The latest offering from California-based Evan Myall is something very different. Often very contemporary, while also managing to tip its hat at the past. ‘Basic Gardening’ is a genuine and surprising EP, full of intrigue and details not seen twice. Like a pleasant journey through a picturesque foreign land that never gets repetitive and offers a few nice, almost on the spot guitar solos full of fluidity and emotion. At times Evan Myall’s guitar sounds like its screaming out, a pained and urgent response to the context of the song structures found within these tracks, and it’s a huge breath…
Author: Darrell Smith
There is something strangely comforting and familiar about ‘Nuances,’ the debut from Surrey four-piece Softer Still, released November 9th following the two singles ‘Turtle Bay’ and ‘A Sadder Sound’. The familiarity was apparent as soon as I pressed play, and continued throughout the ten tracks that complete this album. Softer Still has been compared to the likes of Galaxie 500 and Beach House, and it is safe to see why this comparison has been rendered. With catchy melodic hooks and a certain airiness, this is pop music done well. The eighties vibe is undeniable and is a factor that added…
The new EP from London-based FERGUS is illustrious and at times a rather exemplary offering, full of ecstasy and tranquillity. The calibre of songwriting is at times awe-inspiring and wonderfully utilises vocal harmony to significant effect. This massively makes these tracks so much more enjoyable to listen to, even on the twentieth repeat. With just vocals, a tenderly plucked guitar and at times some visionary use of electronics, FERGUS has created an EP that deserves high amounts of praise. I have no doubt that it will be received. The pivotal and incredible part of these exquisite and haunting songs are…
There is something strangely alluring about this new single from Josh Vine, the third of his debut releases which he has both written and produced. Hypnotic and affecting, ‘Ghost’ leaves the listener yearning for more. This is most likely why it has gained him some favourable support from BBC Introducing recently, in anticipation of its October 26th release. With Halloween approaching, ‘Ghost’ seems aptly titled, but songwriter Vine explains it is not a song about things that go bump in the night. It is a metaphor for “someone struggling with their mental health, and how it begins to affect their…
When I was growing up, I always found myself feeling engrossed in my own widely absent mind. I was there, but only in body. My mind was elsewhere. Always deeply absorbed in the music I was listening to. I guess that’s something that hasn’t vastly altered much about me. I did, however, find my mind sometimes harder to manipulate with music. Not often, but enough. That’s the thing with mental illness though. Specifically, depression. It has a surprising and tedious way of making the things you love and find comfort in abundant. I am lucky, I suppose, that it doesn’t…
I am now 32, but ever since an extremely young age, music has been one of the most valuable and important staples of my life. Without it, I think I would be a vastly different person. It allowed me to see things from someone else’s perspective, given me courage and confidence, and later, helped me deal with a mental illness. I have always felt like a much older person, trapped in a younger body and my music taste is extremely eclectic and different from most people my age. This is something I have always been proud of. It set me…
Fireworks is the latest offering from London based Seaker and is a captivating track, brimming with raw emotion and atmosphere. It is simplistic, but that is part of its charm. It emulates the lyrical content perfectly, encapsulating the tender, bittersweet nature of a relationship. Kiran Hungin’s vocal performance is powerfully delivered, and this track masterfully showcases her ability as a singer and songwriter. ‘Fireworks’ sounds ethereal and otherworldly. Heavenly and dreamlike. Hypnotic and comforting. Delicate pianos, circling her voice tenderly, before some heavy hitting drums start crashing down adding the equivalent to a force of nature to proceedings. There is…
‘It’s You or It’s Nothing’ is the latest offering from London based songwriter Alessandro Ciminata, and it is a brilliantly rich tapestry of intimate aural bliss. The sultry tones that make up his voice add a beautiful amount of contrast and wrap around the tenderly plucked acoustic guitar to great effect. Nothing is ever done to an extent of potential overuse though, something that greatly adds sincerity and genuineness. There is also some delicate piano work which greatly adds a feeling of pain and contemplation. When the chorus starts and the synths start their empowering alteration of the track, proceedings…
There is something strangely familiar about the music that makes up the four tracks of Innes Wilsons ‘Seaview EP’. A comforting hug of casualness and ease while somehow also containing a depth of storytelling and detail. Almost like Iron and Wine or David Gray and the way their slower acoustic music comes across, especially on tracks like ‘Passing Afternoon’ and ‘Sail Away.’ Vancouver native Innes Wilson has been writing and performing music since 1999, and after a six-year break, he returned with two albums ‘Bedford Hills’ and ‘Northumberland Slums’, and now this, ‘Seaview EP’. With lyrics suggesting an amount of…
I hope you’re ready for something drastically alternative and different, Because with ‘Chapter One’, the first offering from two-piece Loom:ngs, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. And it’s outstanding. “We decided to name the EP ‘Chapter One’ for obvious reasons as it’s our debut release, but it originated because ‘Loomings’ is the first chapter of Moby Dick, which is Daniel’s favorite book.” Zola read Moby Dick the first summer the two met, and she explains that because of that book, in a way, “‘Loomings’ was the start of our collaboration, and now Chapter One is the start of Loom:ngs.”…