“You go to Hollywood to be a star” When NME wrote that singer-songwriter Honey Gentry was ‘making elegantly sad pop to break your heart,’ they pinned this artist perfectly. Crawling, saccharine vocals overlap reverb-soaked string led melodies in the Lana Del Ray-esque songs on Honey Gentry’s EP ‘Dreamlover’. The opening title track ‘Dreamlover’ is lazy and ethereal. Comprising seemingly only of vocals and electronic guitar, it creates haunting space within the tune. Slowly plucked strings reverberate eerily throughout, coming climatically to centre stage after the last few drawn out notes from Honey Gentry. This single gently sings: “You have a…
Author: Ty Bennett
Robbie Williams is a crude narcissist. Ed Sheeran is an outsider. Sam Smith is sensitive. Alex Turner is an enigma. These singer-songwriters all have identifiable labels, but do we really know them? Are we finely tuned to get under their skin and understand the character behind the brooding, the snide, the sexual lyrics? Although social media and Genius Lyrics appears to bring us closer to artists, in the modern era we seem to be even further away. Gone are the days when fans claimed their musicians, where they stayed up all night outside a stage door just to see Keith Richards’ façade flicker…
Toronto folk artist, Opeongo’s new song ‘Hopeless’ is pitched as a ‘modern mental health’ themed song. Although the entirety of the statement seems somewhat unclear at first glance, the latter theme reverberates in every note and word of this agonizingly haunting, delicate refurbishment of ‘emo’ folk. ‘Hopeless’ opens with an easy rhythm of keys, that progresses to added percussion in the final beats, allowing the instrumentals to meld together, adding and transferring the same emotional weight that is in the lyrics. Opeongo, or Keegan Trumpour, brings in his vocals with the opening lines, “My eyes are closed but I’m wide awake/I need some medicine to give…
Anna Stine is first and foremost a music therapist, a sentiment which is echoed in the calming quality and transformative themes of her music. Following her debut album ‘Company of Now’, released late last year, Anna Stine rereleases the track ‘There I’ll Go’, accompanied by a landscape led music video. This midwestern artist is glued firmly to her musical roots, with her sound evoking everything from folk, to country, to jazz. Reflections of Billie Holiday and Norah Jones are felt throughout her debut album – an easy listening selection of songs that boast beautiful percussion and silky vocals. Where ‘Company…
Lucy Daydream spends their debut album in slow motion, whittling down the edges of indie-pop and filling out otherwise straightforward compositions with synth and distortion. The result? An album which feels like a Friday night in a world of Mondays. ‘Awake and Dreaming’ is an ode to its title: hazy, dreamy, out of touch and off-kilter. The Denver duo, Ross Ryan and Paige Duche, started their career the way they would escalate it: drawn together after Duche covered one of Ryan’s songs, they released a series of covers, eventually hitting gold with a cover of Post Malone’s ‘Go Flex’ which…
Five years ago, saw Tom The Lion fast-tracked to critical acclaim and success with the release of double EP album ‘The Adventures of Tom The Lion.’ With his sensual, sensational vocals and unique blend of beach blues and fireside folk, Tom The Lion was set up to have a Ben Howard career in a number of years. But, dissatisfied with his sound, he took a half-decade siesta, before coming back with revived, refreshing new single, ‘Tanks.’ ‘Tanks’ opens with a 505 like motive – haunting, orchestral sounding keys and slow-burning vocals. It is an intriguingly buoyant, lilting, sometimes tongue in…
Upon reflection, I’d be tempted to review Suns Up summer seeped pop tune ‘Just Because’ as a Five Seconds of Summer rip off, a piece of indie blasphemy. But there is no escaping the smile that spread across my face as the plucky opening chords and crashing cymbals sparkled through the speakers. It turns out that Suns Up have struck gold with their scintillating, refurbished indie pop sound, characterised beautifully by the band as, ‘music made with guitars to sing and dance to.’ Suddenly, I’m sold. The Sussex four-piece have preceded ‘Just Because’ with two equally sun-kissed singles, ‘Stay’ and…
If, in your uneducated and blissfully more vulnerable youth, you found yourself shouting the lyrics of The Scripts ‘Breakeven’ every time it came on the radio or permeated its way into your mind just as you tried to get to sleep, then Only The Poets’ latest single, ‘Stolen Bikes’ is the perfect dose of nostalgia. They might not like this comparison, but with its euphoric chorus and wailing falsettos, ‘Stolen Bikes’ feels like an Indie Anthem for the new age. Paired with its laid-back B-side ‘Looking At You,’ Only The Poets’ gift of two new songs bring with them a…
Bristol indie rock band ‘Chay Snowden’ is trying very hard to be the lighters blazing, mosh pit inducing, audience serenading, young girl crazing, edge of the envelope brit-rock outfit that we are so familiar with. But they don’t need the poor Justin Young impersonation to make an impact: their latest two singles are packed with the blazing instrumentals and absorbing character that stands solidly alone. Where ‘Mon Sheri’ is a loud-mouthed, vivacious rock song, ‘Sha La La’ is uncomplicated and tender; the juxtaposition of which the band pulls off seamlessly. ‘Mon Cheri’ jumps straight in with keen eyes lyrics, ‘well…
Beethoven allegedly said, ‘music can change the world,’ and once upon a time he was right. Music has changed the world; be it through the rise of gospel and jazz in the Civil Rights Movement that helped shape African American identity, or the rock and folk of the 60s that promoted a political peace movement, the anti-establishment punk of the 70s, Madonna breaking sexuality boundaries in 80s and the rise of racial confrontation in Hip Hop of the 90s. Music is a part of society that can unite, define, move people to action, change opinions, reflect and shape the conditions…