goal and a shared creative freedom when it comes to music. The EP is instrumentally eclectic, which is rare.
Genre and stylistic labels aside for a moment, Jonni Lost drive with superb songwriting on this EP – Hang On is an immediately likable song that quickly grows to be an addictive and rather unforgettable track; with timeless qualities.
Soul City emerges with the easy-going rhythms and subtle organic-electronic ambiance of a Lemon Jelly classic. You can hear every instrumental layer as this crisp and clean building block, and yet at the same time – you can let the entire completed soundscape work its smooth and colourful softness around you in a united wave of warmth.
The song itself leans in a notably soulful direction as things intensify, but this is primarily down to the development of the melody and the sheer effortless emotion and movement of that vocal. An easy beat and plenty of space, a hint of reverb, a flicker of guitar and synth later on – this is all that surrounds the writing and the performance for the most part.
Straight Crazy is a phenomenal collection of 4 of the very best songs from a band that is masterful at their craft. The Muddy Crows’ music and melodies have this almost effortless ability to appeal to fans of just about any genre – without pandering or sounding inauthentic. Not many other artists can claim that, and this is one of the things that make The Muddy Crows such a special band
Creatively walking multiple lines between raw indie rock and dreamlike shoe-gaze or grunge, James Dean Death Machine presents a notably live sound on this album Leave a Pretty Corpse – inviting the listener to stand front and centre as this rain of bass-lines, beats and vocal grit pours down before them.
A fascinating album – enjoyable at all times yet also unique and unusual enough to really hold your interest. Superb production skills fuse with unlimited creativity and help cement Drearia as an impressively artistic and enchanting artist.
Conceptually on point, dealing with the value of time and its ability to change our perspectives and our understanding of those around us – the song utilises characteristics from a number of musical genres to build a lightly rhythmic yet dreamlike soundscape around you.
Facing Dullness is perhaps the best new song I’ve heard so far this year. It takes a moment to really kick in, the overall sound is fairly familiar – warm and indie-pop-like in nature, but once you really hear it; you can’t un-hear it.
The days of colourful riffs and pop melodies infused with hearty rock and roll seemed all but gone in recent years. Enter Life As Mary – a band who brilliantly fuse indie rock rhythms and grit with immediately infectious, likable songwriting.