When good songwriting and real musicianship unite, it almost always makes for a worthy listening experience – in this case, definitely one to look out for across the UK’s live scenes this year.
Music
From the smooth seduction of Essence and the equal skill and sublimity of Signed Sealed Delivered, the mighty hip hop duo Lifeline and Scoob Rock finally deliver their highly-anticipated full-length album – and it’s every bit of conscious depth and musical bliss you could hope for. Storytellers by nature, poetic and purposeful as they meander … Continued
Cinematic production and oriental musicianship lays the foundation for an unexpectedly catchy hip hop anthem from Guttadagr8.
Timeless disco and modern dance unite for this funk-kissed ode to romantic attraction. ELLA delivers a floor-filler with more than a few creative twists of appeal, for LUKA.
Quite possibly his finest arrangement to date, the anthemic intentions and overall finish of Stand Up help make this a fiercely motivational indie gem – an alt-metal track with a catchy rhythm, memorable hook, and generally inspiring edge of passion and purpose to it.
Introducing an evocative pop-rock anthem, one that soulfully embraces listeners when they’re feeling at their most disconnected – the latest project from Abhi Ananda is the rock outfit Almost Citizen, and New Day is the sublime and refreshingly humble new single.
Audio cinema, by all accounts – no dialogue, imaginative fragments of design and melody working in unison with the naturally connecting power of rhythm and movement. Transharmonicon is a brilliantly interesting, original EP, from someone promising a fine balance between musical precision and sheer artistic curiosity.
What begins as a quirky and intimate ode to spending a birthday alone, soon evolves into a boldly poignant and heartbreaking expression of isolation and disconnection. Eddie Wang masters the unexpected once again, with the beautifully captured piano-pop ballad I Bought Myself A Cake.
Sisters Hailie and Jodie Sandstrom, born in 2014 and 2010 respectively, bring an unrivalled degree of youthful freedom to the genre. Their debut single and video BRB showcases a clear love for the playfulness of creative performance, with both artists delivering their best rhymes and flows throughout a bass-heavy electronic arrangement that’s both minimalist and instantly recognisable.
This release does indeed promise to deliver a soaring and satisfying hour-plus of Rock’n’Roll For The Soul. Not purely distortion and energy, but warmth, skilled musicianship, thoughtful and heartfelt lyrics – everything the soul craves from audio escapism and human connection.
Stunning vocals and soothing production meet with alluring pop songwriting, as Veronica Largiu delivers an intoxicating and powerful ode to romantic connection, with Baby.
Creatively eclectic to its core, the new album from Pennsylvania songwriter Monti Korbelle encapsulates freedom of play and curiosity of concept.