TRACK REVIEW: MissDefiant (ft. DOPEBOYLDN) - ICYMI

TRACK REVIEW:

 

MissDefiant (ft. DOPEBOYLDN)

 

 

ICYMI

9.4/10

 

ICYMI is available at:

https://soundcloud.com/missdefiant/icymi-feat-dopeboyldn

GENRES:

Pop; Electro.

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

27^th January, 2017

____________

BEFORE I started writing music reviews…

PHOTO CREDIT: Robb Gardner

and generally being involved in journalism, I was never a huge fan of Pop duos – modern examples anyway. What I was lacking was the sort of exposure and open-world accessibility I have now. One of the big issues was having a rather narrow, mainstream-approved, chart-driven directive that provided very little nuance, excitement and appeal. I am not bagging on chart acts but do feel so many artists are playing music to make a quick buck and satisfy the most insipid and easily-pleased demographic around – a point I raised in my last review. Before I launch into a full American Psycho-esque rampage on the ‘tween’ demographic; it is worth focusing on something less controversial and appealing. Knowing the girls from MissDefiant – I communicate with Jordan and Emily regularly – I know they are tirelessly working to get their music spread around the country. They are not your average Pop/Synth. duo but before I introduce them, I wanted to talk about image and having a team behind you; I’ll look at Pop and Electro. sounds – and how needed they are as the days are growing longer – and songwriting that subverts expectations and predefined predilections – looking at London and the more vibrant part of its music and sort of smaller venues that are being favoured. Right; to that first point. There is a long-standing issue in modern music not just reserved to Pop. Too many young artists are being crafted and dictated to: usually by a group of record label men who have very distinct ideas on how they should sing/dress/speak. We are in an age where certain sections of music/society are reverting to prehistoric times. In fact, back in the ‘60s and ‘70s there was not quite the same level of dictatorial control and fabricated plastic as there is now. Not all Pop/chart acts are culpable. Invariably, when one makes their way to a record label; said label will manufacture them a certain way to appeal to their ethos and the sort of people they market to.

PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Spanos Photography

Whether you see this practice as an inadmissible sin or not that is for you. I, myself, am very reluctant to throw my weight before artists who are puppeteered and made to dangle like marionettes. Fortunately, when it comes to MissDefiant; they have do not fall into this trap. Maybe marketing men and record labels are not that avuncular to fresh musicians but they should show more respect. The girls of MissDefiant have an experienced team and producers behind them but take full control of their lyrics, music and attire. They have struck the perfect balance between management/professional guidance and freedom to grow and work. Mike Tournier, as shall be revealed in the duo’s biography brings thirty years of experience and acclaim to the MissDefiant camp. He has worked with the likes of Fluke and Syntax so knows his way around Electro.-Pop. The man lends his expertise and production talents to a twosome but provides musical direction and does not impose his will on them. MissDefiant are not girls who have to dance to the beat of the record label drums. They are an example of a strong and defiant - as their name suggests - duo who have that professional patronage but are left to their own devices. As such, and something I wanted to highlight, they bring much more personality and reality to their music. Not that I am pepper-spraying every Pop act out there but how many, aside from the mainstream established and older legends, do you feel is being true and themselves? I know a couple of upcoming females like Dua Lipa and Liv Dawson are promising great music but one wonders, in the case of Lipa especially, whether her overt/sexual songs and fiery themes are less her own proclivity and more the will and testament of her label – the feeling these kinds of songs shift units and get stations (Radio 1 especially) drooling and eager.

I am not a prude not someone who actively campaigns against sexism and over-sexualisation in music but I am seeing too many young artists, not exploited, but resorting to the lowest-common-denominator for inspiration. I love Dua Lipa’s voice but feel her subject matter and videos leave little to the imagination. Not only does she seem to have a, sadly, limited shelf life – so many like her around and have come before – but her sonic and emotional spectrum is not broad enough to appeal to a wide enough demographic. I am sure the Londoner has her say and feelings but you just have that niggling suspicions every video, song and line is meticulously penned and transcribed from The Big Book of Pop Clichés. I am being harsh because I have respect for her but I know her upcoming eponymous album will get the same reaction: mostly three-star reviews (Pop magazines and ‘her market’ likely to show a higher bias) and commentators applauding her spirit and passion but bemoaning the lack of originality and soul. Apologies for wandering away from the tourist trail and exploring a vivid back-alley but it is something that grinds my gears. Aghast at the manufactured, depression trudge of high heels, sybaritic songbooks and careers – as soon as they started – requiring palliative care; it is refreshing discovering Pop artists who have maturity, youthfulness and wisdom. MissDefiant’s two have modelling experience between them and a real eye for colour, fashion and flavour. One word that perfectly sums MissDefiant up is cocktail. In fact, pick-‘n-‘mix might be more suitable. You see photos are entranced by a rainbow of summer flavours and topical-candy sweetness. There are bold pinks and pastel greens flirting with faux-island pines and red-striped lollypops; edgier, street-set shoots and dreamy backdrops. Both girls are beautiful and striking but the emphasis is never put on their looks and sex appeal. What they do, from the image side of things is perfectly distill their essence through the lens: bright and imaginative songs that convey a sense of intelligence and importance.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robb Gardner

The girls never fetishise Pop music or send blood to the wrong part of the body. What you get from them is a bright and neon set of images and the impression of two young women who are mature and smart but want to have fun and not make things too heavy-going. This reflects in their lyrics which are among the most thought-provoking I have heard from a Pop act in a while. Again, not stereotyping their contemporaries but it is hard finding a lot of depth and variation in the ranks. Occasionally, one will hear forays away from love but that is a rarity. MissDefiant have looked at relationships and the sensations one feels but it is not their staple. What you get are girls who look further out in the world and address important themes. Previous songs have looked at not being defined and taken advantage of. MissDefiant have cast their thought in the club culture and looked (aghast) at drink-spiking and the seediness one witnesses. These are not sides of music/society one often hears. I am being more and more drawn to artists that have something new and important to say; talking about things we all need to know more about and stepping away from easy avenues. This serious and wise approach to lyrics, tied with their images and fun nature, makes the girls an exciting and wonderful proposition. They are always keen to engage with their fans and do not distance themselves. You get regular news about gigs and bright, variegated photo-shoots; videos and tidbits from the girls that keep everyone in the loop and informed. I have often mentioned the importance of keeping your social media updated and full – people will not hang around if they are bare and sullen. MissDefiant have a glossy and attractive homepage and insinuate themselves in social media: their supporters are treated to a close relationship and connection with the girls. Before I come to my next point, I will introduce MissDefiant to you:

“Since launching in April of 2015 MissDefiant have created an online storm around their catchy music, fun content and engaging social media posts. Jordan and Emily's background in music, dance, acting and modelling means that they deliver effortless performances and current, edgy music. Mike Tournier brings almost 30 years of experience in the music industry to the MissDefiant team having been instrumental in former bands Fluke and Syntax. Over the past year they have created a catalogue of tracks, many of which have been released as singles, along with two full albums ready to release this year. MissDefiant will be releasing their debut album in the studio this year along with a b-side of acoustics and remixes. Coming May 2017 along with an album launch party headline show at The Borderline in London on 6th May. The girls popularity on social media has led to them collaborating online with MAC Cosmetics and many other clothing and cosmetic brands. Last year they performed at KOKO in Camden supporting LMFAO's Redfoo & The Party Rock Crew. They recently headlined at The Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen for their ICYMI single launch party and have performed at many other prestigious venues across London”.

I’ll come to the prospect of London music this summer and the cool venues about. What I wanted to look at was the changing days and the season we are approaching. I have noticed the days are getting longer and it is sunnier than a few weeks ago. People are responding to the changing climate and becoming more optimistic about things. The world around us – in terms of politics and our governments – is becoming more ridiculous and unstable as time progresses but the population are starting to revel in the sunnier mood and meteorological clemency. It seems like this is the time of year to get out the spring clothes and head to the city. I yearn to spend as much time in London as I can: underneath the shade of Hyde Park trees and basking in the rush, smells and conversational snippets of Westminster; the exuberant pace of Piccadilly and the quirkiness and cool of Camden. Everything is heightened and better defined when the weather is warmer and more agreeable. For that reason, accompanying me – and many other people around – will be an appropriate soundtrack. The MissDefiant girls have that already-honed summer-ready wardrobe. I have been checking their Facebook page and see new shoots where they are daubed in beach-seeking garb and projecting a mood of serotonin and warming rays. I feel we are entering a more positive part of 2017 that will see warm days and longer nights make big changes. Music is reacting to this and I’m seeing a lot of Pop and Electro. artists provide big, anthemic tracks. If the girls’ latest track, ICYMI – its initials make me think of the The Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life and the chorus refrain of “Hai Si Ja/Hold tight!” – is not as electric and rousing as some of their earlier material, they bring plenty of energy and spirit to the music.

With that, one hears profundity and originality: assets that are not often heard in modern Pop music. What I love about MissDefiant is the fact they energise and motivate the listener without coming across shallow or lacking necessary depth. Every track has a complexity and richness running right through it – aided by their decades-experienced producer and excellent songwriting. You get feel and heart with the girls but enormous physicality and candescent spirit. They are one of the most vivacious and striking duos in the modern U.K. scene and primed for something quite big. I have a lot of respect for acts who want to take the mood down and focus on something more ‘dignified’ and soft – emotional and filled with introspection. The trouble is, that is suited for a very particular time and space. Right now, there is a need to fill music with inventive, engaging music that compels you to get up and move. When the sun gets hotter and the country morphs into summer, it will be festival-season and a great chance to lose your senses and have fun. I am not sure whether the girls have any festival dates but can see them sliding neatly into the festival rotation. There are many (inferior) like-minded acts who get big attention so why should they miss out? Perhaps they are looking at more intimate dates but have already built up a loyal and passionate following.

PHOTO CREDIT: @willcrosthwait

I often go on about London and its virtues but have missed it the last two reviews. I am now back in the capital and ready to reinvestigate London and its merits. I have mentioned the summer vibes and warmer temperatures: London seems like the perfect place to ensconce one’s self in and enjoy all it has to offer. We will see more people flock and things really open up. MissDefiant launched ICYM at The Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen recently. That ultra-trendy hang-out is one of the most desirable bars of the N1 postcode and has seen many acts perform there. I know Jordan Cather and Emily Rose Adams will be playing The Borderline on 6^th May (three days before my birthday: just in case…) and have a chance to shine in that courtyard-appointed, intimate venue. It is one of the most upcoming and impressive small venues in the centre of London and a great chance for MissDefiant to shine. They have already played KOKO, but when you really look at, just how many wonderful venues are there in London? I know the likes of Fabric have suffered near-closure and council-mandated affidavit but that is a rare case. Sure, there are likely to be healthy and safety issues and the occasional tragedy at music venues. Being such busy and unpatrolled spaces will see the odd rogue element slip through and bring the reputation of the area down. It extends right through society but shall not (negatively) reflect London’s music scene.

PHOTO CREDIT: Brend Trend Photography

There is such a world of fantastic venues that provide new musicians an essential platform. Were we to lose these spaces, it threatens to derail the modern music industry as we know it. That may seem all doom-and-gloom but was not meant to be. Happily, London, and many other areas, continue to thrive and grow. Even in East London, there are so many spots and places a hungry musician can perform. The girls are releasing their debut album in a couple of months – I shall come to that later – and coincided with, one hopes, a consistent spell of warm weather and universal high spirits. Maybe MissDefiant already have an album release mini-tour planned and ideas but I would be excited to see where they head. I often say this about anyone I am reviewing: there is a demand across the country and further afield. Again, the girls might have played around the nation but they are busy cementing their name in London. That could well be a career-long goal considering the number of people and other performers around. I can envisage them taking their music up the U.K. and enjoying some wonderful dates. Nobody would begrudge them ambition and their music fully warrants it. Let’s hope the duo think big and push themselves as far as they can. I know they will keep recording music throughout this year and hardly take a pause. London is a wonderful city for any artists and perfect place to be inspired. There are a lot of other musicians around so it can be challenging pushing ahead of the competition. Despite the struggle and suffocation many experience; there is a community spirit and collaborative kinship that makes London far less repressive and frightening than you’d imagine. Therefore, MissDefiant should charge themselves up and prepare a fresh assault on the capital: get their fantastic music out to the people and revel in the warmth and spirit of the city.

ICYMI is the latest single from MissDefiant and shows new meaning and bravery from the girls. In the past, they have embraced ‘less commercial’ themes with their lyrics and explored societal issues and that which strays away from romance and relationships. It is not often you see any act doing something original and writing about subjects that inspire you to think rather than talk about the self. Of course, the girls have written about love and relations but do not make it their staple. Innocent and Robot are two of their early songs and showed promise when they arrived. What I feel, that differs between then and now, is the confidence the girls show in themselves. There were some early moments when there was a bit of vocal processing and not quite the same strident acclaim and passion you hear now. Maybe nerves or a feeling of settling in: I love Robot but feel the sound/song could have fit into the modern-day charts. As they progressed and arrived at songs like 133T and Ear Candy, you can hear that leap of faith and ability in their music. Starting to reach out to other artists – both songs had remixes by Humbridger – there was more originality and the sound of a duo not concentrating on radio play and charts – pushing the boundaries and standing aside from their peers. Now, MissDefiant have a commercial edge but sound much more engaging, essential and raw than most similar acts out there. This is defining and highlighted in ICYMI. It is going to be a good future for the duo. They have that songwriting ability and conscientious mindset. Their tracks are never going to be trivial or cliché: I am excited to see what they come up with next and how far they can take their music. I would not be surprised were there an E.P. very soon or plans for something similar. The fact they collaborate with DOPEBOYLDN on their latest track shows they are willing to reach out to other artists and step into other genres.

Coming to the song and question; it doesn’t take long before the track springs to life. One of the key things about the song is how short it is. The whole thing is done with in eighty seconds. Many would look at the running time and assume the song is going to be a throwaway or forgettable thing. You have artists willing to stretch songs and not think about economy or the interest of the listener. Here, there is no time for pleasant introductions and pauses. There is a chuckle, albeit a little chilled, as they announce themselves – stepping to the microphone as a Hip-Hop/Grime swirl gets the song underway. The beats are firm and fast but never too dangerous or overwhelming. The same can be said of the electronics which tee up the vocals without washing over the song with force. The girls let it be known – to the hero or chancer – they are “never going to kiss this”. Those who have been in troubled relationships have often had to settle for someone they didn’t want or forced into things they didn’t want to do. That is what I mentioned about MissDefiant earlier on: they can write about love but always ensure it is provided an inspiration and strong stance. ICYMI delivers its messages with potency and energy. You do not have time to settle into the track; the beats stay firm as the vocals stand up-top and proud. Again, and something the girls do perfectly, is blend maturity and intelligence with youthful slang and terminology. They never push away a demographic not pander to them. Because of that, you get snippets and quotations that could emanate from the tongues of teenage girls – making ICYMI appealing to them as it listeners like me. The boy is going to regret being who he is and doing things the way he is. Maybe a little too controlling or coercing; you sense a situation that needs to find resolution. Perhaps too much aggression has been shown with the guy calling all the shots. Whatever the origins behind the words, you sense MissDefiant are not only speaking for themselves but a whole generation and sector.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michaela Efford Photography

They have been in the situation where they’ve struggled and found themselves with losers – I am guessing but apologies if not! In any case, they are echoing a message that needs to be delivered: get out of a relationship that is causing strains and pain. ICYMI means “in case you missed this” and is a mantra repeated to great effect. The girls tease the guy and let it be known what he is missing. Maybe there is a sense of cat-and-mouse where they are luring him in and spitting him out but one feels that attitude is deserved. Sure, the girls are giving short shrift to the guy but never sticking the boot in and being needlessly cruel. They have gone through a harsh relationship and experienced a lot of regret so only right they are striking out. I guess the song is a general representation (of the) kind of man that crawls the club dancefloors and sleazily chats women up – showing no respect or regard for them at all. MissDefiant, as their name suggests, are never in the mood to tolerate that kind of thing. Instead, they deliver a short and sharp anthem that has plenty of catchiness, swing and confidence. The beats and electronics add to the foreground but never get in the way. Perhaps emphasising the beats would have given the lyrics more gravitas and bite – upped the game and really made them shine and roar. That is a minor quibble for a song that has a huge amount of pluses. Before I get to that; one cannot overlook DOPEBOYLDN and his contribution. Just as the girls have said all they have; the microphone is handed to DOPEBOYLDN. His part lasts about twenty seconds but is fast and flowing. There is that huge command and ability from the singer: you are treated to a new side of the story and a different kind of performer. The girls shone with their mixture of Pop and Eletcro. but DOPEBOYLDN brings some Hip-Hop/Rap spark to it and lays down his lyrics. There is mention of Cinderella and bringing a new twist to the game.

Being an advocate and spokesperson who raises awareness of these kind of issues (bad boys and shallow, regretful relationships) you get the sense of a man who is speaking out against it and, as he says, “not reaching for a misfit”. In a sense, he is playing a character in the song and playing the ‘guy’ role to MissDefiant’s ‘girl’. It is a counterpoint and reactionary vocal that definitely leaves it mark. It would have been nice to hear more from him and extend the song out a little more. What MissDefiant do is present a song that is brief but definitely stays in the mind. It is a powerful and fast-hitting track that says what it needs to say and definitely never outstays its welcome. It is great hearing DOPEBOYLDN and has introduced me to someone I want to hear a lot more from. He is someone always eager to use his talent to address subjects most do not. In essence, ICYMI is the antithesis against those songs that celebrate club culture and a cheap kind of satisfaction. It follows a course from the girls that is sure to continue in the future. In such a short space of time, they cover a lot of ground and, as is befitting of the story, leave the audience hungry for more. I wonder whether the song will find its way onto their album. Wherever it lands, ICYMI is another stunning song from the duo and proof they can affect in the space of eighty seconds or over a longer song – not many artists are able to do that.

I have spent a lot of time talking about the girls and how they fit into the music scene; what they have to offer and why they stand apart. I shall come back to that, briefly, in a minute but shall forecast the next few months for them. They have already played a lot of cool venues around London but have The Borderline to look forward to in May. Last year, in how-bad-could-it-possibly-get scenarios was like being stuck in a Fiat Cinquecento with Donald Trump, Katie Hopkins and Piers Morgan and breaking down on the side of the road only to be informed there is no phone signal and the opportunities for suicide are incredibly limited – and discovering Azealia Banks has just broken down beside you and is a particular crabby mood. It a gigantic bull-munch of a year that could have swayed priests from a vow of celibacy to just rip off their robes and move into Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Aside from my hysteria hyperbole; it is clear 2016 left some rather indent impressions on the international psyche. One would imagine this year is a vast improvement but, naturally, one cannot have that sort of assurance. I know MissDefiant are capable of banishing political blues and giving us all something rich, warming and hugely exciting. They have their album coming up which will be a pivotal moment in their career. Until now, the duo have released singles and promoted them accordingly. Now, they put together an L.P. and their first fully-fledged representation of MissDefiant. I am not sure what the age-mix will be on the album. Whether they are putting together their previous singles with new or doing all-new compositions; maybe a couple of cover versions in there? What it is called, and what will be contained therein, is going to be a big deal. With each new song, the girls seem to resonate with new audiences and build their army. After the album is released, they will be looking to get songs played on radio and reach new audiences. I know there are plenty of good London radio stations that will spin their album and international options open to them.

The biggest challenge facing the girls will be what happens after the album. It seems like everything they have worked for has led to this moment. I know they will release an accompanying collection of B-side acoustic tracks and remixes. Not only does that show they have confidence in the material but are eager to see their songs reworked and reinvented: seeing what other D.J.s/producers come up with. The debut album is a very nervous and exciting prospect. It will go really well for the girls but once the dust has settled and the buzz starts to die down; where do they head and what course do they take? With that remixes/acoustic numbers B-side album, there is plenty of MissDefiant music to wet the appetites. ICYMI sees DOPEBOYLDN (a lot of upper-case confidence!) fuse together in an electric and buzzing track. They have always presented that fusion of upbeat-energised and something quite tropical and traditionally Pop. Brimming, rousing melodies and big choruses have worked alongside confident vocals and detailed instrumentation. Their latest single, plus its remixes, is a bit more street-wise and crosses into genres like Rap and Urban. The girls are never likely to sit still and take their Electro.-Pop energy and desires into new realms. Many stepping into this territory might sound nervous and unsure: the duo are completely assured and natural throughout. The girls’ empowering lyrics, something I shall spend more time looking at soon, investigates lust, love and betrayal but is never too vitriolic, dour and angered. There is a mature vein accommodating red-bloodied direction and one of the most memorable songs they have ever crafted. DJ Escence and producer Humbringer have brought their talents and visions to remixes and ensured the song not only appeals to fans of Pop and Urban but reaches the club crowds – a song that translates well in closed-off, sweaty dancefloors and beach tavernas and tropical climbs alike. What shimmers and resonates within ICYMI is its personalised, motifs and nuances. DOPEBOYLDN is a subversive gay rapper who challenges masculine constructs and decries the hetero-normative paradigm of Hip-Hop and Rap – often its players boastfully emasculate and produce sexist, homophobic ideals.

PHOTO CREDIT: @robgardnerphotography

He brings his stirring and commanding talent to the track but always keeps things uplifting and hopeful. East Sussex native Adams and Plymouth-raised Cather have that sisterly bond and have descended from different backgrounds – Adams, a soprano who moves to London at sixteen; Cather, a model who has acted in operas and musical theatre; a dancer who has performed with Charli XCX and Years & Years. ICYMI is as strong and powerful a statement as they have ever put out which does not surprise me. There is a lot of confidence in the duo right now. They have survived that all-important first couple of years when it is a struggle maintaining popularity. The girls have over eighteen-thousand followers on Twitter and twenty-two-thousand on Instagram. Those numbers are not the result of sensationalist posts and celebrity status: meaningless and shallow definitions that have very little bearing on the real world. The duo have gained such a following because of their incredibly consistent music and loveable personalities. They are always eager to connect with their fans, onstage or on social media, whilst maintaining a professional façade and exceptional creative variety. As their latest single shows, they are not afraid to collaborator with strong artists and take their music into new realms. I could have forgiven any hesitation with regards cross-pollination: many artists get settled in a genre and do not want to risk alienating their audience. MissDefiant are synonymous with socially-aware lyrics and stunning performances: in that sense, they are not limited to genres and have that freedom to move around and collaborate. I would love to see more of that happening in the future as they pair very well with DOPEBOYLDN.

I’ll end this thing by coming back to the earlier points of London/spring and the contrasts within the Pop market; a little bit about over-sexualisation and creative coercion and how MissDefiant are leading a purer and more inspiring charge. Let’s go back to London and the coming months shall we? I see the capital being thrust into the limelight as the festivals start to kick off. I can already sense a change in the air. When I was on way to north London yesterday I was struck by the unusually cheery mood of the locals. The sun was barely out but the warm temperature and smell of spring was enough to rouse the stoniest into some sort of smile. It is always a struggle getting through winter and really having the energy to get excited and optimistic. MissDefiant are just the tonic one needs to get the spring kick-started and the celebrations underway. We are hearing announcements for festivals this year which always gets me thinking about Cather and Adams. I can well picture them commanding one of the largest stages in the country and playing out to thousands of fans. Right now, they have a lot of gigs around London but they tend to be smaller locations. Whether they prefer a more intimate space or yearn for an outdoors, large-capacity setting I am not sure. What I do know is the girls seem very much at home in London; they have a great fanbase and are starting to get the attention of the tastemakers and local radio. Not too long, one would hope, before they get national radio play and conquer international waters. The reason MissDefiant are so cherished is because they have that envious balance of professional support and artistic freedom. They are not, as I speculated about many modern Pop stars, under the thumb of stylists, labels and sweaty businessmen: the best way to get the music out to the masses is through sexualisation, empty and direct music that appeals to the base senses – requires little attention span and imagination. I am not against women/men using their looks and bodies to promote their music – some of the greatest music videos ever have employed sex and suggestion as a weapon – but there is too much of it in music.

I am saddened about the contrasting diatribes where we hear women (and men, rightly) stating how there is an inequality in music: fewer chances for female professionals and that age-old male instinct to reduce women to their sexuality and beauty – rather than focus on what they are saying and how they think. On the other side, there are a lot of young artists (men too) who are not helping this issue of objectification. We are not going to progress music and society is we celebrate sexuality so pointlessly and promulgate something lurid and cheap – when we are fighting for better rights (for women) and a more rounded and educated scene. This debate is best reserved for another time but it all comes back round to MissDefiant who not only oppose the chart-based artists who are being controlled by marketing forces but rebel against attitudes in their music. The duo have fantastic production values and professional support but that influence only extends to production and songwriting. They are not told what to say and certainly not forced to use their bodies and sexuality to sell music. In fact, the girls have used their music to address issues like this in music and inspire people to be wary of the more sworded and depressing side of things. I’ll leave it there only to say MissDefiant, in so many ways, are the antithesis of the modern Pop scene. Much more fulfilling, talented and deep than a lot of their peers; on that basis alone, they warrant prolonged success and attention. ICYMI is another insight into their album and, in my mind, their most interesting and bold tracks yet. They do not often join with other artists so this marks a new stage – or perhaps a lovely one-off – where they are willing to bring collaborators in to help spread an important message. That message is never couched in a stern and humourless cocoon. You get a reliable mix of soda-fizz Pop spirit and pulsating, raw-boned beats together with DOPEBOYLDN’s authoritative street sounds and poetic, intelligent interjection. On paper, the artists seem rather ill-suited and different but come together completely naturally. It is that kind of quality and confidence that will go into MissDefiant’s May-released album. A treasure of a duo who are in incredible form right now. With the sun peaking its head and the world starting to smile a lot more; it is just about the right time for…

PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Urik

MISSDEFIANT to embark on a noble charge.

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____________

Follow MissDefiant

PHOTO CREDIT: Michaela Efford Photography

Official:

https://www.missdefiant.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MissDefiant/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MissDefiant

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/MissDefiantOfficial/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/MissDefiant

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/missdefiant

TRACK REVIEW: James Holt - Whispers

TRACK REVIEW:

 

James Holt

 

 

Whispers

9.6/10

Whispers is available at:

https://soundcloud.com/jamesholtmusic/whispers

GENRE:

Singer-Songwriter; Alternative-Rock

ORIGIN:

Manchester, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

2016

____________

THIS is the second time I am writing this review…

owing to a monumental I.T. issue today. Suffice to say, this draft might not be as impressive and urbane but that is no disservice to my featured artist. I shall come to him soon but before I get there I want to look at gender in music and the sort of sounds being favoured in 2017; the bands and acts from Manchester that will be making big waves in the coming months. In addition to that, I will be looking at the importance of patronage and getting those big reviews; how education and exceptional musicianship can lead to a prosperous career and the trends and movements that are ensuring this year in music is an exciting one. Before all of that, I want to look at gender and why I am bringing it up. I have stated, in previous reviews, how the girls have been making the biggest impressions over the past year. It might be an ambiguous and overly-simplistic term but one I feel is correct. If you consider the best and album from last year – from Beyoncé, Solange and others – you can hear more invention, endeavour and power than their male peers. Again, I might be all-sweeping but I left 2016 optimistic this year would be a brighter and happy one – simply because the female genres were exploring new territory and providing a consistency I had not heard in many years. With new releases from Jesca Hoop and Laura Marling out or on the horizon; I am pretty convicted my theory will flesh-out and be proven very soon. That is not saying the boys have anything to worry about. We can go on for ages about how few women are afforded the same opportunities as men; how their employment chances and pay will be less – the way they are objectified and reduced to their physical assets in a lot of cases. That is a thorny issue I have explored before so shall not labour it here.

What I wanted to bring up was how incredible last year was for music. That was the case, in no smart part, because of the singer-songwriters emerging. I was a bit cold with the bands of 2016 but have faith this year will rectify that imbalance. I have mentioned the likes of Laura Marling but if you take a sniff of the ripest and more pleasant-scented songwriters showing their stuff – there is so much depth, range and quality. I have banged-on about – the same way a dictator would take to the stand and scream a message of propaganda to the deluded masses – how Billie Marten is someone to keep your eyes on. Again, like my sexism point, I will keep it brief: she is likely to take big strides very soon and fully ascend and assimilate into the mainstream. She is among a crop of hungry young singer-songwriters doing something different and exceptional. One of the issues I have with some male artists – as opposed their female peers – is the level of interest and personality you find in their music. As I type this, rather opportunely, Marling’s latest song, Wild Fire, has just come on the radio. It demonstrates what I mean about female-made music. The lyrics shimmer with evocativeness, scenery and story; the vocal swoons, strikes and speculates whilst the guitars weave fascinating tapestry and capture the heart. I am not down on male singer-songwriter but have found too many are focused on the heart and loins: a limited songbook and few willing to push the envelope and take appropriate risks. That is all well and good if you do not want to remain in the industry but, I am guessing here, many will want a viable and sturdy career. If you are a Folk/Pop act, you do not have to follow the herds and write something insanely marketable and digestible. I feel too many artists are not taking chances and suffering as a result. James Blake, for example, is someone who can talk about relationships and love but do so with new perspective and ideas. His Electronic compositions and intoxicating, velvet-smooth voice are sensational. Turning this seeming funeral wake into a birthday celebration: it is appropriate I shine the light on James Holt. He is a young man who should not be scared at this point in the review. The reason I have mentioned the above points is because he does not fit in. In fact, he is one of those songwriters given the guys a good name and highlighting what a wealth of exceptional music there is.

PHOTO CREDIT: Projoe Photography

I shall highlight the reasons how he has got where he is – and why he is so good – in a later section, but for now, time to meet the man himself:

“James Holt is a singer/songwriter from Manchester and, with his unique alternative rock sound, is receiving attention and praise from music industry giants and the listening public alike. 

James’ song 'Whatever Happened to John?' was chosen by Brian Eno. Brian Eno, a world-renowned producer, said of the track: "Brisk, funny, exciting. Great drumming. This track feels fresh and exciting to listen to". James is particularly pleased because he recorded and produced the song himself. Brian Eno chose the song via the NOISE Festival 2014.

Music has been his life from a very early age. He is a classically trained pianist (since 6), guitarist (since 9) and cellist (since 12), and also has grade 8 theory. He achieved four grade 8s and then went onto graduate from the University of Salford with a First Class BA Honours Degree in Music, majoring in composition and arrangement. He is now studying for a MA in Music Composition at Salford University. He was also awarded the Derek Scott Composition Award at his graduation ceremony.

James has a love of composing and arranging and a desire to write lyrical songs in many styles. He records, writes and produces all his own music and is inspired by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Tame Impala, Radiohead, Miles Davies and Bill Evans.

He has recently had radio plays on BBC Manchester 'Introducing' (also going in for a live session) and BBC Lancashire 'Introducing', Mike Sweeney BBC Manchester, BBC Radio 6, FAB Radio International, Allfm, student radio, local radio and has also been featured on 'Fresh On the Net'. He has been featured twice on 'Never Enough Notes' and has been spotlighted in the Unsigned Guide and the Manchester Evening News.

James performs regularly at venues and festivals in towns and cities across the UK including Manchester, Liverpool, Leicestershire and Bolton, and he is keen to expand and experiment further musically and is back in the studio writing and recording”.

I will return to the singer-songwriter/gender debate in the conclusion but wanted to look at one of the most underrated cities for music in the world, Manchester. Many would say the northern city has got a lot of praise and attention over the years. After all, consider The Stone Roses, The Smiths and Oasis. Put Joy Division near there and The Chemical Brothers. The trouble is, that was all in the past. Sure, during the rise of Oasis and The Smiths, many were focusing on Manchester and how strong its music was. There has not really been a huge movement coming out of Manchester – not in the same way, there was in the 1980s and ‘90s. A lot of focus is on London which is causing many musicians to move there – fearful they will be overlooked otherwise. I love Manchester, despite the fact I am yet to visit. I have always been intrigued by the tautologically-named Northern Quarter – it is Manchester: just how much more northern can you get?! – and what it represents. It is quite a trendy and cosmopolitan area but, to me, seems like a natural home for future glory. It seems perfectly set-up to accommodate musicians and what they need. Cheaper rents and plenty of great little spaces; a willing and welcoming community and perfect streets/sights to inspire the mind. It is not surprising the city has influenced a lot of wonderful musicians the past couple of years. We all know Blossoms were the big band out of Manchester (Stockport actually) mooted for big things. I found their debut album a little too formulaic and unexciting. Too many carefully-planned and overly-precise songs without the necessary looseness and energy you would hope for. They are cut from the same cloth as The 1975 – another band I hate – and were a little overly-tipped in my view. I have found a crop of local bands fully capable of going one step further and creating year-defining music. PINS are the all-girl rockers who created a blinding album in their self-produced album, Girls Like Us.

The band has a huge live reputation and are signed to the Bella Union label. Having supported Sleater-Kinney and Drenge last year – and a tour of the U.S. – this year they have already brought out one an incredible single: the Iggy Pop-featuring Anglophobe. That part-Spoken Word, part-Rock song is as original and instant as they come. Pop’s gravelled, commanding voice narrates strange scenes and keen wit; the band backing him up with a hooky chorus and plenty of fuzz-and-stomp. I know they are releasing more music this year and definitely one of those bands who will be mainstream fixtures very soon. In that same vein, Cabbage are one of those bands deserving of the hyperbole and speculation. The boys are busy conquering stages and stamping their mark on the scene. When they are not writing about vengeful, wouldn’t-want-to-meet-them-in-a-dark-alley dinner ladies; they are tackling Garage-Rock with a panoply of riot, attitude and exceptionally bracing songs. They have almost perfected the art of modern classics: building off the legends of Punk but adding something very much their own inside music that gets inside everyone’s head. The Mossley boys were long-listed by the BBC – and their annual poll of the artists to watch – and are very much in love with where they are. You will not see the boys swapping the wit and wisdom of Manchester for the hustle and expense of London anytime soon. Away from bands and you can guarantee solo artists will be doing their part. LAY. (pronounced ‘Ladyfullstop’) is a charming and beguiling artist capable of tempting the birds from the trees. She was born in the Midlands but spent formative years around Manchester. Member of M.C. outfit Cul de Sac: she has caught the ear of Kendrick Lamar and amazed him with her mixture of babble and fluid, forward-thinking Soul, Jazz and Hip-Hop. Here is the very definition of what I was saying about girls: that talent and ambition have led to some truly world-class music.

Aside from those acts I have just named, there will be many more making their mark. Horsebeach and Honeyblood are two great bands to watch as our Spring King. If you peek under the boulder of Mancunian music, you will discover so much treasure and potential. It is a bursting city that is alive and alert: the music here is among the world’s best and deserves great focus. I have been looking at London music for a long time now and not had much chance to investigate what is happening in Manchester right now. I will explore this in more depth in a feature but am pumped listening to some terrific Manchester music. Gorilla, The Ritz and The Ruby Longue are three reputable venues in the city bands can cut their teeth and get a good footing. I know there are some terrific pubs and smaller locations around Manchester but it is those legendary, much-fabled locations the best artists in the city yearn to play. I know James Holt has performed around the city and covered a lot of territory in the north. He has wowed many in Manchester but casting his net quite wide. I am not surprised to hear someone of Holt’s calibre come from Manchester as we know the sheer quality coming through. Before I look at Holt’s education and musicianship; I am intrigued by his reviews and fans. I will go into more depth but wanted to talk about a certain Brian Eno. He seems to be a name I am dropping into a few reviews lately. The epic producer/musician has his finger on the pulse and keeping busy discovering new artists he feels are worthy of applause. Holt is one such chap he has given his gold standard to. Invigorated, relaxed and seduced by the wit, excitement and percussion chops of Holt’s song, Whatever Happened to John?, Eno was deeply impressed by such a singular talent. The fact Brian Eno has put that sort of praise at Holt’s feet should not be taken lightly.

If any musician receives recommendations from a stalwart of the music scene that is almost like praise from a king – you have the confidence to go as far as you need. I am sure Holt will not get too big-headed but will be buoyed by such words Holt has caught the imagination of local radio and press with BBC Introducing Manchester and the finest radio stations in the city keen to praise the young master. Of course, Holt is backed by his band so congratulations should go to Kieran Joyce and Aden Peerts – who lay vocals/bass and drums respectively. Listening to Holt’s music puts me in mind of the Punk greats of the 1970s and 1980s and the excitement in the air then. Bands like The Jam and Buzzcocks could provide down-to-earth, witty songs but still conveys serious messages and speak from the heart. Having digested and idolised album such as All Mod Cons; I can see Holt and the band producing their own, Manchester-based classic. I will come to my last point soon but wanted to mention a radio station I name-drop with all the subtlety of Satan emptying his bowels after a heavy night at the curry house – expunge that disturbing, dystopian image if you dare! BBC Radio 6 Music is a subject/thing I could write an essay on. It seems like the station is an esoteric delight: picked up by the minority but those who really appreciate great music and the finest sounds around. Holt has been championed by the station’s Tom Robinson and with just cause. I get to review artists that have been played across ‘6 Music and that is no easy accomplishment. To reach the doors of radio Parnassus, you need to have a skillset and set of songs that bypass the rather cauliflower-eared, chart-obsessed brains of local radio. BBC Radio 6 Music is the last bastion of proper, all-killer-no-filler music for the discerning elite. The fact the likes of Tom Robinson have singled Holt out for success is a testament to the talent the Manchester musician has. If you gain such accolade this young and soon it shapes and defines the future. You might well say that is all well and good but how do I get to that stage?! Whispers is a song that takes from Holt’s past and the characteristics that define his music: the heart and humour with incredible musicianship and intelligent, inspiring lyrics. I know the boy has a great online following and a certain Sean Keaveny – another ‘Radio 6 Music D.J. – is one of his supporters. All these great humans have fallen for someone who has music swimming in his blood. It is James Holt’s desire and passion for music that got him into the business and leads to such terrific music. As I said, I will look at Holt’s new music and prospects for 2017 but will go to his past and see where has come from.

Right, peeps, almost there, but before I do, I wanted to look at musical education and consecration as a way to enhance creativity and commitment. James Holt is a classically-trained pianist and bonded with the guitar at nine, the cello by twelve – he has a Grade 8 theory. Aside from that, he has a B.A. Honours in Music (from the University of Salford where he obtained a First) and is studying an M.A. in Music Composition – again, from the same university. I feel a musical education – whether a music school or university – has its advantages and pitfalls. On the downsides, a lot of educational facilities instruct students a certain way. Many music schools mould students to sound like chart acts: make them as commercial and dispensable as possible. You also find many of the students, because of this, have a limited palette and do not often expand their sound. On the plus side, and is the case with Holt, you are surrounded by fellow musicians and provided guidance from qualified musicians and learned professors. Not only do you get a front-row seat to a first-class education but have lessons and lectures structured and well-planned. Maybe some would say this makes (musicians who study here) too technical and studied – lacking the feel, instinct and personality you would want from a musician. There are valid points on both sides of the scales. An history of music will tell you there is validity to gaining a musical education. For someone as passionate and multi-instrumental as Holt; it seems only right he would immerse himself in study and follow that path. I feel it has directly structured and influenced his music: was he to negate studies and take a different path it is debatable his songs would be as strong and compelling? The wit and humour you get in the music is more his own personality – music lecturers are never that cool and fun – but the exceptional musicianship and compositional excellence stems from that university-level education.

Holt’s previous work has been lauded by many due to its strength, maturity and professionalism. Whatever Happened to John? has a genuine rush and excitement to it. Harmonica blasts remind me of The Beatles, in a strange way, whilst the entire piece has a spark and drive that propels it forward. The chorus looks at control and has a sort of smile-inducing, grisly humour to it. You are always hooked by the passion in Holt’s voice and the speed in which the song goes past. Captured by the dance and allure of the track: the instrumentation is never predictable and puts so many different ideas together. A pattering drum solo is an unusual inclusion and is a real treat. Among the harmonic blast and guitar strings, you are toe-tapping to the percussion and allow yourself to be enveloped in the vivid storyline and aural fireworks that are let off. Whatever Happened to John? is a song that spiked the ear of Brian Eno who recognised James Holt as an exciting and witty songwriter. You can hear what he means here: a moment that sounds unlike any other and definitely puts the listener in a better frame of mind. In Sanguine on the Rock’s title track, Holt looks at a subject who has lost his wings and lost his way. Not knowing where he belongs; one gets the sense of a disconnected and lost figure who is seeking answers and a sense of direction. Holt’s lyrics have that poetic and personal touch that elevates them above the predictable pulpit many scribe from. In this track, one hears so many original ideas and that musical flair – another barnstorming track but alive and fresh; it has complexity and depth that means one will keep coming back and discovering new things. If one explores the entire E.P., you’ll find the same kind of treasures and quality throughout – the title track is the standout and gets the listener thinking and inspired. All of this past material proves how consistent and special Holt is. It is hard comparing him with another artist because you concentrate on what he is saying and what the lyrics compel.

Coming to Whispers – with that back knowledge and Holt music in my ears – I was preparing myself and ready for what was coming. If you were looking for a rushing-off-the-line song that delivers knockout energy and a real body-moving swagger you may be disappointed. Holt shows evolve and surprise in a song that begins with an enormous amount of grace and beauty. There is a shimmering bit of percussion and keys. In fact, it is hard to describe the instruments being employed in the opening moments. One hears a balance of ballet and Classical score and something that could have been created by The Cinematic Orchestra or Brian Eno. There are little bits of Pink Floyd and other artists but, to be honest, it is James Holt’s musicianship and talented combining together like nothing else. In previous songs, he has shown how adept and natural he is as a musician through Alternative-Rock/Folk sounds. Here, the palette is broadened as he explores new territory. It is a song you submit yourself to and swim inside. So vivid and tranquil are the notes, one drifts and moves inside its colourful, velvet-soft suggestions. Before you fully embrace the score and speculate what is coming next; Holt’s voice comes in and is sweet and high-pitched as the birds in the trees. At the start, one hears of tears rolling down the face and a sense of loss. Maybe there is romantic misadventure and untangle but the lyrics implore interpretation and have obliqueness to them. I was captivated by the sheer sound and emotion of the vocal which is very different to Holt’s previous work. In the past, Holt portrayed a lower vocal that could have sat alongside Folk legends such as Bob Dylan. Here, one hears influences of John Lennon and Tame Impala. There is that fusion of northern burr and earthiness with something ethereal and transcendent. Holt lets his voice guide the song and explore in the atmosphere. If there is a sense of weightlessness to the music and vocals; it is the lyrics that bring you back down to Earth.

It is an unexpected move and song that has found many saying the same thing: what an evolution and change it is from Holt. That is true, yet the mark of any great artist is someone who can make these sort of leaps but remain focused and identifiable. Whispers has that incredible beginning but never extends that introduction so far. Even in the initial lyrics, you are lured to the composition that keeps registering little hits here and there. There are high notes and majestic little flecks; some aching and yearning undercurrents and a rich and sumptuous bouquet. The vocal soon becomes firmer and more matter-of-fact as the hero asks about love and affection: whether the whispers were just for him and what it all meant. Maybe I am looking in the wrong place for truth but I leapt to the side of love and a man that is struggling with feelings and affection. One hears the hero say he is unable to maintain (the girl) and gets the mind working hard. Perhaps a bond has broken and lies been told or there has been a sense of tease. Whatever the true origins behind the words, it is impossible not to be buckled and affected by the changing mood of the song and all the development one hears. From that floaty, Progressive-Rock start, the song changes to something straighter and more direct. It is that composition that, perhaps, registers the biggest hit. Holt is an exceptional musician but showcases a range of skills few others possess. You get a mix of genres and style that leap across decades and will speak to listeners of all ages. It is a fabulously evocative sound that leaves you a little lost for words. Luckily for me – otherwise this interview would be a bit sparse – you are torn in all sorts of directions and have plenty of interpenetrations. Maybe I am a little foolhardy thinking the hero has had his heart broken and is wrestling with an established passion.

It is another incredible song from James Holt and one you have to keep listening to over and over again. Such is the strength and beauty of Whispers, you cannot just listen to it once and take it all in. There are so many different things going on one has to keep returning to get to the bottom of various phases. The musicianship and composition is amazingly accomplished and evocative. I have mentioned Brian Eno and can imagine the maestro would be very proud listening to Whispers. It has sounds he would be familiar with and definitely approve of. Also, you sense a musician at the peak of his form but someone who has a lot more to say. Whispers has very few lyrics but the ones included get you wondering and questioning their nature and true meaning. I have listened to the song a few times and still changing my mind about things. On the one hand, there is that possibility of love and a broken relationship and on the other, something more positive and affirmative is being portrayed. Holt’s voice switches from angelic and pure to slight-gravelled and homely. That evolution and mutation is never rushed: it all sort of unfolds naturally in the song and sits alongside the composition which is incredible. That music is among the most extraordinary I have heard in a long time. I have often felt modern singer-songwriters are too limited with regards their compositions and never that interesting. James Holt is someone who recognises this and ensures all his songs are filled with energy, nuance and immense fascination. Whatever your interpretation of Whispers; it will affect you and stay in the mind for a very long time. An incredible and beautiful track from one of the country’s best young songwriters.

Sanguine on the Rocks is Holt’s latest E.P. and one that, seems to be fine his dichotomy and attitude. ‘Sanguine’ means positive or hopeful when a situation would suggest a bleaker outcome. The idea of someone moored on the rocks but looking out at the horizon speaks volumes about the Manchester songwriter. Not that James Holt has battled too many obstacles and setbacks. As writers go, you do not just get the run-of-the-mill love songs and stereotyped sentiments. Whatever Happened to John? – that Brian Eno-approved gem – came with a lashing of gravy-think wit and sumptuous percussion; an incredible, indelible vocal and snatches of ‘70s Punk and modern Alternative-Rock. Whispers has very little in common with Whatever Happened to John? which is a good thing. Both songs have that distinct James Holt talent at the core but look at different subjects and have separate sounds. In order to gain approval and success in the industry, you need to be wide-ranging and ambitious with your songwriting. If you were, a James Bay-like Pop artist who seems more obsessed with his stupidly oversized hat than the quality of his music – you are not going to fare too well and bore your way out of music. What I wanted to do, before the final sprints to the finishing line, was to predict where Holt might head this year. What I find about Manchester musicians – something I will tip my hat to later – is now proud they are of home. Sure, you get London artists pleased to be here but few Manchester musicians leave the city to seek fame and fortune further south. It seems like the city is perfectly equipped to accommodate the smorgasbord of genres, bands and artists pushing music forward. In the same way I’d happily like myself buried in Covent Garden’s piazza – if there is a human statue there that attracts gawking tourists then imagine the ‘selfies’ my ill-placed funeral mound would get – I wouldn’t mind having my ashes sprinkled across Manchester’s Northern Quarter – preferably in the face of the first hipster my relatives came across and his ridiculously pruned facial hair and absurd attire.

As I explained in the first paragraph: a calamitous I.T.-related trial-by-fire has rendered my mood irrevocably sour and cynical. I hope Holt will overlook a spiteful disposition because I have fallen for the music, his backstory and the acclaim he is gathering like raindrops from the desert floor. I know he wants to push his music further across the U.K. and that will be key this year. He and his band have a loyal and solid following up north but realise the potential of playing further south. As much as I vacillate about Manchester; it is London where my soul and heart will always stray. Not just because of the amazing buzz of the place but the music scene that has always been here – one that grows more magisterial and fascinating by the year. James Holt is used to playing some great venues and would feel comfortable, one hopes, in some of London’s best venues. The Barfly and The Dublin Castle might be reserved for slightly bigger acts but someone Holt could well play soon – they seem ready-made for his style of music and ability to captivate an audience. Also, 100 Club seems like a good venue for the young artist. In truth, there are a lot of great spots Holt could play in the capital. Many would want to see him down south. Brighton, too, has that great scene and would welcome him with open arms. I am not sure how he is planning his musical map this year: whether he is touring locally or back in the studio; having a rest or seeing how things go.

I am not sure whether Holt is planning a new E.P. or album yet 2017 seems like the perfect year for him to create. Not only does he comes off the back of a busy and eventful 2016 but can react to the world events unfolding and the inspiration they provide. Aside from the bottom-feeding exploits of Donald ‘fake news’ Trump and his crotch-grabbing, wall-building, travel-banning jizz-fests – the rest of the world has grown amused by the bully-boy embarrassment of the school’s resident toilet blocker. He is polluting the world with his sewage ideology and, one feels, his presidency and tyrannical festination will be over before it got chance to break the mattress in. Politics, social dissension and discontent are not the cheeriest subjects but perfect fodder for musicians to put their own, more positive spin on. I am not sure how James Holt’s future music will pan out but I would expect a mixture of personal revelation, witty wordplay and cutting commentary. What is certain is the artist we have right in front of us. He is a songwriter who grew up with the likes of The Beatles and Miles Davis but has affection for modern acts like Radiohead and Tame Impala. I can see a bright future for James Holt as his determination and talent cannot be faulted. Those nods from the likes of BBC and Brian Eno are spectacular and should give him the impetus to keep probing and exploring the depths of his ability. I feel one of the biggest changes this year will be international recognition. When you have a special list of plaudits in your back pocket, it is only a matter of time before you get foreign ears tuned. I can see, with some persuasive pushing and savvy social media inflections, Holt’s music can reach U.S. audiences. I know a lot of similar-minded L.A. artists who have found huge success and, in a culture swap and exchange programme, have been very well-received here. Maybe money will halt the Mancunian’s transcontinental ambitions but it is something that will happen sooner or later. For the moment, the young musician is enjoying his time in music and getting stronger and more celebrated with every new song.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Jones

I’ll round this up with a brief repeat of one of my earlier points: the strength of Manchester and the artists coming out of there. In terms of the mainstream, it is not just the legends and classic bands you should focus on. More recent acts such as Everything Everything prove what an experimental vibe the city has. Not only (does the band) produce some of the most intelligent and spirited music I have heard but seem to incorporate all the threads, strands and background noises that make Manchester the city it is. On that front, newcomers Dutch Uncles are doing sterling work have produced a stunning album in Big Balloon. The band craft music that does not stick to a single theme/genre: from upbeat, catchy-as-heck songs through to traditional Indie vibes; you have a group always pushing themselves and wanting to be better. I know there are other mainstream Manchester artists around but it is the new crop that really catches my ear. Larkins are old college friends – studying history, linguistics and music – who seem to bring their university subjects into songs full of Funk-infuse, Pop and Vampire Weekend-like stunners – through to glistening ballads and tender offerings. The band have a way with language and craft some of the most indelible and memorable lyrics you’ll hear. They dip into music’s past and infuse a variation of sounds and bands into their own work whilst keeping things very much in the present. The guys have spectacular hair – which is almost as eye-catching as their sets and deserves its own dressing room – and incredible liver performances will see them ascend to the mainstream. There are many more Manchester acts worth your time but that will have to wait for another day I am afraid. Get onboard James Holt’s bandwagon and let it take you where it may. He is a singer-songwriter who is capable of going a very long way and inspiring many other musicians. Whispers is a track that suggests…

PLENTY more music is to come.

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Follow James Holt

 PHOTO CREDIT: Diego Lopez (at Oxjam Manchester)

Official:

http://www.jamesholtmusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jamesholtmusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jamesholtmusic

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FEATURE: The February Playlist: Vol. 3: Spring Around the Corner?

FEATURE:

 

The February Playlist

 

Vol. 3: Spring Around the Corner?

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EVERY time I think I have music figured out...

IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz

it keeps throwing up surprises and left-turns. I am always excited when a new song comes out of nowhere with no fanfare or build-up. It is always fascinating discovering a nugget of audio gold that you were not expecting. I guess we are used to those artists who love to hype themselves and create a media circus. Against that tide are musicians who are making music and trying to make people happy. I guess music is a contrasting and polemic profession that is never short of wonder and shock. This edition of The February Playlist has a nice balance of new mainstream tracks and those lesser-heard songs worth time and attention. Have a listen and enjoy another full and frantic selection of new songs.

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Laura Marling - Next Time

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MapSUlQ4RYE&w=560&h=315]

Thundercat – Friend Zone

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrQMIlJbgs8&w=560&h=315]

Maggie Rogers – Color Song

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebt86W0EJnM&w=560&h=315]

Bob Dylan – My One and Only Love

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERMys7u3_vg&w=560&h=315]

Romeo Santos - Héroe Favorito

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktq4zATPFsI&w=560&h=315]

The Weeknd – Reminder

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZjAg6fK-BQ&w=560&h=315]

Rae Sremmurd – Swang

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmJefsOErr0&w=560&h=315]

The Lemon Twigs - I Wanna Prove to You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJGzm2fF2Uo&w=560&h=315]

Little Simz - Picture Perfect

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIVGtd5kjsI&w=560&h=315]

Beyoncé - Love Drought

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUyQSKe75L4&w=560&h=315]

Dylan Scott – Sleeping Beauty

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P17xZNiZj-k&w=560&h=315]

John Legend and Cynthia Erivo (ft. yMusic) - God Only Knows

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R7kPZF8wRA&w=560&h=315]

Michael Bublé - I Believe in You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94MHIeeGwys&w=560&h=315]

Tokio Hotel - Something New

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBIj-rFpRBw&w=560&h=315]

Ary – Childhood Dreams

https://open.spotify.com/track/4y6sUWPw0XzCb8RodaNSPY

Estrons – I’m Not Your Girl

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Hanni El Khatib - Savage Times

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhvZvHpqDFM&w=560&h=315]

Off Bloom – Falcon Eye

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=016lgoQb21I&w=560&h=315]

sir Was – Revoke

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lli1TclJ9JQ&w=560&h=315]

Galantis – Rich Boy

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDvPGJX-HbE&w=560&h=315]

Mt. Wolf – The Electric

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bpSMoS1dbs&w=560&h=315]

PWR BTTM – Big Beautiful Day

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDn4ZCo0NOU&w=560&h=315]

Little Cub – Too Much Love

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSsyjnHXxY&w=560&h=315]

Sam Gellaitry – Jungle Waters

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwwl_5stL1M&w=560&h=315]

ANYA – Wasted Love

https://open.spotify.com/track/38DfN7F8VVKxtBqjxRIUA8

Elina Ryd – Sprickor

https://open.spotify.com/track/7H9VM28NmhYFdcCMwWp76t

Pumarosa – Dragonfly

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEwXzS5t1bY&w=560&h=315]

Karen Elson – Distant Shore

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVbtWYpZcGU&w=560&h=315]

Julietta – Beach Break

https://open.spotify.com/track/1oWvtXGEO3lBHzwGSZfO54

Muna – So Special

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgbxDu_mDs8&w=560&h=315]

Kings of Leon – Reverend

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldaMJG_sb18&w=560&h=315]

Take That – Giants

https://open.spotify.com/track/1XuqhShERyGkjhYXJ94TxX

Maximo Park – Risk to Exist

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mStNOUpGcw4&w=560&h=315]

Incubus – Nimble Bastard

https://open.spotify.com/track/1p5aKetFO3dctfQpeEVyMj

Hawkon – Gold Girls

https://open.spotify.com/track/6cUXFVcWi6hIrgmQViv6nS

Kaah – JUNGL

https://open.spotify.com/track/5THZsDGzTqf8AkMCEdTZwa

Penny Police – No Horizon

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6lPShT0ShU&w=560&h=315]

Passion Pit – Inner Dialogue

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3IVp4a8G9Y&w=560&h=315]

The Shins – Mildenhall

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq8wC7LFyQs&w=560&h=315]

Meat Wave – Run You Out

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnIbn7-_i5k&w=560&h=315]

MisterWives – Machine

https://open.spotify.com/track/3gT24QYMA65I38nj4k1rAw

Summer Moon – Happenin’

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8zXeresLw&w=560&h=315]

Olivia O’Brien – Empty

https://open.spotify.com/track/0CxPqfcZDXp1QoTnhAE1xC

Amy Macdonald – Automatic

https://open.spotify.com/track/5zYOma0swDBqOAn9V8Z8fr

Johnossi – Hey Kiddo

https://open.spotify.com/track/1RRPLF57bRHUDsovs44VP4

Royal Thunder – April Showers

https://open.spotify.com/track/4oxBe9XIcfNEfXyQLFT1jc

Satellite Stories – Young Detectives

https://open.spotify.com/track/07gZ8kyRCT2DDbESRRAyWJ

Los Campesinos! – The Fall of Home

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xozfkEPxDqk&w=560&h=315]

Animal Collective – Kinda Bonkers

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikl16iLeHIY&w=560&h=315]

Dutch Uncles – Streetlight

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyEPk6d4YV8&w=560&h=315]

Ryan Adams – Breakdown

https://open.spotify.com/track/3arRfILwXQWmCYFBvLZ7rq

Devlin – Corned Beef City

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEinlklineo&w=560&h=315]

Otis Taylor – Banjo Bam Bam

https://open.spotify.com/track/7acv1UPsWc5H2scMC8Nofs

Shaggy (ft. OMI) – Seasons

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKG1udtxzDI&w=560&h=315]

Sondre Lerche - Violent Game

https://open.spotify.com/track/7hs935cEqtGr9kMnKL3fp0

The Orwells – M.A.D.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhXe8RHLz5E&w=560&h=315]

Vant – Parking Lot

https://open.spotify.com/track/4KdtBLGQAHIVEvr9UqBlYs

Danny Worsnop – Anyone but Me

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taNJvTLQdhg&w=560&h=315]

Frontier Ruckus – 27 Dollars

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7bQJyzOGxE&w=560&h=315]

Eisley – Louder than a Lion

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SFrmKrLMsc&w=560&h=315]

Son Volt – Back Against the Wall

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1aHfWdVDRA&w=560&h=315]

Lorna Shore – Fvneral Moon

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOGlm646WAY&w=560&h=315]

Gurr - #1985

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxfNuiXVPhA&w=560&h=315]

Ásgeir – Unbound

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oCrL8vIN_o&w=560&h=315]

Lea Porcelain – Bones

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21rICVxMpRo&w=560&h=315]

Blondie – Fun

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEngbdIMZ6o&w=560&h=315]

Communist Daughter – Keep Moving

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY3pTlrOebI&w=560&h=315]

Mozart’s Sister – Angel

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu10054JwI8&w=560&h=315]

Jens Lekman – Postcard #17

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSFFQKqkw8U&w=560&h=315]

Acceptance – Haunted

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IAfpJgHjOs&w=560&h=315]

The Courtneys – Silver Velvet

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8eDKxWBFwU&w=560&h=315]

Parallels – Technicolor

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Z6lN0y0mU&w=560&h=315]

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Fireproof

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQv2yIeVtdE&w=560&h=315]

Balto – Lost on the Young

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David Bowie – When I Met You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fDy-mRGFkw&w=560&h=315]

Crystal Fairy – Chiseler

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPP0P3l2ic&w=560&h=315]

Dirty Projectors – Up In Hudson

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpCruYl7kz4&w=560&h=315]

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Nuclear Fusion

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MFVhqcRpN4&w=560&h=315]

Froth – Passing Thing

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aArswnrgNtk&w=560&h=315]

Old 97’s – All Who Wander

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv-f7R1cyhY&w=560&h=315]

The Feelies – Been Replaced

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz2CNdup5Zw&w=560&h=315]

Dams of the West – The Inerrancy of You and Me

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mORwYN_g8AQ&w=560&h=315]

Rhiannon Giddens – At the Purchaser’s Option

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vy9xTS0QxM&w=560&h=315]

The Luyas – All of Everything

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaeTY50cmXU&w=560&h=315]

Pissed Jeans – The Bar Is Low

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJscLzuxiWc&w=560&h=315]

Nikki Lane – Highway Queen

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcvQL8_ZP20&w=560&h=315]

All Time Low – Dirty Laundry

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTwmxiLSD0w&w=560&h=315]

Anna Pancaldi - Brother

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhI5UCZUwr4&w=560&h=315]

Discplines – On My Mind

https://open.spotify.com/track/5Xc74Dn1ZKH6H8XaVGOHXG

Flo Rida (ft. Sage The Gemini) - Game Time

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgW2uRpwipU&w=560&h=315]

Ed Sheeran - How Would You Feel (Paean)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ_33urhzLM&w=560&h=315]

James Blunt – Time of Our Lives

https://open.spotify.com/track/6Bxj1tlTmK5IJnuuiAQSfL

Flume - Quirk

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSIqC-IVY8U&w=560&h=315]

Kygo and Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5drYkLiLI8&w=560&h=315]

Maroon 5 (ft. Future) - Cold 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCBmhs4dYzc&w=560&h=315]

Emelie Hollow – Like I Love You

https://open.spotify.com/track/23Ys8agSMo6sMxUkCzOJxS

Linkin Park (ft. Kiiara) - Heavy  

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp00DMy3aVw&w=560&h=315]

Pitbull (ft. Stephen Marley) - Options

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVCgI7DM8v4&w=560&h=315]

James TW – Ex

https://open.spotify.com/track/6grsbjkrl7DN6waueAmNbm

Nelly Furtado – Flatline

https://open.spotify.com/track/5nzLi6BxitQ3fMvjIgV88l

Rhys – Last Dance

https://open.spotify.com/track/0cbQXCWA8A17cZ9gm158Pz

The Valentine’s Day hoo-ha has ended and the shops are practically stocking up for Easter! It is hard keeping a track of the changing celebrations and commemorations: one day you are in winter and finishing Christmas; now it seems we are hurtling to spring. Keeping things settled and grounded is new music which continues to bring sunshine and beautiful visions. This week has seen fewer mainstream tracks released – more from the underground and new acts – but the coming weeks promises more from the big-hitters of music.

TRACK REVIEW: Joshua Luke Smith - Heart of Man

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Joshua Luke Smith 

 

Heart of Man

9.6/10

 

Heart of Man is available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Y04qd7PPs

GENRES:

Hip-Hop

ORIGIN:

Bath, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

5^th January, 2017

______________

IT is good to be back with an artist who…

last year, provided some of the most inspirational and selfless music I have heard. Well, I say ‘music’; it is easier to call Joshua Luke Smith’s work poetry and philosophy. That might seem highbrow or hyperbolic but it is no exaggeration. I have been following him, on and off, for the past year and excited by his progress. I shall come to his music soon: before I do, I want to look at inspirational songs and that which slow us down (in a good way); looking at charities including Preemptive Love Collection – who Smith is working with – and artists extending beyond music itself – including charity work and raising awareness. In all of this, I will talk a bit about genres and sounds I am backing to be in style this year. Before all of that, it is rare I get to investigate a musician who reacts to world events and combats it with messages of love and hope. As you will see from Smith’s biography; he is a man who has witnessed a lot of turmoil in 2016 – the sort we have all shared and regret – and is ready to soothe the heart and offer leadership. After last year’s political strife and dislocation; there a temptation to resort to tribalism and hurt our neighbours. Britain has removed herself from the E.U. whilst the U.S. is keen to alienate from every other nation in the world – its (sane) citizens horrified at Donald Trump’s plans, Tweets and vitriol. Every diatribe, dictatorial mandate and attempts at racism – his attempts at a travel ban that would exclude those from seven, largely Muslim nations. We have all emerged from 2016’s backend exhausted, scared and weakened. If the Brexit vote was unexpected, to say the least: the election of Trump shocked the free world to its very core. Not forgetting the attacks in Aleppo and continued terrorism; the bloodshed and racially-motivated violence in the U.S.; the celebrity and musical deaths – it is a wonder the world is still standing at all.

PHOTO CREDIT: @dominic_doring

I guess there are those who say we should be pragmatic and dispose of any idealism and naivety: the planet will never link in a mass chorus of I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony). Nobody expects utopia and a nirvana but, at the same time, we want a modicum of civility, brotherhood and discipline. I have not even mentioned the way the U.K. is dissolving politically – Labour, a spent force with Theresa May’s seemingly leading the U.K. into disaster. Set all this aside and it is clear we all need to calm and find something positive. Many would ask whether that is truly possible. We have all been led by the genitals and given a swift kick to the face. The good thing about it all is 2016 is over: surely this year, by comparison, must be a better one?! Whilst a lot of musicians – realising the hardship and fragmentation of 2016 – have buried their heads in the sand and, essentially, continued as normal; there are those that tackle a dreadful year with something spirited and universal. I have long-said the world would be a better place were we to throw control and leadership over to musicians: a group of humans who only want good and are determined to make the world a better place. That theory is best reserved for another time but Joshua Luke Smith would definitely be in my Prime Ministerial cabinet. The, as I’m coining him, Secretary for Peace and Togetherness (a very Summer of Love-esque cabinet by the sounds of it!) is here to slow down the blood flow and get the pulses at a G.P.-approved sixty (to one-hundred) B.P.M. That heart rate/calming motive is something that fascinates me. We get few songs arrive that are intended to take away the stress and eradicate bad memories. I think all of us need that psychological boost through music: dissipating any anxiety and having something soft and meaningful filling the ears. It is no surprise Joshua Luke Smith has taken such an approach to music. Before I continue – remiss of me – I will introduce Smith to you:

PHOTO CREDIT: @_tobymitchell

“The 25-year-old wordsmith and philosophy graduate has always managed to combine his love of words and music to inspire people to break free from their own limitations. After the success of his video 'Carry me' (premiered by Complex), Joshua dropped a track alongside a powerful video for National Suicide Awareness Day with Samaritans and in October released another visual poem for Anti-Slavery Day in support of charities A21 and Love146. Joshua was also involved in a collaborative track for World Aids Day (in partnership with HIV and sexual health charity, Terrence Higgins Trustwith) with singer Laura Riganti early December. 

With everything that has happened in 2016, Joshua wants to use his voice and his art to 'cut through the chaos' and speak 'hope and freedom'. His new song 'Heart Of Man' deals with a timely subject - he explains "This last year has been mad, unsettling and distressing at times. We feel divided, isolated and at war with our neighbour. This song is both a lament and moment of reflection. A call to lay down the stones, gripped in our palms, readied to throw at the first person who speaks against us, our tribe or belief. We shape the world around us by shaping the world inside of us, everything flows from the heart. My hope is this song helps to slow us down, to help us step into this year fully here, present, with hearts full and ready to love.”

PHOTO CREDIT: @_tobymitchell

His charity work, which I shall elude to more soon, has opened him up to a lot of different causes and sufferers: people who go through hard times and struggle alone. Many musicians, and people in general, are never party to such people and avenues. Their music revolved around their own experiences and personal life; there is a comparatively limited empathy and selfishness. I am not suggested all musicians focus on their own pain: there are very few who create work intended for everyone; away from concerns of love and heartache. I always get excited discovering songs that have a different skin and conscientious mindset. Not only is that a refreshing change of pace but inspiring for everyone – not just musicians. What Heart of Man does, in addition to establishing Smith as one of the most interesting talents to emerge in a long time, is subvert expectation and wholeheartedly give to the audience. A lot of artists let the listener into a song but few pen a track designed to enhance the mood. Not only is it (the track) a deep and evocative example of Smith’s talent but something that makes you think and reflect. Sure, it was a bad 2016 for a number of different reasons: it will be, as Smith implores, a better year; one with fewer conflicts and more togetherness. The meat and bones of Heart of Man is a reaction to the, perhaps biblical, savagery – in terms of opinions and verbal dissension – we have seen on social media and society. We have, because of political differences and ideological divisions, balkanised and retreated to our own caves – disagreeing with anyone who has a different opinion and all too eager when reaching for weapons. Our people have witnessed a world unrecognisable descent into Neolithic, Stone Age democracy: where the worst instincts and deep-set prejudices of man have seen hateful political changes and huge division. It is hard putting things into words or making sense of it all – as you can tell from my poor syntax and semi-garbled sentiments. Outside the chorusing diatribes and universal protests: there is a call for change; a chance to quell the spirit and provide democratic governance. Smith is an artist always engaging with his fellow man and reflect the needs of the people. It is good hearing love songs and ‘sellable’ songs but, now more than ever, our musicians need to say something meaningful that reflects the world around them. That is why Joshua Luke Smith is such a vital artist we should all support: one of those humans who cannot sit by and passively watch everything unfold.

PHOTO CREDIT: @_tobymitchell

I wanted to mention the Preemptive Love Coalition because of Smith’s affiliation of the charity. In the past, Smith has raised awareness of suicide – Carry Me coincided with National Suicide Awareness Day; that song raised support for The Samaritans – and Anti-Slavery Day. Preemptive Love Coalition’s mantra is clear: “We fear loss. We fear shame. We fear ideologies and religions. We fear vulnerability”. For that reason, as the charity is “a global movement of peacemakers changing the way we engage the world’s most polarizing confronting fear with acts of love”. All proceeds from the track will be donated to the charity to help combat division and conflicts around the world. It is an organisation that goes to great lengths to raise awareness of struggles and atrocities by providing crucial support and messages of love. The charity help to empower small business owners and provide education for at-risk children. They provide emergency relief for families victimised by I.S. and are peacemakers in conflict-zones. Working across Africa and Asia, Preemptive Love Coalition are a worthy and impressive body who endlessly strive to help those in need. The world is at a vulnerable and ramshackle state right now. It needs repairing and help more than any time in living memory. You can check out the charity’s web page to get a better sense of what they are about. Heart of Man is a song that could well be the anthem for P.L.C. Smith has tapped into their ethos and created a song that sonically represents what they’re about and the problems we face. Preemptive Love Coalition aim to provide calm and nurture to those ravaged; in-need and afflicted. Heart of Man is a song, as I will go into, that urges people to look at the charity and what they do but cast our minds to the wider world. Many of us are bombarded with news images of various horrors in the world. Nightly, we are subjected to bloody images and heart-breaking reports. We should never ignore these things but not assume all is hopeless and lost. If we band together and galvanise; we can confront the darker, hateful side of the world with an overwhelming spirit of love and support. It may all sound a bit wishy-washy and fairy-tale but we are seeing positive changes made. Not only is the organisation seeing the fruits of their labour (ripen) but they are compelling artists like Smith to take action and help promulgate their mission statement.

This gets me on to a two-prong point: musicians that work with charities and those with a different C.V. in their back catalogue. I’ll come to the second point soon, as one would imagine, but am fascinated by Smith’s trajectory and ideologies. As (Smith) someone who has battled depression, it was no surprise he delivered such a stirring anthem in Carry Me. Smith has used his voice to patronise charities involved with anti-slavery, Aids and mental health: his latest venture is a perfect example of a young man who feels he needs to use his talents in order to de-stigmatise certain corners of society. I have promoted and interviewed musicians who take a charity-conscious attitude to things and willing to break the traditional constructs and expectations. Music and charity are not dichotomous and it would do good for others to realise that. I am not saying every musician needs to support charity bodies and become more conscientious but it would be good to see a movement occur. So few are dispensing with the love-only style of music and detailing deeper subjects and hard-hitting visions. Joshua Luke Smith is a perfect artist who balances traditionalism and kind-hearted pioneer – somebody who feels everything and expresses himself through some of the most vivid and human songs you will hear. I have not really touched on Joshua Luke Smith as a human and singer – outside the remit of charity and his past work. What you have here is a talent who mixes philosophy and literature; an intellectual mind and effectual heart. There are shades of Hip-Hop and Rap in his music. His songs have a Spoken Word element to them: as I said, his music is almost sermon-like in its delivery and power. I have seen photos and social media updates where Smith has performed at cafés and small venues: captivating intimate crowds with little more than a microphone and arsenal of songs. Against the tide of bands and artists armed with instruments, crew and huge sets; here is someone who strips it all back and provides music bristling with poetic beauty and raw human emotion. His performances are powerful and energised; they get right in to the core of your being and provoke reaction and attention. No baubles, needless noise and glitz: an artist, pure and simple, capable of making a big different in the music world.

Heart of Man is the latest cut from Smith but he has had an incredible past with an array of material. Carry Me, a song I mentioned earlier, referenced mental health struggle and was one of the most powerful and potent songs he has created. Most of Smith’s songs do carry that weight and authority with them: you are hardly likely to hear him descending into love-ballad territory or doing something formulaic. Carry Me, from the Your Beauty E.P., is backed by stunning tracks The Thief and After All. The entire E.P. is consistent and flowing with incredible rhymes; wonderful vocal performances and some of the most emotive and stunning music you’ll hear. Heart of Man is not a huge departure in terms of quality – it was always there and strong. What I am noticing is Smith embracing charity more and immersing himself in a more socially-aware style of music. Not that all his forthcoming songs will support causes and recognise world problems. The young artist is reacting to the world around him and realises it is important talking about things like political and world issues and showing common unity. Smith’s debut E.P., Between the Saddle and the Ground, was a huge success and reached the top-ten spots of the U.K. and international iTunes charts. March 2014 was All Shall Be Well ‘s release date: the first album from the Bath-based Hip-Hop artist. That was released on the Orphan No More label – which Smith, who runs it, says the tagline is simple: ‘Everybody Has a Message’ – and has been topped by some incredible music and huge ambition. I know Joshua Luke Smith will continue to make great music and seems to grow in stature and confidence with every song. I am excited to see what this year holds and how it translates – whether we can see new music or tours from the young artist.

PHOTO CREDIT: @karaannmariesmith

Opening with a gentle and tender piano line; Heart of Man has a very delicate and lullaby-like beginning. You are sucked into something very comforting and still but never feel switched-off or disengaged. The piano has a power and meaning to it but does not get too heated and large. It is a coda that continues on and starts to build images and emotional possibilities. This opening refrain seems to define the song. Heart of Man looks back on 2016’s events and calls for people to stand together and stop with tribalism attitudes. Accordingly, the introduction beckons the listener in and allows them chance to imagine their own scenes and possibilities. You hear a slight utterance from Smith before the young man comes in harder. His words are tense and powerful but that background composition never accelerates or gets too loud. What you get is the soft piano and poetic, impassioned vocal. Smith, in the first verse, wonders why we are all here and what is going on. Our hero is looking sad at a photo of a kid lying on the seashore. He should have been building sandcastles but has been washed away. Whether referring to the immigration crisis – where thousands would try to cross the seas to a new land only to be captured by the cruelty of the water – or a metaphor for ignorance and problems we overlook – it is a powerful thought you cannot help but picture what is being sung. I say the word ‘sun’; Smith is much more a poet and ensures his words are almost spoken. In a way, Heart of a Man is a cross between a political speech and sermon: without the pomposity and unemotive delivery of the former or the piousness of the latter. That chorus comes back in – the hero trying to understand what we’re here for – and sees “sons and daughters” washed up like waves; those who should be playing with bucket and spade and laid in the sand to be put in bags. It is a harrowing feeling but delivered with just the right blend of emotions and compositional notes. Were strings to wash in or the piano to become too noticeable it might distill the words or give the song a predictable route.

As it is, Heart of Man is all about that central vocal and the lyrics. You get backing (female) vocals in the chorus and other tones but the focus is very much on Smith. His projection and delivery is always fascinating to me. It is very much in the Hip-Hop arena but there isn’t the aggression and attitude you get with many performers. Instead, Smith is more emotional, relatable and human. You are never put off by braggadocio and arrogance nor left cold but a sense of emotional detachment. Every line of Heart of Man seems utterly essential and urgent. The hero ran to his mum’s house after seeing an image on the front page: another horrifying image from around the world that causes the reader to balk and recoil. It was, in 2016, almost a daily occurrence: seeing the bloodshed and injustice; people standing back and watching it unfold. Whilst we have all lived through the year and saw some awful things; that is the state of the world and will continue this year. Smith is the pacifist and peacemaker that wants things to change and seems part of the silent majority. Those who perpetrate cruelty and evil are shouting loud and overwhelming those who want things to change. Instead of getting angry and fighting fire with fire; we must find a more constructive and humane way of ensuring things like this are not repeated. “You cannot change the system if you remain a victim” seems to really underline what the song is about. There seems to be a double-meaning at play. On one hand, those who are always trodden-down and betrayed will never have the power and voice to make things better and change that system. Perhaps those who are victimised and oppressed are the ones who can make positive changes but will never get to have their say. On the other, and more likely hand, one feels those who complain and feel they are hard-done-by will always be part of the problem and not the solution. We cannot go around and want sympathy and moan when there are bigger things happening – people who are worse off and need help.

PHOTO CREDIT: @_tobymitchell

The only way to make constructive changes is through the betterment of our souls – cleansing the negativity and perpetrating a much more productive and helpful attitude. That is what I got from the song but maybe Smith had other plans. As things continue, the intensity and emotion of the song never relent. You get the feeling you are immersed right in the thick of the front pages: vividly seeing all the dislocation and torment unfold and standing there aghast. I guess that is part of the problem with last year: we all complained about the way things went but had the wrong approach. Whether you (like me) disagree with the Brexit result or feel flabbergasted by the continued terrorist attacks; we all have to bandy together and start approaching things differently. It is no good grousing and playing the victim as that will get us nowhere. We yearn to touch the sun, as Smith attests, but “afraid of the solar system”. We all want perfection and to make things right but are, perhaps, fearful of getting involved and actually ignore what is happening in the wider world. Those in a more privileged position want their own lives to be as spotless as they can but are reluctant to reach out to their fellow man – whether they are on their own street or in some foreign land. Again, that is the vibe I got but can hear what Smith is saying: stop reaching for flint and sharp sticks as a natural evolutionary reaction and approach hatred and division with more compassion and affection. The nature of selfishness is examined as we are all aware. Most of us are too wrapped in their own existence to see there are things outside that need to be addressed. The politicians are soundbites and tropes who are parroting decades-old party lines and meaningless bromides – thinking they have a tangible solution and can balm the world’s wounds. Instead, they are aimless, asinine and devoid of any answers. It is rare to see a songwriter who turns the spotlight on themselves and realises we are all part of the problem. Many love songs point blame at the other party or are too self-flagellating and mopey to really engage and inspire. Instead, Smith has created a song that does not blame people or needlessly accuse. He has penned a wise cautionary tale that realises things are bad and they need to change. Every one of us is in the same boat and need to stop repeating the mistakes of the past. By the final notes, you want the song to continue and reluctant to let it go. Smith claims we are all migrants and the same as those we see on the news. None of us is any different to the people we see in body bags and struck by civil war and terrorism. When we pull these barriers away, we are all looking at our brothers and sisters. When you drill it down to familiar levels; it makes the words much more stirring and sobering.

PHOTO CREDIT: @_tobymitchell

Smith’s voice becomes more cracked and affected as the song reaches night-time. The chorus becomes more relevant and emotional each time it is performer. Sure, we all shed a tear when we saw those images on the front covers. How many of us actually felt compelled to do something about it or let it stick in the mind. Most of us forgot about it or took a hateful, vitriolic approach to such scenes. It is never productive and human striking against those who strike; getting mad at the system when we all have the potential to make things better. In a way, it is the government here that are responsible for that world debt and deficit. They are contented to parrot hollow words and ruminate without effect whilst things continue to unravel and descend into madness. In a lot of ways, Heart of Man forces people to realise why they are in the world and what their place is. If we are here to serve ourselves and our own desires then how much of a heart do we have – are we ever truly connected and aware of the planet we live in? It is rare discovering a song so detailed, deep and prophetic. I love how Smith’s central performance shows its true emotions and does not hide behind production values and instruments. He hovers and groans in the background to add weight and spectral qualities – sounding a bit like James Blake and the song, Radio Silence. It is eerier at times and oddly still the next; the song will resonate differently depending on who hears it but everyone will take something away with them. In a very real way, we will all become more aware and strong because of the song. Hopefully, Heart of Man will force people to retune their attitudes and stop falling into the same traps. I hope the song forms part of an E.P. or signals more music as Joshua Luke Smith is at his peak and among the finest songwriters in the country. We need more artists like him now so let’s hope we can expect others tracks very soon.

PHOTO CREDIT: @_tobymitchell

Joshua Luke Smith has already made a big impact and one suspects he will continue to do great work and rise in the industry. Following a series of charity-supporting singles; one wonders whether we will see an E.P. or album this year. There are certain styles of music I feel will come back in this year. Last year, there was a celebration of fantastic R&B, Hip-Hop and Rap being produced – some of the most urgent and physical albums we have seen for years. In that spirit, British Hip-Hop and Trip-Hop is likely to be in many (musicians’) minds. Smith plays across various genres but has that rooted Trip/Hip-Hop/Rap sound; straying into Soul too. Unlike some of 2016’s best music – that relied on glossy production and compositional force – I feel there is going to be more attention paid to lyrics and bare emotion. Smith looks at troubles and the world around us and implores calm and love. You are transfixed by his earnestness and passion and intrigued by the beats and aural cocktail he produces. I would love to see Joshua Luke Smith perform more across the U.K. and get his music out there. I am unsure how his diary is looking this year but one suspects there are dates afoot. As I stated; he is someone who can hold court at bars and cafés; he has what it takes to enthral larger spaces and arenas. I do not know how he is planning his year but I expect there to be new music and tours. I’m excited to see where he heads and what is coming next as Joshua Luke Smith is a very special and rare artist. I admire those that take the time to think about more than themselves, sales figures and following the herd. I will return to my earlier points soon but wanted to proffer and promote the nub of Smith’s artistry and personality.

Smith is a man who has faced his demons and struggles and, instead of negatively casting his fears inwards, he exerts an outward attitude of inspiration and acceptance. He has struggled with mental health issues but does write music tortured and self-flagellating. Many of us go through that pain and feel stigmatised and alone. Smith, alongside The Samaritans, has penned music that tears down walls and opens its arms to sufferers of depression, anxiety and other psychological issues. In that same spirit, he is all too willing to back charities that do important work and represent those who are often overlooked and under-the-radar. By bringing the ‘minority’ into the spotlight, it gives confidence to those affected – and fellow musicians – and provides strength. Aside from the charity connections, the wit and intelligence of Smith is not to be overlooked. He has studied philosophy and brings a very wise and sharp pen to music. His lyrics do not deal with tropes and inane lines: each song is dripping with thought-provoking words and brilliantly inventive lines. Around him, the compositions range from dark and sinewy to sensual and sleek. You get so many different ideas and possibilities projected in music that, at times, is quite skeletal and uncluttered. That economical and bold approach to music is not anaemic or misguided – you get plenty of power and possibility in every track. I am keen to lend my support to those artists that go beyond what is expected and deliver something extraordinary to the world. Joshua Luke Smith is one such example of what music should be about. Let’s hope the coming months see him getting out to the people and showing just what he is about. Heart of Man is another extraordinary song that will stay in the mind for a very long time.

I started this piece by looking at the state of the world and the desire for safety and support; a universal spirit that is seeing populous love and affection spread like wildfire; a collective decision to overwhelm oppression and bullying by coming together in solidarity. There are a lot of disaffected and confused people on the planet – I can include myself in that list. We have lived in the world long enough to know things will not always go according to plan but 2016 was beyond any logical comprehension. People’s mindset and motivation is a case of obfuscation. In reply to the rather alarming results of the year, there is a lot of hate and anger percolating like a poison. Some of this is a reaction to Brexit/Trump but, in general terms, there is a lot of warfare, discrimination and emotional poverty dropping ink and acid into the ocean of human kindness. We should never assume this state of affairs is inextinguishable or irreversible climate change; not a terminal illness and indefatigable monster. Sure, we will never eradicate poverty, hatred and war but we can react to it in a positive way. Constructivism seems an illogical response to political dissension and unconscionable violence but that is the way we must react. Until such time ‘stability’ is a reality we, as human beings, must electioneer on grounds of love, peace and support. As Joshua Luke Smith stated, when describing the inspiration behind Heart of Man, there has been a lot of petulance and tribal behaviour among the people last year. 2016’s democratic process has been inscrutable as Sphinxs: the majority of two of the world’s most-powerful nations deciding they are better off embracing the worst possible option. Democracy is, unfortunately, there to represent the majority vote and should not be challenged. I, myself, am unhappy about the way things have gone but can do nothing to override it.

Let us go headlong through 2017 with a different attitude. In a weird and roundabout way, something good has come out of the satanic bloated bowel movement that was 2016: a chance to prove we are stronger and better people than those who perpetrate acts of evil and moral corruption. Heart of Man is an antithetical anthem against the inferiority of numbers discontent and grouching. Rather than cavil and throw one’s toys from the pram: consider moving through life with a sense of acceptance and renewed purpose – sending positive vibes and helping those in need is a much more worthy and productive force. I have a lot of respect for artists that have a constructive attitude to world problems and involve themselves more. It is easy enough standing by passively and playing formulaic, marketable songs. Anyone willing to create something inspiring and socially conscious deserves a sturdy and solid pulpit on which to deliver their messages. Joshua Luke Smith is a crusader of humanity and awareness who insinuates himself in charitable avenues and keenly raises awareness through his music. He is a guiding light to those reluctant or remiss: people who are comfortable in their roles and unbending in their routines. Not only is Smith’s attitude commendable – the fact profits from Heart of Man goes to Preemptive Love Coalition – his music is equally potent and impressive. I have been a fan of his for ages and admire that voice: full of gravity, gravitas and gravel; dark-hued with transoms of light and redemption. His vocals are less singing and more poetic performances. I have not really touched upon Hip/Trip-Hop-cum-Soul stylings and Bath – where Smith hails from – as an explanation and introduction to the young man – maybe that will have to come in another review! Follow Smith and get your ears around Heart of Man – try and pay for it or donate if you can – and follow the plight of a poet-philosopher-rapper-musician who is unlike anyone else – in so many different ways. There are few like Smith so I expect him to a take a while to come to full prominence. Those truly special are always discovered after the more asinine and pedestrian commercial acts. Once Smith’s legacy, talent and voice is suitably excavated, ingested and considered, he will be a big name for sure. Until such time, throw some support for an artist who is trying to make the world a much calmer and…

PHOTO CREDIT: @blaowphotography

MORE enlightened place.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Y04qd7PPs&w=560&h=315]

______________

Follow Joshua Luke Smith

 

Official:

http://www.joshualukesmith.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/joshualukesmithmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JoshuaLukeSmith

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/joshualukesmith/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/joshualukesmithmusic

INTERVIEW: Lots Holloway

INTERVIEW:

 

PHOTO CREDIT: William J. Pope

 

Lots Holloway

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THAT all-crucial debut single must be one of the…

most nerve-racking and mind-altering proposition for any artist. I have seen few go into music with an enormous amount of confidence. There are those nerves; almost like the first day at middle school: the awkward introductions and getting a lay of the land whilst you stand solemn and nervous in the lunch queue. There are musicians that approach that hurdle with an enormous amount of resolve and fortitude. World’s on Fire is the opening salvo from the mercurial, striking and one-of-a-kind, Lots Holloway. Her song reacts to the atrocities and insanity of 2016 – the bloodshed in Syria and Orlando’s Pulse nightclub; Brexit and Trump together with all the violence and division we saw – and is as powerful and affecting as one would imagine. I wanted to ask her about the song and why she was compelled to write it. In addition, she talks about the experience of recording at Bryan Ferry’s studio; the albums and artists that inspired her growing up and the main differences between Cornwall (where she was born) and London (where she lives now).

.__________

Hi Lots. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey Music Musings’; my week has been pretty sweet, thank you.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I am Lots Holloway. I am a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist - I write music because it’s the only way I feel I can properly communicate and translate my thoughts and feelings. I describe my music as Alt.-Pop: Popular music with aAlternatives twists.

World’s on Fire seems like a song that reacts to the world around us and appropriate for the times. What inspired the song’s creation and can you tell us a bit about it?

The song was written last summer (2016).

I was overwhelmed by the world surrounding us and I felt I needed to talk about it. There was a daisy-chain of events that fed me the inspiration for the song but it was the impact of them happening altogether that was the real catalyst.

Attacks in Brussels, Istanbul; Nice, Orlando; Syria, the U.S. presidential battle, Brexit; the refugee crisis - it was almost as if the world had had a momentary lapse of conduct leading to devastating and confusing realities.

I guess the song reacts to all of the 2016 atrocities. Looking back at last year: does it all seem like a strange blur or is still raw and real to you?

I was hoping that 2016 would be the nightmare and that 2017 would be the waking-up but it doesn’t seem that way at all. As much as the events seem like a blur; the effects of these events are not, and for all the people who were directly affected, they will never be a blur.

We are living in delicate and unpredictable times, so yes, there is rawness and realness.

Do you think musicians have a duty to react to world events and concentrate on more important themes like this (rather than love and romance)?

There will always be room for love and romance: the world needs light and it needs hope, and although I don’t think artists have a responsibility to reflect the times, I cannot understand why, as an artist, you wouldn’t want to or be compelled to. Music is empowering: it is a universal language that speaks to people and I feel that it is times like these when people need to be spoken to the most. Our current world situation is not a problem for one person, or one group of people; or one country… it is a global, human problem - if the world is on fire, we will all burn.

World’s on Fire has a great Pop sensibility but is deep and lyrically intelligent. Which artists inspire you most and who were the musicians you grew up listening to?

Growing up I listened to my parents' music: ‘60s and ‘70s stuff mostly. David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac; Pink Floyd, Talking Heads; The Beatles, Queen and The Kinks. I am inspired by artists who are creative without fear. I am also addicted to melody and harmony so that would’ve come from my love for ABBA and The Beach Boys.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nke8B3NNmCY&w=560&h=315]

The video is very striking and moving. Whose concept was it and what was it like shooting it?

The video and its concept was a collaborative effort. I worked with a wicked girl called Kat Kemsley and her team. We were on the same page from the very beginning: we wanted the video to have a chaotic atmosphere that would hopefully leave a strong, sombre taste in the mouth. The shooting was fun. It was very cold, as you can see by my breath in the shots, but it was worth it for sure.

The song was recorded in Bryan Ferry’s personal studio. You used some instruments and equipment Brian Eno owns. How did you come to connect with Ferry and what was the recording experience like for you?

The producer I decided to work with was Mike Hedges (Manic Street Preachers, The Cure and U2). He had a personal connection with the team at Ferry’s place so I was very fortunate that they liked my music enough to let me record there. I believe one of the one other artists to record there was Prince. The experience was incomparable to any other studio time I’ve had: to be inside someone’s personal studio is not like recording in a commercial studio; it’s almost like you step into someone else’s mind, someone else’s psyche - and you can’t help but be influenced by that. As for Brian Eno, I have always been a huge fan of his work so to use and play with his instruments was surreal.

Can we expect a Lots Holloway E.P. or album this year?

Oh, for sure. I am heading back into the studio in March so it’s all going to be with you this year.

You were born in Cornwall but moved to London in 2011. Moving to the capital seems like a natural migration for artists. What attracted you to the city and what is it like for a young musician in London?

London is the hub of art. London is the only place in the U.K. you can be whoever you want and not be judged. The true music scene only really exists in London. For me, it wasn’t a choice: I had to find it. Being a young musician in London is hard, so hard - so hard but so exciting. Being a young musician in London and facing the daily disappointments of the music industry is like your initiation: it will either break you or make you. I loved it.

In addition to guitar, you play piano, bass and drums. What is it about various instruments that attract you and are you learning any more at the moment?

I am obsessed with sound. I couldn’t get enough of learning how to play instruments. I taught myself mostly but I would sit for hours and hours until I’d mastered a chord or a beat or a riff. Each instrument has its own personality and its own limits - I think songwriting is why I chose to play a lot of instruments; the kind of song you’ll compose using a piano is totally different to a song you might compose using a guitar or a bass riff. I am currently annoying my neighbours by learning to play the harmonica, so that’s cool.

Last year was pretty eventful. In terms of politics and society; do you think 2017 will be brighter and what are the lessons we have learned from 2016?

2016 taught me that division is fatal. If we want our world to change we have to be united. People need to be reminded that their lives and opinions are valued. I hope that 2017 will surprise us all and bring about some brighter things, though.

If you had to select three albums that have meant the most to you which would they be and why?

Pink Floyd - The Wall. This was the first album I ever listened to as an album: from start to finish as a complete work of art. It solidified my passion for music.

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. I love Bowie’s talent for lyricism; it’s unmatched - but that’s the same on every album. What I like the most about this album is the story and the dramatic, theatrical storytelling through the vast choice of sounds; the melodies and the use of vocals as instruments. This album made me feel like I could be the artist I wanted to be.

Kate Bush - The Whole Story. I know, I know: it’s a compilation album… but I don’t care.

This was the first vinyl I ever bought: purchased in a secondhand shop for £3 and still might be my favourite record I own. Kate is wonderful; she understands music in such a different way - I could listen to this record all day.

Are there any musicians, international or local, you recommend we check out?

None that you wouldn’t already know but the album I can’t stop listening to is Chaleur Humaine by Christine and the Queens.

What advice would you provide any upcoming artists?

Don’t rush anything. Take your time to make sure you are happy with everything you’re doing because if you are good enough; no time will stop you from being who you want to be - enjoy each moment.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can select any song you like (not yours as I’ll include that) and I’ll play it here.

This song has been in my head all week so let’s pay homage; because I’d also “like to see America” (and the “girls in California”)...Supertramp -

Supertramp - Breakfast in America.

https://open.spotify.com/track/4hEk1CHls2JEDbKIKy8JxV

______________

Follow Lots Holloway

Official:

http://lotsholloway.co.uk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lotshollowayofficial/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lotsholloway

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lotsholloway/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXXDqnWn87PLNQ8Er3ABcwA 

INTERVIEW: Oliver Asadi

INTERVIEW:

 

 

Oliver Asadi

___________

FOR every distinct and bold musical creative out there…

one finds an overflowing vessel of mundane and yawn-worthy artists ready to tip the balance into the ocean. I always look to feature acts possessed of an interesting story and fascinating personality: songs that hit all the senses and mark them out as something rather special. When it comes to standing out from the crowd; few do it quite the same was Oliver Asadi. He is a multi-talented creative who is a graphic designer, music producer/editor extraordinary: an art director and multi-talented writer standing as one of the brightest Hip-Hop talents in the U.K. I speak to him about his multi-disciplinarian facets and how they impact on his music; his latest video, Till I Die and whether we can expect more music from him soon. In addition, Asadi talks about upcoming musicians and broaden their skillset – so few look beyond songwriting – and the city of Leeds – where he is based – as a centre for musical inspiration. On top of all that, I ask Asadi about his background and the artists he recommends to us all.

________

Hi, Oliver. How are you?

I’m good man. Just vibing out at the moment, listening to my beats. You?

How has your week been?

It’s been like mad weird and hectic; humans are crazy. My life is on some rollercoaster vibes right now. I’ve found out that drawing is actually mad therapeutic for me. So I’m back into that. As always, I’m producing new stuff every day.

For those new to your music can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Oliver Asadi and I am one of the best creatives in the world. I am probably one of the most ambitious and passionate people you will ever meet. I write, sing; rap and produce songs. I design art. I direct and edit all my own music videos and films. I am currently working on a new film, a concept for a video game; a fashion collection and multiple music projects such as King of the Wild and Loveless Jungle.

I am intrigued by the nickname ‘King Lion’. Where did that come from?

I’m actually half-Persian and my full surname translates that ('King Lion') in Persian. So, like, my whole family is actually lions.

Leeds is your hometown. It is one of the most fascinating areas for music in the U.K. Is it quite grating a lot of the national media focus heavily on London and do not realise the great music coming out of the city?

Yeah, it’s kind of weird. I feel like sometimes just the fact that you are based in London will make people think you’re more legitimate. Like, if I move to London does that suddenly make me a better artist?

No, I won’t be: I’ll be the same dude. I don’t want to sound like I’m sh*tting on London because I actually really f**k with it.

It’s more the bloggers and journalist types of people I have a problem with. Like, they need to pay more attention to what’s happening outside of London - especially in Hip-Hop. Like, honestly, I feel if you’re aware of me and other creatives but don’t show love. It shows you don’t care about the creativity and passion; you’re just a d*ck rider that writes about whatever is big and popping in the scene at the moment. You don’t care about the art: you care about looking cool and trendy.

I’m tired of seeing all these music artists that are sucking writer’s d*cks just to get some exposure. It really needs to stop. I’ll show you genuine respect if I’m f*cking with you - I won’t do it as a necessity. We the ones making music. Words are dated.

What, would you say, is it about Leeds that breeds such incredible music?

I think this is one the benefits of being in such an undervalued city. A lot of us can have creative freedom. We can make whatever we want. Like, we don’t always want to make stuff for radio or super-commercial use. We are D.I.Y. as f*ck because we don’t have the same tools and resources other cities have. Like, people don’t even know that Leeds was the city that pretty much brought Goth culture to life. We are innovators.

You are a graphic designer and art director (among many other things). Have you always been into art and creativity or is it something more recent?

I was actually way into the whole artistic creative side of things way before music. I’ve been doing creative stuff my whole life; like when I super-young in infant school I used to watch Art Attack all the time and copy what they did on there - and then I got into Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z, and started designing Anime characters and drawing Manga. Then, when I got into middle school, I used to write plays and make magazine concepts. In high school, I used to run a backyard wrestling promotion which I designed all the characters, graphics; the videos and websites for. Then, when I got into college, (it) is more when I started getting into the music side of things.

Do you feel being able to direct and edit your own videos gives you more control over your own work?

Definitely. I actually find it really hard to give someone else control of one my music videos because I feel my artistic visions are hard to define. I try to make each of my music videos reflect the tone of the song, my personality and thoughts.

Saying all that, though: I do really want to work with other art directors: they just have a unique vision. I really like Neil Krug, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Araki Nobuyoshi’s work. I feel they all display raw emotion in imaginative ways.

Do you feel more musicians should become multi-disciplined and learn these skills?

Absolutely, no doubt. I feel a lot of music artists, who are just rappers and singers, think that’s all they have to do; like they can just coast along doing that. Like, bro., where is the drive and passion? I’m learning every day. People are too scared to look stupid; to try and do anything different. Failure is the best lesson. Matter-of-fact, most things that are labelled ‘weird’ are some of the most normal stuff to me - it’s just the general audience that is way behind. It’s the normal cliché stuff that is weird to me; like why are you even doing it? What’s the point; where's the artistic integrity?

You have produced some great work the past year. Masked Shaman is something that sticks in my mind. Can you tell me about the inspiration behind that and which of your past works are you proudest of?

Appreciate it bro.! Yeah, Masked Shaman was, like, the first project I put out. But feel even that was rushed because of university. I had to release a music project to coincide with one of my university projects so I had to put something out all of a sudden. I recorded and picked songs that gave the vibe and mindset I had at the time. It’s funny, it’s super-trippy and atmospheric so people associate it with drugs but I’m actually mad-straight-edge. I just like those types of sounds.

I’m super-proud of my films NIYAZ and Peach Juice as well as few latest songs. NIYAZ was showcased at the Leeds Silent Film Festival and I just submitted Peach Juice for a few. I really feel like I was able to achieve what I had to set out to do with them.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QwO25w1PIM&w=560&h=315]

Till I Die is your latest video. What was the inspiration behind the song and was the video fun to shoot?

In general, it was basically me saying I’m going to be doing this weird artsy stuff ‘til I die and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.

I have all the power because I know how to make the beats, songs; lyrics, art and videos. My mind is the source of the creativity so you can strip me of every materialistic thing and I can still make sh*t.

Man, shooting the Till I Die video was so weird. The original concept was to have a super-high-budget music video shooting on R.E.D. cameras and all that stuff. But that plan fell through, so I went the complete opposite route. I did it with no money and went completely lo-fi. I wanted its look to match the mood of the song which was like a tribal-chaotic-jungle type of vibe. My friend Nun Clark modelled as this tribal Pocahontas type of girl I had envisioned in my mind; which also nearly didn’t happen because she missed her bus (haha). What was mad weird for me was that I borrowed a V.H.S. player to record the footage of and it had a copy of Pocahontas in it. It was mad-freaky.

My dude Kid Genesis was a camera operator for a lot of it so it looked mad suspect that another dude was recording another guy jumping about in a pretty public place with his top off (hahaha). It was definitely fun. Post-production was probably the hardest part of it.

Can we expect some new music from you in 2017?

For sure! I actually have a lot of music I want to release: I just need to find someone to mix it for modern Hip-Hop consumption. I have these songs called Fire, Primal Expression; Moonlight, Problems - and more that are like so good bro. Me and my friends just jump about to them all in the studio and in my room - they hard.

Those are like singles, though. I actually have more album-like tracks with some cool features on them from some of my friends and other pretty big artists in the Hip-Hop world. I hope I can release them at some point.

What are your plans for this year?

Do super-cool stuff and be happy.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/282845971" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

A lot of people in London would love to see you perform live. Are plans on coming down here?

For sure. I try to get down to London as much as I can as it is kind of like where the culture of Hip-Hop in the U.K. is. I want to perform there more, so London promoters book me! I’m one of best live Hip-Hop solo acts right now! I bring the chaotic energy and vibes.

I hear shades of M.I.A.’s early-career inventiveness and Kanye West’s swagger in your work. Are they important artists to you?

Yeah, they are like my idols, for real. I want people to feel good about themselves; people need to realise that when I’m saying “I do this” and “I do that” in songs, I’m actually talking about ‘we’ as in the person listening.

I feel so much music is, like, made to lower your self-worth. I really have the belief that anything is possible: things only become impossible when you limit your self-thinking hat.

I wouldn’t be doing what I do if I listened to other people saying I can’t do something. People need to learn don’t ever doubt me for a f*cking second because I will always do what I want to do.

If you had to narrow down to three albums that have shaped you most which would they be and why?

I know straight off the top my head the two of them are Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. They like saved my life; like those are the first albums where I felt I had a relatable conscience; like I can feel like Runaway one minute and my mood switches to Hell of a Life a minute later. The third would probably be N.E.R.D.’s Fly or Die because that’s how I feel: it’s literally fly-or-die for me. Like, I’d rather die than have my creative freedom taken away from me. I guess you could say they all like introduced to me the artistic side of Hip-Hop rather than the super-commercial side of it.

Are there any new artists you’d recommend we check out?

Check out my friends - SaNTINO, Jeron Braxton; Chaos Jigsaw, Hambling; Eva Eik, Dreamsoft; Raymonds Child, Will O’Gara and Kid Genesis!

They are pretty much all creatives like me so expect next level stuff.

Have you advice for new songwriters coming through right now?

Don’t over-complicate.

Simple words draw more emotion and strike harder.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can name any song you like (not yours as I’ll do that) and I’ll play it here.

This is one of my favourite songs of all time. The vibes and production inspired a lot of my material.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJubtcBZ6po&w=560&h=315]

Photography by Moon Child

Art Direction & Styling by Oliver Asadi

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Follow Oliver Asadi

Official:

http://www.oliverasadi.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/oliverasadi/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/oliverasadi

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/oliverasadi/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/oliverasadi

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUqaDLe0WBYpd018gaog7yA

INTERVIEW: Julia Carlucci

INTERVIEW:

 

Julia Carlucci

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THE beautiful and talented Toronto-based artist…

PHOTO CREDIT: @magicmerik

Julia Carlucci is one of the most striking and talented performers in North America. Her powerful, tremulous vocals are inspired by Beyoncé and Adele; her soulfulness and allure reminiscent of Alicia Keys’ seminal album, Songs in A Minor; her magnetic and lovable personality the reason she has been taken to heart across the continent (and her native land). The skill, range and passion you get from Carlucci is the result of intense study and enormous affection for music and its possibilities. I have been awed by her innate abilities and incredible voice since first I heard it. Excited to learn more about the Toronto native; I quiz Carlucci about her latest single, Take Me Down (video out on Friday). She discusses why Toronto musicians deserve more attention; the new artists she recommends we check out in addition to her plans for the remainder of this year.

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Hi Julia. How are you? How has your week been? It is pretty snowy and cold in Britain recently. How is it where you are?

I’m very well, thanks! My week has been great despite the weather (haha). Cold and snowy here in Toronto as well.

For those new to your music can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Julia Carlucci and I’m a Pop/Soul artist from Toronto. My sound is a mix of influences from classic R&B to current contemporary Pop music.

You are a veteran of the stage and have a real affinity for performance and delivery. When did that passion begin as was music always your first love?

Music was always my first love but I started learning how to really perform in my late -teens. Up to that point, I knew how to deliver melody and lyrics effectively but interacting with an audience and moving on stage was a whole different ball game. Since then, my performance skills have grown exponentially and the more comfortable and confident I became as a woman, the better my performance skills became.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rDxjuE9uP4&w=560&h=315]

You are based in Toronto. I am fascinated by the area and the great music that comes out of there. I feel like a lot of the international media do not realise how fantastic Canadian music is. Would you agree?

I absolutely agree. I feel Toronto, and Canada in general, is the little brother that everyone underestimates. We have to work twice as hard just to prove we can kick it with the big boys.

But to be honest, I kind of like that because it makes us hungrier. People like Drake and Alessia Cara have definitely put us on the map and I’m sure many more Canadian artists will follow in their footsteps very soon.

Who are the local musician you would urge us to seek out?

Oh man, there’s so many! A few that are killing it right now are Jessie Reyez, Daniel Caesar and Adria Kain. All different vibes but so so good!

For Me was your E.P. (released in 2015). How do you think you have changed, as a musician, since then and what was the reaction like to the E.P.?

It’s crazy how much change can occur in just two years. I’ve grown up quite a bit and although my sound has evolved I think I’ll always be about that Pop/Soul vibe. Everyone loved the E.P. when it came out and I got a lot of great feedback from it. That music will always be special to me because it represented a specific time in my life and was the first piece of art I ever released.

Take Me Down is your new single. It looks at the old-age battle of head-versus-heart and falling for someone you shouldn’t. Was there a particular inspiration for it (person-wise) or experiences you have had in the past?

For sure. I think as artists we usually write from personal experience to make our music as honest and relatable as possible. This song kind of relates to several experiences I’ve had in the past.

Whether it’s the ‘heartbreaker’, the ‘unavailable’ guy, the ‘bad timing’ guy, etc.: I’ve been interested in all of them at some point. There was always a reason why I ‘shouldn’t’ have been with them but somehow got emotionally involved anyway. Take Me Down describes that moment of “Uh oh…I’m in love now and there’s no turning back.”

The vocals and potency of the song remind me of Adele at her peak. How important is she to your music and is she an idol of yours?

Thank you so much – that’s a huge compliment for me. Adele is definitely top-three on my idol list. She’s one of those singers who can make time stand still when she performs and I’m so drawn to that. Aside from being a powerhouse vocalist, she’s got those gut-wrenching, relatable songs that withstand the test of time. That’s the kind of artist I strive to be like.

In terms of vocals/music, I also detect hints of Beyoncé and Alicia Keys’ soulfulness and R&B magic. Are they artists you have grown up with and what did you think of both their 2016 albums?

I listened to Alicia a lot growing up and she absolutely contributed to who I am as an artist now.

She’s evolved quite a bit which I respect so much because that’s one of the biggest fears as an artist (“If I change, will they still like me?”). But artists change as people and so will the music. The album is no Songs in A Minor but it’s so great in its own way.

I only started getting into Beyoncé in high school when my best friend showed me the Sweet Dreams Medley from her Vegas show. That changed my life. From that moment I was obsessed, and to this day, Beyoncé is still my number one. When I watched Lemonade for the first time I was blown away by how beautiful it was. It’s a very meaningful album, for not only myself, but for a lot of women.

Can we expect any Julia Carlucci E.P. or album this year?

Maybe not an E.P./full-album but you can definitely expect more music and visual content from me this year!

If you had to select three albums, past or present, that have been most influential to you?

Just three? That’s tough but I would say 21, Beyoncé and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

You have commanded audiences across North America and must have some fond memories of the past couple of years. Which have been the moments that stand out most?

Man. I’ve had so many beautiful experiences but I’d have to say my E.P. Release Show in 2015 stands out the most. That was a huge undertaking for me (I had a fourteen-piece band!) but it was super successful. It sticks out in my mind because that was the first time I played my original music live and I just felt so fulfilled.

We’d love to see you in the U.K. very soon performing. How often do you come over here and any plans to perform here this year?

I have yet to see the U.K. but I’m dying to go.

My sister currently lives in London and let’s just say, she’s not coming back (haha). My goal is to make a trip before the year is up and who knows; maybe I’ll book a show while I’m there!

Are there any new artists, from the mainstream, you’d recommend we check out?

I’m currently obsessed with Kehlani’s new album SweetSexySavage – it’s amazing! Anderson .Paak is also making some serious waves and rightfully so. The dude is crazy-talented!

Have you advice for new songwriters coming through right now?

When it comes to music, there are two main rules I live by: 1) Keep making the music and 2) Keep making it good. Consistency and quality are the two things that can never be compromised. Everything else will fall into place.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can name any song you like (not yours as I’ll do that) and I’ll play it here.

Finesse – Bruno Mars. This track always puts me in a good mood!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRSaiAREnwI&w=560&h=315]

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Follow Julia Carlucci

PHOTO CREDIT: Merik Williams Photography

Official:

http://juliacarlucci.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/juliacarluccimusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/juliacarlucci

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thejuliacarlucci/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/juliacarluccimusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/jcarluccimusic

INTERVIEW: Matt Boroff

INTERVIEW:

 

Matt Boroff

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IN a week where I am interviewing some of the most…

fascinating and eye-catching artists in the music world, there are few as illustrious and striking as Matt Boroff. Not only has he shared a stage with Nirvana but worked with the likes of Mark Lanegan and Alain Johannes. He discusses his new album, Grand Delusion and the single, What a Shame. I ask Boroff about his past and whether he prefers the big stage or small venues; whether his new material is reflective of the political divisions in the U.S. and asked him what his fondest memory – from all his years in music – was. It is one of the most illuminating interviews I have conducted in a while. The American-born, Austria-based musician still has a lot to say: this is evident in the glistening and stunning Grand Delusion.

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Hi Matt. How are you? How has your week been?

I’m pretty good thanks. I’ve done a lot of travelling this week so it’s been kind of a blur.

For those new to your music can you introduce yourself, please?

Well, I’m a U.S. singer/songwriter/guitarist from northern N.J. who’s descended from Russian immigrants. In 2000, I relocated to Austria and formed a band. I get around

Grand Delusion is your third studio album. Can you tell us about the themes and ideas you explore? The title seems very pointed and cynical. Is the album going to be deal with a lot of hard emotions?

The album explores themes like alienation, the shadow and longing for human connection in a world where the lunatics have taken over the asylum.

I see the title as less cynical and more matter-of-fact. It’s probably just my way of saying that the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. Emotionally speaking, I’d say it’s cathartic. I’ve always used music as a way of dealing with emotions that I feel unable to process any other way. I’m attracted to intensity in art; the rest is for greeting cards. I think Henry Rollins once called writing music poor man’s therapy. That sounds about right to me.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/277455969" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

I know the album explores love and can we save ourselves in the new world. Have any of the songs been enforced by ‘Trumpism’? How has the U.S. President influenced the music or are (the album’s) songs more widespread and universal in terms of inspiration?

The songs were actually written before Trump was a big player on the political scene (at least on my radar) but I see how you could draw a connection between the chaos and confusion surrounding his ascent to power and what’s being said in the songs. So, the songs are more universal for me but that also applies to the very real danger of the same phenomenon happening elsewhere. In terms of inspiration, I think there’s just been this feeling in the air for quite some time that something ominous was looming on the horizon.

The stage was gradually being set for someone as absurd as Trump to come along and assume a position of power. Everything’s gotten too trivial. An entire culture was more distracted and self-absorbed than ever before. We’ve literally been living in a reality T.V. show but this one has consequences and they’re serious. Trump is one of those consequences.

Greed, nationalism and bloodshed are, I suspect, motivators for material and Grand Delusion. Do you think too few modern musicians address such key concerns these days?

Probably, but I’m sure there’s exceptions all over the place that I’m not aware of.

As far as most popular music goes, the prospect of artists who’ve dedicated their careers to singing about self-indulgent fluff turning around and addressing some of these concerns and getting it right is pretty damn slim.

In other words, I’m sure they’re out there but it’s a lot sexier for the industry to trot out more music that’s designed to keep us shopping.

What a Shame is the first single from the album. What can you say about the song and its creation?

I recorded the album in L.A. with Alain Johannes and it was spread across two sessions with a few months in between them. I came into the first session with about half of the songs and wrote the rest in the months in between. What a Shame was the first one of those: it was inspired by strolling around West Hollywood and taking it all in like a tourist. Every surface had a kind of cosmetic beauty to it that seemed to be vibrating from within with something menacing and grotesque.

Like this shiny object that wanted to lure you closer so it could do you harm. So, the song is about a place or state of mind where everything is as it shouldn’t be. Where something is always a little off; where the most wonderful things are about to happen but never quite come to pass. It’s the great (almost) unfolding beneath a screaming blue sky. Sort of like waking up inside of a Robert Williams painting.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TstFv-NP90&w=560&h=315]

Let’s talk about your music past. I believe you shared a stage with Nirvana? What was that like? That must have been a crazy experience looking back?

It’s interesting looking back now but it was pretty uneventful for me at the time. I was a kid; I owned Bleach and liked it a lot. Nevermind had just been released but hadn’t hit yet. My high school band opened up for them at City Gardens in Trenton, N.J. and we played, what I guess was an okay set. They played a great set and history was written a month or two later when Smells Like Teen Spirit exploded.

In addition to the Seattle band, you have shared the bill with Queens of the Stone Age and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Does playing at smaller venues seem rather strange (considering the kind of places you’ve played) or is it good playing at more ‘modest’ gigs?

To be honest, I’d rather play a smaller venue where there’s a strong connection with an audience - than play a larger one where there’s less of it.

You have been in music since the 1990s; starting your solo career in 2010. What has been your fondest memory from all that time in music?

I think there’s some truth to the statement - everything is relative.

So, despite some of the more outward things I’ve accomplished in music, one of my favourite moments remains passing the audition and getting the gig in my high school band. 

The guys in the band were all a few years older than me which can seem like lifetimes at that age and they were already playing regular gigs in N.Y.C.’s Hardcore scene. When I heard they were looking for a guitarist, I was in a place where everything in my world felt like a hopeless disaster that kept getting worse. So, I learned and practised those songs to death as if there was no tomorrow, and when I got the gig, it was the first time I felt like I had an actual purpose and anything was possible.

Some say Rock is dying or on its last legs – not as relevant and innovative as it once was. Surely it is more important now than it has ever been. What are your views?

I think Rock, Punk (or whatever you want to call it) is about a spirit and an attitude. The way it sounds and looks is an extension of that spirit but it isn’t necessarily the point. I’ve heard that there’s this old Chinese painting of a finger pointing at the moon and what they say about this painting is, “don’t mistake the finger for the moon”. So, this death of Rock thing is really all finger and no moon. The spirit of it is alive and well but it’s morphed into other areas in the past few decades. Those areas include music but aren’t limited to it.

Taking a stance against herd-like behaviour and being told what to think is thriving right now and thank God for that.

Music and the rest of the arts have always been at the forefront of that kind of resistance; it’s their job but these days I think it’s coming from all directions. People from all walks of life are recognising more than ever that their power hasn’t been taken away from them but that they’ve been duped into giving it away willingly and now it’s time to take it back. I mean, what’s more Rock ‘n’ Roll than that?

Aside from the album release on 5^th May, what other plans do you have for this year?

I plan on touring in support of the new album throughout the coming year with my band Matt Boroff & the Mirrors.

Are there any other U.K. gigs on the horizon and what are the crowds like here compared with the U.S. (where Matt was born) and Austria (where he is based)?

As far as U.K. gigs go, I’m pretty sure I’ll be at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May and hopefully they’ll be a few more dates added for other areas as well by then. I’ve always gotten the feeling that the U.K. crowds are a little more enthusiastic about music in general. Music just seems to be a main ingredient in their daily cultural diet.

If you had to list the artists who have been most influential to you which would they be?

A very short list in no particular order would be Leonard Cohen, Ennio Morricone; Tom Waits, John Barry; David Bowie, Stanley Kubrick; Joe Frank, David Lynch and Mark Lanegan.

Are there any new artists, either locally or mainstream, you suggest we check out?

I like Timber Timbre (from Canada) a lot. They’re not really that new but whenever I bring them up it seems like nobody knows who the hell I’m talking about.

What advice would you provide any young songwriter coming through right now?

Learn how to listen to your own voice and try the best you can to distinguish it from the rest of the noise around you. Being part of the crowd can have its advantages, but in the end, it’s your own unique contribution as a songwriter that’s going to separate you from the pack and be of value to anyone.

The sooner you can focus on that and give it the day-by-day attention it needs to develop, the better. Whether they know it or not, people need a depth experience but experiencing depth or creating a work of any depth takes time. So, don’t be afraid to take the time.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can name any song (not yours as I’ll do that) and I’ll play it here.

Thank God for the Rain (from the Taxi Driver soundtrack) by Bernard Herrmann.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jEymilyF0&w=560&h=315]

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Follow Matt Boroff

Official:

http://www.mattboroff.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/mattboroff

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mattboroff

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mboroff/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/mattboroff

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGzpDREeZBQzg1wBsS1HwNw

INTERVIEW: January

INTERVIEW:

 

 

January

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JANAURY Lee Thompson was born in Los Angeles…

and began playing music from a very early age. A classically-trained musician, she was raised by a concert pianist mother and that influence - and the hours of music that filled the wall - made a huge impact on the young singer. By the early-'00s, January began collaborating with different British D.J.s and immersing herself in the London underground Electronic scene. I was excited to discover more about a young woman with a huge musical talent.

Her latest single, Too Soon, looks at a relationship that is, in her words, a “so-close-but-so-far-away kind of scenario”. The U.S. star is planning her next single (Whelmed is out in April) and discusses the album of the same name. In addition, January talks about the differences between L.A. and London; being compared with Kate Bush and what the rest of 2017 holds.

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Hi January. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello! I’m well, Thank you for asking. It’s been a great week. The support for the release of Whelmed has felt wonderful. It almost overshadowed all of the negative political news. I also spent my birthday in Japan: a magical place; I really resonate with the culture.

For anyone new to your work can you introduce yourself to us, please?

Yes, of course, it would be my pleasure:

My name is January Thompson. I grew up in household saturated with music as my mother is a classical pianist. I’ve always loved and wanted to be a part of the world of sound and one way was through singing which has led me on the road less travelled: collaborating and working with different Electronic producers and D.J.s - and now, in releasing my first album, it has quite a bit of Classical influence mixed with subtle Electronic overtones.

Too Soon is your latest single. Can you reveal a bit about its origin and inspiration?

The inspiration came from the feeling of a relationship coming but having to wait for it because it’s too soon.

“What’s too soon for us, too soon to find we’re not alone/we echo in time/I’ve questioned why It’s later/isn't this our time and place?” So it’s a so-close-but-so-far-away kind of scenario.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5C842_wQOk&w=560&h=315]

Your next single, Whelmed, is out in April. Will you be performing anywhere to promote it?

We are just putting the finishing touches to the video now. Yes, myself (sic.) and the producers are in the process of planning the upcoming live shows to promote the album. The shows will be in Copenhagen to start as all of the musicians and producers are based there.

To be announced…

I know you were born in L.A. but are based in the U.K. What compelled the move from America and what are the main differences between the music scenes here and there?

I still consider Los Angeles my home but I started working with different producers/D.J.s in the U.K. when I started out; because I loved the music that came out of the UK: Portishead, Massive Attack; Everything but the Girl etc.

In doing that, I created a base of friends and working relationships that I love very much; so started spending most of my time there. It’s just my perspective, but I found the music scene in the States, particularly Los Angeles (where I’m from), more Pop-driven. I felt very boxed into what would sell there and I was more free (sic.) to work outside of the box in regards to my sound and lyrics in the U.K.

In making this album in Copenhagen, I have felt the same: that I was allowed to think outside any formula for what would be most popular or sellable and now I feel I have a family of musicians there too. That makes it like another home. The life of a musician I suppose: many places we can call home.

You have worked with a range of underground D.J.s and producers. Who has been the most memorable person you have worked with?

They all have been memorable in different ways as far as what I’ve learned and the time spent working with them; some not so good.

But, I’d have to say the producers on this album, Steffen Aaskoven and Thor Finland would be (the most memorable). They’ve really pushed and expanded my capabilities vocally and lyrically and brought a depth to my sound and more continuity in how I work. I consider them dear friends.

I’m very lucky. Working relationships don’t always turn out that way in the funny world of music biz.

Whelmed is your new album. Aside from its unique title, what else can you reveal about the themes and issues explored?

The title is an old sea term for when a ship would capsize. In this sense, the album is very much about being immersed in feelings. Each song has a very distinct emotional correlation to an event or person in my life.

A lot of your songs deal with longing and love. How important are relationships to your music and how easy is it writing about relationships? Have any bad relationships ever inspired a song?

My world is built on my relationships with other people. Every time I start writing it is with someone in mind: not always romantic, but mostly, of course (it is).

Romantic love always has highs and lows and twists and turns that need to be expressed; to better understand. Music and writing songs have always been cathartic for me in dealing with the good, and yes, some bad - or I’d like to say challenging relationships. Romantic love is never easy :)

Your voice has been compared with the likes of Kate Bush and Björk. Are they artists you grew up listening to and how important are they to you?

I didn't discover Kate Bush until I started spending time in the U.K. Everyone is familiar with her there and would say I sounded like her. I take it as a great compliment of course; I am a fan now.

Björk, on the other hand, I have always loved and (she) has been very important in inspiring me to think out of the box. Everything about her vocal style, music and visuals are groundbreaking - one-of-a-kind.

Looking back at your career to date, what have been the fondest memories?

It’s all such an uphill battle it would have to be the moments when I feel like I get to some sort of precipice - whether in business, like when I got signed to my first record label, Quango (which was a dream). Or, creatively: being able to work with certain musicians; seeing songs materialise into something beautiful. They are living things. That’s always a magical process. Some of them can take you on a tremendous journey.

This year has just begun and (obviously) new music is afoot. What are your aims for 2017 and can we expect a January tour? 

Yes, I’ve just been meeting with the producers in Copenhagen about just that. New music and (I’m) starting a January tour.

T.B.A.

If you had to narrow down the three albums that have meant the most to you which would they be and why?

That’s tough. So many albums mean so much to me but I guess - most meaningful to my sound that I still love listening to - it would be…

Arthur Rubinstein – Chopin’s Nocturnes. I grew up listening to my mother play ‘Nocturnes and this album.They really express the sentiment of my heart and inspired me learning the piano.

Björk - Homogenic. The Electronic elements blew my mind and she managed to mix in Classical instrumentation with great songs in a way no one had before that. Groundbreaking. Set the musical bar for me.

Linda Ronstadt - Greatest Hits. Another one my mother would play all of the time when I was a little girl - through her split with my father. We would sing it at the top of our lungs. I think it’s safe to say Linda taught me to sing: “Love is a rose but you never can pick it, only grows when it’s on the vine/Handfull of thorns and you know you’ve missed it/Lose your love when you say the word mine.”

Are there any upcoming artists you’d recommend we check out?

London Grammar is good - great lead singer.

FKA twigs: great style.

Ólafur Arnalds: beautiful music.

What advice would you give to new songwriters coming through?

Just keep writing what’s in your heart.

It’s good to learn and borrow sometimes from the giants before us - but try to stay as true as you can to your vision and your sound.

Never give up…ever.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can select any song you like (rather than your own as I’ll do that) and I’ll play it here.

Hyperballard by Björk.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26sP2WsA5cY&w=560&h=315]

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Follow January

Official:

http://www.januarymusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/januarymusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JanuarysMusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/januarythompson/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/januarylt

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-GBEOGVB91ejaF-U4pSh0w

FEATURE: The Best Albums of 1997

FEATURE

IN THIS PHOTO: Sleater-Kinney

 

The Best Albums of 1997

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AFTER posting a piece on Blur’s eponymous fifth album…

IN THIS PHOTO: Missy Elliott

yesterday; I have been thinking about the albums of 1997 and whether Blur was a bit of a fluke – or whether music itself was on a natural high. I shall omit the aforementioned album – it has had quite enough attention for one weekend – but will put together a list of the albums, I feel, defined an incredible year for music. I know I go on a lot about the 1990s, but for good reason: three of is years were practically unmatched in terms of quality and genius: 1993, 1994 and 1997. In fact, 1995 was pretty damn special – it is an incredible decade no matter what anyone says. Today, it is the turn of 1997. Tony Blair was coming into power and there was a ‘hopeful' – looking pretty silly in retrospect – mood in the air. I am going to start with an album that looks at a new political order, and a new world unfolding, and presented their beautiful, often stark, interpretation of it…

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Radiohead – OK Computer (21^st May)

Following their at-that-time-career-best (I think it still is) album, The Bends; Radiohead were very much on a roll. Kid A would come, but in the middle, the incredible OK Computer sits. It will take you ages to go through the Wikipedia entry for the album but let’s drill it down to the nub: it is a record that defined the year and remains one of the finest albums in history. OK Computer’s abstract lyrics and compositional inventions were a move against the guitar-driven sounds and personal lyrics of The Bends. Such risks might damage a band but Radiohead were confident: singles like Karma Police, Paranoid Android and No Surprises rank as some of Radiohead’s finest songs. It will be incredible seeing them back at Glastonbury this year: twenty years after their legendary headline set, the band could well produce a performance even more memorable. As that is mere months away, take a listen to an album that cemented Radiohead’s reputation as one of the world’s greatest bands.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEsgUiF2jGk&w=560&h=315]

The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land (30^th June)

Perhaps not quite as inventive and momentous as their previous album, Music for the Jilted Generation: The Fat of the Land is packed with ‘90s bangers and wonderful work from producer Liam Howlett. His doom-heavy, body-exorcising beats and psychotropic compositions were met with Keith Flint’s demonic, iconic voice. Breathe and Firestarter are the two big hits from the album – they sound quite alike in many ways – yet lesser-heard tracks Diesel Power and Minefields show the same sort of spirit and quality as heard on Music for the Jilted Generation. Not that The Fat of the Land is commercial or lacking in wonder. In fact, it has often been voted one of the greatest albums of the decade. Quite right, because one listen to the incredible album transports you back to another time: one where Dance Music was undergoing changes and providing some of the world’s best music. Take a listen to The Fat of the Land and a time when The Prodigy were at the top of their game.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkbV_c86YTI&w=560&h=315]

Erykah Badu – Baduizm (11^th February)

Janet Jackson gave the world The Velvet Rope in 1997. There was some fantastic female-led music that year: chief among them was Erykah Badu’s groundbreaking album, Baduizm. It reached number two on the Billboard charts with critics drooling – often comparing Badu to Blues legend Billie Holiday. Few albums, up until that point, had transposed Hip-Hop beats over soulful, organic music. Badu’s conversational vocals and Billie Holliday-esque cadence resonated with many. There is sophistication and gold-member class throughout but that does not come at the expense of frivolity and risks. Baduizm is one of those albums that straddles genres and dares to be different. Since its release, the album has inspired legions of female songwriters and lead the Neo-Soul revolution. It is impossible to say just how important and influential the album is. Take a listen to it and you realise just how different and intoxicating it is. A singular, visionary album from a musician about to change the course of music.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPCs7vVz6s&w=560&h=315]

The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole (7^th April)

Recorded between 1995 and 1997 – with Beth Orton and Noel Gallagher on guest vocals – Block Rockin’ Beats, for me, was one of the anthems of my school-years. Lists and polls place it alongside the best albums of the 1990s (let alone 1997) and note its progressions and evolutions. More forward-thinking and amazing than Exit Planet Dust, it is a contemporary treasure that packed so much in. Songs like Setting Sun, homages to Tomorrow Never Knows and Noel Gallagher at his hypnotic best, and Block Rockin’ Beats seem worlds apart but distinctly the work of The Chemical Brothers. With the likes of The Prodigy producing some of the grittiest and phatest breakbeats around; The Chemical Brothers were creating their own Dance world – one more exhilarating, cross-pollinating and explosive than most of the music out there. The Chemical Brothers blasted boundaries and follower Exit Planet Dust with an emphatic, world-conquering statement. 1997 was a year of diversity and stunning quality: few albums made as big an impression as the immense Dig Your Own Hole.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaU5qkQJ1e4&w=560&h=315]

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott -  Supa Dupa Fly (15^th July)

Missy Elliott’s debut album was celebrated for a number of reasons. Timbaland’s unique and revolutionary production backed taut and tight digital grooves, incredible Hip-Hop stagger and angular, left-field arrangements. Elliott’s commanding rapping and empowering voice meant her and Timbaland were a match made in musical Heaven. One of the first albums that predicted the rise of black Pop: Supa Dupa Fly inspired a whole generation of female singer-songwriters. Elliott’s switch between romance and tenderness to aggression and anger: addressing material concerns and matters of the heart without losing a step or sounding too scattershot. The most influential album released by a female Hip-Hop artist of that time: like Baduizm; it is an album that shattered boundaries and provoked something incredible in music. In many polls of 1997, Missy Elliott’s debut gets overlooked in favour of other works. That is unfair because, even in 2017, the album sounds as fresh and daring as it did back then.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzqakZnhNFQ&w=560&h=315]

The Verve – Urban Hymns (29^th September)

The third album from the Alternative-Rock band remains their finest moment. It became The Verve’s biggest-selling album and, as of 2015, is the eighteenth best-selling album in U.K. chart history – over ten-million copies have been sold worldwide. At the 1998 Brit Awards, Urban Hymns won the Best British Album award; Richard Ashcroft won an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year (1998) whilst the album was constantly voted one of the best of 1997. The pathos, humour and swagger were perfectly mixed – never too arrogant or formulaic – whereas the songs were the strongest the band had ever put together. Toppling every other guitar-made album of the year – except OK Computer - there is no telling just how important Urban Hymns is. The deft melodies and sweeping orchestrations (Bitter Sweet Symphony); the world-weariness and cynicism; the romance and beauty of everything – all coming together in a lush and astonishingly ambitious record.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74&w=560&h=315]

Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time (8^th September)

Yep, that’s right: it is the album with Brimful of Asha on it! Not the version many of us will be familiar: the Norman Cook remix that added more bark, bounce and lunacy to the song. Sampling, cut-and-paste music was nothing new but, at this point, few British bands had managed to master it. By 1996, Beck was mastering fusing Hip-Hop, Country – and every other genre out there! – and making it sound completely crazy but essential. Tjinder Singh was similarly ambitious. Maybe When I Was Born for the 7^th Time did not shift the units that it deserved but it remains one hell of a record. Singh’s anti-racism lyrics are no less essential today than they were in 1997. It is the mesh of simple and complex that makes the album so charming. Homemade, cheap drums and samples were put together: it is very much the pared-down, budget-version equivalent of Odelay. That simplicity often hides the fact Cornershop produced an album of intricate, complex compositions that exude new possibilities with every listen. An underrated masterpiece.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWfWc0qzOM&w=560&h=315]

Portishead - Portishead (29^th September)

Its film noir creep and he-behind-the-door voyeuristic perversity holds you in its spell and drags you into a drugged and strange world of B-movie scares; strange anti-hero anthems and chilling scores. Almost like Alfred Hitchcock let loose on a bucket-load of hooks, samples and technology: it is a superbly crafted record that is relentlessly dark and shadowy. That is not to say it is unforgiving and unrepentant. The trippy stuttering codas are perfect for Beth Gibbon’s dramatic, unstoppable juggernaut of a voice. The band took three years to follow (debut) Dummy; the effort was worth the wait. Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley recorded original music and then sampled it as background music - making it a more adventurous album that its predecessor. The songs are incredible throughout. Cowboys, the standout to me, is frightening and repetitive whilst All Mine takes the senses somewhere unexpected and terrifying. That sense of pervading fear never relents but you are happy to feel that way. By the end of the album, you emerge a better, more rounded human.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pw6ZOXaHm4&w=560&h=315]

Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (8^th April)

In 1997, The Chemical Brothers asked us to dig our own hole: Sleater-Kinney were pleading for us to dig them out. To be fair, the two titles have different intentions and derivations whilst the music on both cannot be more different. The band’s third album was produced by John Goodmanson and saw the debut of Janet Weiss: she became the band’s longest-serving, and current, drummer. The album’s music was inspired by traditional Rock ‘n’ Roll and the lyrics look at traditional heartbreak and the desire to survive. The band rock hard and hot the mark but it is the chimes and trinkets – handclaps and girl-group chorusing – that adds an extra layer of charm and delight. 1997 saw, in reality, few hard-rocking albums. Aside from Radiohead’s OK Computer and Pavement’s Brighten the Corners; it added a much-needed dose of balls and spit into music.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VoWc3yypHs&w=560&h=315]

In It for the Money – Supergrass (21^st April)

The band’s second album, following I Should Coco, is even more juvenile, spirited and uplifting than their debut. NME famously called it “more fun than watching a wombat in a washing machine” and you cannot argue against that disturbing, but rather impressive, alliteration. It is another album that constantly makes it was onto ‘best of’ lists and with good cause. Although recording was often disturbed by drummer Danny Goffey going to London to record with his and Pearl Lowe’s band, Lodger; that is not to say the album is disjointed and undisciplined. Well, Goffey and Gaz Coombes having to explain to the press the meaning behind Going Out – a shot at the press or a general statement rallying against tabloidisation – did put some cracks in the armour. Regardless, In It for the Money is overflowing with hits and classic tunes. Richard III rushes out the gates like a bull with its testicles around it feet (cannot resist the temptation to go “woo!” alongside Coombes in the introduction); Late in the Day is one of the most gorgeous songs the band have created; Going Out, in spite of the controversy, is an emphatic slice of Beatle-esque Pop magic.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDBwwWgl700&w=560&h=315]

Pavement – Brighten the Corners (11^th February)

If their previous album, Wowee Zowee was a bit messy and unformed: Brighten the Corners is focused, laid-back and authoritative. Maybe there isn’t the all-out blare and noise of previous albums like Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. What you do get is a more mature – but in a smart-ass way – album that is among the most nuanced of the year. It is complex and rash; it is melodic and inscrutable at times. You keep coming back and are rewarded your dedication and affection. Twenty years after its release; it remains one of the most important and celebrated albums of the 1990s from a band who, at that juncture, has not put a foot wrong. Every track was written by singer Stephen Malkmus – aside from Scott Kannberg’s Date with Ikea and Passat Dream – while the title is a reference, in all likelihood, to Ella Fitzgerald’s 1967 album, Brighten the Corner.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqi4l__r0Hs&w=560&h=315]

Björk – Homogenic (September 22^nd)

The third album from Björk saw her on production duties alongside Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth; Howie B and Mark Dravs. A new venture for the singer that found her experimenting with similar-sounding music that combined electronic beats and string arrangements – paying tribute to her native country, Iceland. The album was earmarked for recording at Björk’s London home but was moved to Spain. Björk wanted the record to be a paen to Iceland and its landscape. She wanted it to, as Markus Dravs recalls, to sound like “rough volcanoes with soft moss growing over it”. That is what you get really. There are volcanic, bellicose eruptions and soothing, otherworldly strings. Iceland has that evocative scenery but is very hi-tech and modern – elements that were presented throughout the album. Björk’s skewed-world views turn potentially unengaging subjects/songs into something utterly engrossing and beguiling. Homogenic has groove and charge; it has passion and chilling emotions. Deeper and more profound than any other work in Björk’s cannon: a bewitching, strange creation that, twenty years down the line, is yet to reveal all its mysteries and dark avenues. You listen to the album and let it take you away – overwhelmed by its power-beauty contrasts and immense scope.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th7QmZiz6Lc&w=560&h=315]

Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (16^th June)

The album was recorded after the break-up of Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce and Kate Radley - after Radley secretly married Richard Ashcroft. Whilst Pierce maintains most of the songs were written pre-breakup; one cannot help but interpret the album in the context of the fall-out. Most bands in similar circumstances would crumble and create a poor album. Instead, Pierce used his extensive knowledge of music and influenced to produce something perspective fusing (as Melody Maker stated) that makes everyday emotions and squabbles – most artists write about – seem redundant and insignificant. Ladies’ is more complex and instrumentally elaborate than previous work and expands on their previous work. In a year where shoegazers were at their saddest and most resigned: here was an album that offered hope, sunshine and joy. There is some guitar drone but that is balanced by plenty of colours and textures from the band.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE0lBbBNR1Q&w=560&h=315]

TRACK REVIEW: This Modern Hope - Kingdom

TRACK REVIEW:

 

This Modern Hope

 

 

Kingdom

 

9.5/10

 

Kingdom is taken from the forthcoming album, Horizon.

GENRE:

Alternative-Rock

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

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UNLIKE yesterday's review subject - who was someone new…

to me - today, I am approached with a musician I have known for a little while now. This might be my last review of This Modern Hope for a little bit – will find it hard to say new things about the same act time again – but I was excited to hear the album, Horizon. It has been a long time in the making which brings me to the subject of that elusive album and artists offering something both abstract and direct; taking a look at London make solo artists and the understated importance of elegance and grace in music. If that all sounds like a fluffy bunch of wank – if you’ll pardon the technical terms – it is far from it. Whilst the track I am reviewing is not yet available for download: previously-released tracks from the record are over at This Modern Hope’s SoundCloud account. They give you an indication as to what is contained and the direction of the album. If you are unfamiliar with This Modern Hope then do not fear: I shall gently lead you in. I wanted to, first, take a look at the album format and the sheer work that goes into it. From recent Facebook posts, I know This Modern Hope’s Rob Payne has been busy pressing a vinyl/cover of the record ready for release. Decompartmentalising an L.P. can be a fun thing – to me anyway – seeing how it all goes together and the process involved. In the past, I have reviewed artists releasing their debut single; some on their n-th album – others sort of in the middle of new and experienced. With This Modern Hope, I have been able to follow an artist from the very start to the album stage. Previous singles have shown real character and personality: together on an album, none of that is lost at all. In fact, Horizon is as solid an effort as I’ve heard from any new artist in a long time. The tracks have similar skin and sound but never sound alike. The songs fuse and flow into one another and each expresses new emotions and tells different stories.

Like influences (of This Modern Hope) Elbow and Doves: you get raw emotion and honesty but lashings of cinema and strings. That is one thing I love about the record: whatever mood you are in, it caters for that. I wanted to bring up the album creation as it is something a lot of artists never get to experience. In a time where long-term success is unlikely and appropriate appreciation is merely alliteration: musicians are struggling to put an album together and get to that stage at all. With Payne, you have a man who has been in music for a while – previous part of The Bedroom Hour – and knows what it takes to succeed. He does not rush in with singles nor does he leave enormous gaps between releases. I will not go into every track on the album – rule number one of my blog: I do not do album reviews anymore – but I was honoured to hear Horizon and what it contained. Some of the singles I have already heard/reviewed but there was more new material to hear – I shall touch upon in the conclusion. The title track struck me because it is, as I see it, the standout on the album and leads proceedings. Rob Payne has taken a lot of time to release a few singles but ensures they are assembled within the album at perfect intervals. Not only that, but the record itself is a traditional and not-too-crowded ten-track; it has short and economical titles (whose mere name provokes intrigue) and its cover art, as I know will be the case, is going to be gripping and immersive. Payne has done everything by the book and shown how an album should be done. Keeping his follows abreast across social media – the vinyl’s ten tracks are uploading and nearly ready for release.

Payne created thirty tracks for the album but narrowed them to ten. Horizon is almost upon us and everything is starting to click into place. I have gone into the attributes and merits of Payne’s debut album but have not really touched on the difficulty of putting one together and the importance of making one. As I said up-top: not many musicians get to the stage of making an album. With This Modern Hope, the debut album is scary but well-deserved. It is a very competitive market and many artists fail to recognise the pace and demands of the industry. You do not have to be King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (an album a year it seems) or Royal Blood (their second SHOULD be out this year) – or Elbow for that matter (seven albums in twenty-five years I think). What I mean is you have to be smart about consistency and effort. If you are new to the scene, you need to put singles out as soon as you can – a taster of what you’re about; keep people interested and invested. With regards that album, do not be too hasty or hesitant. It has to be released when it is ready but cannot simply but just like everything else in music. That is the main reason for this point and explanation behind the survival rate in new music: too many young artists are replicating others and, no surprise, finding few people willing to embrace something overly-familiar. An album is a privilege and not a right so making one should be handled with the right amount of respect and attention. That is about that on this particular line of enquiry but I wanted to send that to any musicians out there: we need fantastic albums but one must be realistic about what it takes to make an album and what the public expects. Neatly leading onto my next point; This Modern Hope are gearing up to unveil that all-exciting debut record. Before I carry on; let me introduce Rob Payne’s project to you:

“This Modern Hope, the new solo project from West London musician and producer Rob Payne, is ready for takeoff and poised for success. Drawing on influences such as Death Cab For Cutie, Doves and his brother's record collection, This Modern Hope's sound is classic yet fresh, switching seamlessly from up-tempo, driving rock to stirring ballads, Rob's soulful voice floating effortlessly over the melodies as the beats flow. Lyrically deep and with a heady vocal intricacy, the songs come straight from the heart and leave a lasting impression that words can't describe. With a strong musical pedigree, masses of talent and a little help from some friends, This Modern Hope's tunes are ready to be heard”.

This is the same biography I mention every time I review This Modern Hope but the recipe is solid and unchanged. What I love about Horizon, and the tracks on it is the fact there is that blend of subtle grace and direct emotion. It is a hard combination to get right but This Modern Hope does. Previous songs – and album inclusions – like Ship on the Ocean and The Abyss – have dealt with stealthy and hard subjects but wrapped them in a cocoon of comfort and elegance. Rob Payne, as a former member of The Bedroom Hour, dealt with similar concoctions but never as overtly as he does here. This Modern Hope sees him more-or-less alone – other musicians going into the mix – but taking a different approach to the way he makes music. Horizon has hopefulness and optimism but has a more introverted side: investigating struggles and demons we all face; love’s cruelty and the way it can sucker us in. That seems like a cheap assessment whereas the reality is much grander and more sophisticated. I am not a musicologist or master of the Classical domain but know stunning compositions when I hear them. I mentioned bands like Elbow and Doves for good reason. The former has just released Little Fictions to huge acclaim. The Hallé Orchestra joined the northern band and helped provide their amazing music plenty of atmospheres, romance and stir. It is not a surprise Guy Garvey’s men have been so lauded: their mood is more optimistic and hopeful – compared with their usual realistic/dour countenance – and that orchestration really pushes it over the edge. A lot of musicians incorporate strings cheaply and needlessly. Payne does not whitewash the album with strings but picks his moments. In fact, there is electronic parable and all sorts of sounds that create that symphonic, orchestral power. In a music world that still seems obsessed with direct and energetic music – in chart terms at least – it is rewarding finding an act more mature and subtle. Those are qualities that run right through This Modern Hope’s album. For those needing a dose of honesty and emotion (in lyrical terms); you get that but there are oblique lines and a sense of fiction and mystery. From the music, you're offered stinging sounds and spirited percussion with a contrast of soft soothe and demure elements. The overall effect is one that is hard to describe: it is intoxicating and dizzying but comforting at the same time. I’ll move on from this point but wanted to congratulate This Modern Hope on an album that ticks all the boxes and compels a lot of repeated listens.

I’ll get down to the music itself pretty soon but wanted to look at male artists in London and who is out there. I maintain the fact female artists will define this year and we’ll see a lot more foreign influences come into British music. With the Brexit palaver and what is happening in the U.S., many are keen to ignore the ‘majority’ and welcome their international cousins. This will extend to America so expect to see a lot of U.S. artists being celebrated over here. Similarly, there will be less dominance from London and a more open and diverse British scene. In terms of the capital, I know it will be keeping busy and not missing a beat. Last year, we saw some great talent emanate from the city. With the BBC announcing their tips for this year; Walsall-based Jorja Smith and RAY BLK show the best of London music and that outside the capital. London will always exude influence and remain in the critical mindset. What I am seeing – with regards London music – is a move away from bands and male dominance; we are seeing more females come through and a wide range of genres present themselves. Once was the case, not that many years ago, where London was defined by Rock bands and male musicians – there was not the range and Eclecticism we are seeing today. Also, there was a time when fewer Urban/black artists were getting attention and praise. In 2017, I expect to see a city full of life and quality. I feel the bands of London are quieter than past years: solo artists are coming more to the fore; male artists not quite as prevalent as once were. This Modern Hope might not be Rob Payne alone but he is the central figure and creator. What separates him out, and leads me to believe he will be among the male artists of London making huge waves this year, is his set of abilities and professionalism; the effort he expends and the way he markets himself. That epic, commanding voice has opera qualities and tenderness and, as I keep mentioning him, reminds me of Guy Garvey. You get that same potency and power in every song. Payne has experience and has been gigging for years so has had the chance to hone his voice and experiment. It is, as the album will prove, at its peak and more nuanced and strong than ever. The music sounds like it stems from an artist with decades of experience whilst the production is rich and lush. With each moment, whether single or album, Payne puts his all into it. I predict Horizon will be one of the biggest underground albums of 2017 and already getting a lot of demand and speculation from blogs and fans. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled and wait for the album to come – it will be immense, for sure.

What I love about This Modern Hope, and want to bring up before I come to look at the music itself, is the importance of grace and quality this year. We have just crawled through a year as hard and challenging as any we have faced – in terms of tragedies and political issues. Music is here to help make 2017 a lot more secure and uplifting year than the one just passed. For that reason, musicians have to step up their game and provide the public something wonderful and new. Rob Payne’s This Modern Hope have their influences but cannot be readily compared with anyone else. Sure, you get the orchestral/experimental vibes of Doves and Elbow and a bit of Death Cab for Cutie; a little bit of him and her, as it were. Essentially, This Modern Hope is a fresh and original proposition whose name is rather apt considering the year just gone. I always look for musicians that can convey honesty and themselves without cliché and insincerity. Also, I like those who mix compositions with some Rock and Indie and throw in something more Classical-based and shimmering. Why am I so hooked on this side of things? Well, I mentioned how there was a lack of originality in music – if I didn’t then I meant to! – and that does not apply to everyone. I am finding too many artists sounding the same and trying to fit into a chart mould- what they think is commercial and will sell. Whilst that is a prudent way of getting fans in and instant success; it is a poor way of ensuring longevity and a viable career. Those who succeed and remain are those who mix the familiar with unexpected. That is what This Modern Hope do with aplomb. Of course, it is Payne’s brainchild but his band of musicians help give the music that evocative edge and huge scale. This runs riot throughout the debut album and something I will return to.

In this section, I normally look at an artist’s past and how they have progressed on their current release. With This Modern Hope, you have an album that contains previous singles. In essence, it is a record that combines the old and new. If you loved The Storm and The Abyss you will not be disappointed. Previous songs are in there but the majority of Horizon’s songs are brand-new. I love how the older and new sit together: there are no gaps or weak moments; it all sits together naturally and perfectly. That is a hard thing to do. Sometimes, when you have the singles released; the album can seem weak by comparison – all the best songs have already been shown. In the case of This Modern Hope’s album; you have songs that hit you straight away whereas others spread their wings a bit further down the tracks. The entire album is solid and nuanced and contains so many great moments. Knowing Payne, I know he will be excited to see what others think and how critics will react. I feel Horizon will be taken to heart by many and urge This Modern Hope to record more albums down the line. That will be exciting to see. I hope there are more E.P.s and albums in mind as, with the group/Payne, you have talent in abundance. The songwriting is impressive and consistent while the performances are solid throughout. Keep your mind focused on This Modern Hope for 2017 and just what is coming next. I predict big things and a move from unsigned heroes to near-the-mainstream-kings. There is that opportunity to get songs played on radio and gain more exposure – I hope This Modern Hope take full advantage.

Despite the fact it is one of the shortest tracks on the album: I was keen to look at Kingdom and the way in which it kicks the album off. It is the lead-off and first thing one will hear so has a lot of pressure on its shoulders. The song starts off waking to the warmth of the dawn. There are a few seconds of silence before light and breezy strings come through. The guitar has energy and intention but is never too forceful or overwrought. A keen and agile melody presents itself and perfectly opens the album. Before long, the track opens up and sees racing, hissing drums comes in. The guitars start with an arpeggio that has romance and tenderness but some mystery underneath. You start to imagine all sorts of scenes and possibilities: immersed in the movement and dance of the guitars; it is engaging and entwined; it draws you in and implores the listener to imagine and dream. Percussion comes to give the track kick and spirit. It takes your mind in another direction. Without a word being sung, the song starts to stretch its arms and awaken. I mentioned a morning/dawn idea because that is the impression one gets from the composition. With a name like Kingdom, you either think of this nation (United Kingdom) or surveying the landscape. As the composition continues and those beats remain tense and mobile; you are helpless and feel yourself swimming inside the song. With previous This Modern Hope songs, I have stated how the composition creates all manner of ideas and visions. Songs you can get lost in are a rare breed so should be promoted. Kingdom ensures Horizon begins with a huge amount of quality but does not throw everything into the mix too soon. In terms of genres, you get a mix of Alternative-Rock, Indie and Hip-Hop. In fact, there are shades of Trip-Hop when you consider the beats. Other tracks across Horizon have their heart in the 1990s and other decades, but here, there is a blend of modern Indie/Rock and Massive Attack-like vibes. Despite the fact it is largely instrumental, I wanted to review the track as it is one of the most atmospheric and promising I have heard from This Modern Hope.

I would have understood the temptation to open the album with a previous track but it is brave opening with something new. Kingdom promises so many different ideas and that is the beauty: every listener gets their own interpretation and projects their own film. As the song continues to unfold and move, the sense of beauty and widescreen potential does not abate. “This is my kingdom” Payne exclaims as the music threatens to swallow everything. The album itself contains a mix of composition-heavy songs where the voice is in the background and others where the voice is at the forefront. Here, you hear this ghostly spirit in the mix trying to get his words out. Payne voice is always huge, impressive and commanding and that is the case here. There is a sense of vulnerability but you wonder what the emotions are being expressed. The writing is on the wall it is said, and our hero sends out that declaration – this is his life and kingdom. Whether we are looking at a young man sending out a message and stating his intentions in music – being heralded and not being overlooked – or someone who is taking a stand in life I am not so sure. What you do get is an incredibly evocative and unusual vocal that brilliant opens the album. It gets the listener invested and intrigued as to what is coming next. By the closing stages, your mind is working overdrive and the myriad possibilities and images race together. I know Payne has Doves as an influence and you can hear a bit of the band here. Their album, The Last Broadcast, was released in 2002 and stands as one of their finest. Similarly, you can hear little bits of that record and the same positive points. Like Doves; This Modern Hope have created a spectacular soundscape that gets into the imagination and will motivate everyone to have their own views. The lyrics intrigue me and I was caught up in the possibilities.

Maybe it is a man who needs to make changes and has had enough or somebody confident in their abilities and sending a message to the world. I was engrossed from first to last and impressed by every element of the song. The lyrics are simple – other songs much fuller and expansive – but the emphasis is on the composition and effect. That is what makes Kingdom so appealing: it is not just reliant on the words or vocal performance: every asset and side get equal attention. Horizon has a mixture of traditional songs (more lyrics and straight vocals) and these more eerie and unusual moments. It is testament to Payne, as a writer, he manages to keep so fresh and changeable. Being familiar with the tracks he has already released, I was a bit nervous what was to come and how it would sound. My fears were allayed within seconds and a song that warrants a lot of attention. Kingdom is an excellent start and one of the highlights – in my view it is the most fascinating. Other songs on the album will get big focus but the lead-off song is hard to top. It is emotional and confident; it is bold and vulnerable and that is just the lyrics. When you dive into the composition, you are awed and need a few listens before everything sinks in. Payne’s voice is dependably epic and strong and contains its unusual mixture of emotional and strident. He is one of the most underrated vocalists in modern music and proves how strong he is here. Kingdom is a perfect way to open Horizon and an exceptional song from This Modern Hope.

I have extolled the virtues of Horizon and where I think This Modern Hope will head. I know Rob Payne and the passion he has for music. Before returning to my previous points, I wanted to see where his music is heading and just how far it can go. There is excitement in camp about the tracks and getting them out to the public. I am lucky enough to be the first/one of the first to hear the full album and just what is contained. Whilst I have not gone into the detail it warrants – the word count would be never-ending – I have loved hearing it and all the different themes and colours explored. Being based in and around London, there is a perfect opportunity for This Modern Hope to mop up the gigs. There are a lot of great venues, small and large, that would see crowds pack into. I am not sure what Payne is planning in terms of itinerary, but there are places I could direct him to. Essentially, there is a big demand for the kind of the music he is writing that has already captured a large amount of hearts. I know there are a lot of bands out there – I can technically call T.M.H. that – but a great amount of competition. I feel there will be some gig demands for Horizon around the country. Secondly, the popularity and focus it will see on social media should send it to some important hands. I always mention BBC Radio 6 Music as that grail every worthy musician should aim for. It is, in my humble view, the best station in the U.K. and has built its reputation on a basis of exceptional, diverse music and knowledgeable, passionate D.J.s. The station does not play music from new artists to fill a gap: they recognise the quality and have faith that artist is going to go a long way. I am not sure whether This Modern Hope have been played on the station but the music seems ready-made for D.J.s like Radcliffe and Maconie and Sean Keaveny. I am not sure how one gets their music on the station but something for Payne to think about. I know This Modern Hope have a core of dedicated fans but here is a chance to get the music across national radio and to the masses. Horizon warrants a lot of praise and spotlight from the country’s most prominent stations and reviewers.

I’ll wrap this up by (briefly) returning to my earlier points and just what to expect from the album. Run Away has some incredible guitar lines and a real sense of occasion and one of the most stirring vocal performances on the set. In a way, the song reminds me of Oasis and their (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory period. Ship on the Ocean is one of the clearest and most direct vocals – a song many will be familiar with. The hero is floating his heart on the waves and looking for a connection. It is a more direct song in every term compared with Run Away. A busier track with more elements and layers at its disposal – showing how This Modern Hope can shift in the space of a song. Run Away is that lush and dreamy thing that perfectly follows the opening track. Perhaps less conventional than Ship on the Ocean: Payne demonstrates his full range of talents (as a singer) on both. Flow of the River has that water theme but is a different beast compared with Ship on the Ocean. It is a shorter track but no less potent and memorable. Brothers & Sisters, again, puts me in mind of Oasis and some of their most celebratory music. It has a feel of the 1990s and boasts one of Payne’s most strident and proud performances. “We got high” is a sentiment and deceleration that could have been plucked from the songbook of the best bands of that era – it seems to evoke a better time when there was a hopefulness and togetherness. The track also features incredible guitar work throughout. So many different ideas and notes combined to create a composition with hiden depths and punch. Tear Me Down is more emotional and introspective but has the same sort of energy of Brothers & Sisters. The Storm is one of the standouts from the record and a song that has already gained acclaim and applause. It is as turbulent and energised as its title suggests and showcases the full strength of Payne and the musicians on the album. Farwell is a perfect ending. It mixes the elegance and grace of some tracks but has plenty of nervy and emotional guitar lines. The vocal hovers in the background at times and creates something spectral and detached. A perfect way to end an incredible album from This Modern Hope.

I have touched on the album tracks and general impressions but it is a record that deserves more time and investigation. This Modern Hope will be announcing the release very soon but the final stages are coming together. It is almost at a time where it can be put online but I’ll make no promises. If you want a taste of the album, I suggest you look on SoundCloud and the previous singles that give you a taste of what to expect. I am excited by the music coming out of London and the range of sounds one can find. I have mentioned This Modern Hope as both the project of Rob Payne and a band but, depending in what context you see them, you have some incredible musicians ensuring there will be eyes trained their way. I also stated how there will be a move towards female-made music and what they are producing. This Modern Hope are one of those acts that have a feel of the past but are very much in the present. I am not sure how the rest of the year will pan out – with regards the genres and artists who will reign – but I am keen to follow music here and everything it offers. What I love about This Modern Hope is that range of sounds and all the compositional strands that seem to weave together seamlessly. You have the beauty and tenderness on some songs; there is a huge amount of drama and force in others. It is the orchestral, tender sides of the palette that really get to me. Few artists take time to infuse their music with something elegant, sophisticated and complex. Horizon is full of treats and superb musicianship throughout. The songs look at love and dislocation but provide hopeful messages and uplift when needed. If one contrasts Brothers & Sisters and The Abyss, one would assume it was two different acts. The music is not that different but the central messages are. Many bands and artists either squander the chance to make an album or create one that is rather underwhelming. I speculated why this is the case and the importance of getting an album out. For This Modern Hope, it was crucial getting the album out. Singles and previous numbers were received with love but only showed a glimpse of what we get in Horizon. Everything comes together and, when you listen to the entire album, you get a full sense of what the band is all about. I shall leave it there but urge, as I do at this stage of a review, to get the album when it is out as it promises to be one of the most impressive of the year so far. Rob Payne is keeping his followers updated and excited by what is to come. That excitement will be translated into affection and appreciation – many will take Horizon to heart. It is one of those records that…

SPEAKS for us all.

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Follow This Modern Hope

 

Official:

http://www.thismodernhope.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ThisModernHopeMusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thismodernhope

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoezfwi011FeoW9kzzAqDaA

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thismodernhope/

SoundCloud:

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INTERVIEW: VEI

INTERVIEW:

 

 

VEI

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IT is hardly an exaggeration to say the solo singer-songwriter…

PHOTO CREDIT: @balconytvlondon

market is the most crowded and competitive in all of music. Every week, we see new artists come through with the same ideas: laying down their mark and putting their stamp on music. All too often, we see musicians fall and last only a short time. Those that remain and succeed are to be commended. VEI is a promising young songwriter with an army of fans behind her. That is hardly a stretch considering the sort of raw and emotional Pop music she writes. Rolling on You Romeo is her latest single and stunning declaration from an artist who is primed to go a long way. I talk to her about the song and what she has planned for this year; how she got started in music and the artists that have influenced her.

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Hi VEI. How are you? How has your week been?

It’s been great, thanks. Have been trying to keep warm!

For those new to your music can you introduce yourself, please?

Of course. I’m an artist, singer and cellist, very much looking forward to this journey into releasing my album. My songs have a rawness and emotional edge: structured in an accessible way…

How did you get started in music? Was it a childhood love or was there a particular moment that sparked the fuse?

It started in childhood but has been an off-and-on thing at times until I was a bit older and found what I wanted to do with it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkrmsKLXs4&w=560&h=315]

Rolling on You Romeo is your latest single. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?

It’s just life - without going into too much detail.

Writing songs is such a cathartic way to turn any negative emotion you may be feeing into something positive.

You performed the song for Janice Long on The 2ube. What was that experience like?

That was great. It was a really nice couple of days being up in Liverpool and meeting everyone too.

For a lot of songwriters, they need to set aside time to write; some write when the mood strikes. How do your songs come together? Do you try and write a certain amount of music a day or just when inspiration hits?

These songs have been given space and weren’t rushed. We would write using technology which allows you to get an element or part of the song down before moving onto the next part. It’s definitely about doing both for me. I always have a notepad and pen - or the phone handy - to put down lyrics throughout the day or to record vocal hooks.

Rolling on You Romeo suggests more music to come. Can we expect a VEI E.P. this year?

We’ve got the next single on the way as we speak - leading on from that we’ll be releasing the album.

I hope it will be a fun journey!

You have been compared with everyone from Lenka and Björk to Kate Nash in terms of your delivery and accent. Are they influences of yours?

Yes, but I’m not trying to be them. When we wrote the album I rarely listened to other people - it was enough to just be with the songs we were writing. So, that way, I guess any number of others influenced this music but their influence was already digested and a part of who I was, and my co-writers, Mike Chapman and Simon Pilton were musical already.

In term of that triumvirate, and doing a musical Snog, Marry or Avoid?, which would you go out for drinks with? Which would you record a song with? Which would you share a flat with?

Drinks: Ella Eyre

Record a song: Major Lazer

Share a flat with Paloma Faith.

In terms of the musicians and albums that inspired you most growing up which would they be?

From dancing around at five years old to The Beach Boys - and my dad’s record collection - to Submotion Orchestra and the U.K. festival scene when I grew up a bit… 

A lot of new music is rather tame and formulaic. You seem like a breath of fresh air. Do you think there is a lack of character and originality in modern Pop music?

I feel that it’s just harder to break through if you’re not following exactly what is out there at the moment.

Any music that has broken through and created its own sound world or audience has been on its own journey (and own industry doors to break down).

If you had to pick your favourite memory from your career so far which would it be and why?

Probably the early days of writing these songs - because they felt very carefree!

Summer is, we hope, just around the corner. Are tour plans for the coming months where we can see you play?

I’m singing as part of the third preliminary rounds of the London Coffee Music Project’s songwriting competition on Feb 21^st (at The O Bar in Soho). It’s all in aid of Project Waterfall so very exciting.

Later than that, you can find any upcoming shows on www.veimusic.com as we book them in - such as the release party with our next single, Soak It Up.

Are there any new artists out there you’d recommend we check out?

Yes. Vince Kidd. I saw him perform before Christmas and he and his two lovely friends singing with him made me so happy!

Have you advice for new songwriters coming through right now?

Just stick with it and follow what you love doing: it’s possibly the only grounding way to not get pulled back and forth trying to fit in with others’ expectations. 

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Follow VEI

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Fry

Official:

http://www.veimusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/veimusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Vei_Music_

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/veimusic/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/veimusic

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLUJLs8QRAu6qLb2xHwZRg

FEATURE: Blur at Twenty

FEATURE:

 

 

Blur at Twenty

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MOST band do not really make huge changes…

on their fifth album. In fact, a lot of bands, mainstream and new, do not get to the fifth–album stage. For Britpop legends Blur, the transformative epiphany resulted in a decade-defining record – their stunning eponymous album. Befitting of the title, it remains their most personal and focused album: less character-driven than previous efforts. That is not to say the 1997 album misses the excitement, fun and rousing choruses of their best work – there is more depth and musical endeavour throughout Blur. To get an idea of how important Blur is; we must take a look back at their previous album, The Great Escape. If Parklife, to many at least, is the band’s finest record: The Great Escape faced some critical divide. Never to the extent of their debut, Leisure – an album that, in retrospect, is a lot more majestic and important than critics recognised back then. The Great Escape – released in September 1995 – did get some positive reviews and was triple-platinum in the U.K. U.S. audiences bonded with the album and its themes – although the album charted pretty low upon its release. If the title does not provoke a list of the hits we are all familiar with – you can all rattle off Parklife’s key songs – a few bars of each bring it all flooding back in. Country House, derided by some; celebrated by others, is the most immediate and catchy song from the album. Charmless Man is Blur at their observational best while The Universal, complete with its Clockwork Orange-referencing video, is a dreamy, languid beauty. Country House was the first Blur song to hit the U.K. charts top-spot: an infectious and earworm-y song that beat Oasis’ Roll with It in the big Britpop battle in 1995. In a lot of ways, The Great Escape possessed a lot of Parklife’s fertile genes: the mix of tragedy, heartbreak and humour; a healthy amount of instant tunes and slow-burning growers; some perfect Pop moments and a band at the height of their power.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BkbmQnau7Y&w=560&h=315]

Following Parklife – the euphoria and attention it received – many bands would feel fearful and struggle to cope with the pressure. Not only did Blur follow the album up within a year but managed to create a record as inventive, Blur-esque and British – although The Great Escape did not get quite the same reviews and accolades as its forefather. Some critics, and why I am keen to preface Blur’s creation, noted how there was emotional detachment and stiffness on the album: the humour and jollity was a little shallow; masking, perhaps, a personal-shaped hole that could have been filled with mature revelation and exorcised demons. To be fair, the band created an album perfect for the Britpop age. Not only were they battling the mighty Oasis – any songwriting weakness or huge shifts would have seen the Manchester boys scoop the crown – but a host of ‘outsiders’ in the Britpop movement, Radiohead among them, were putting out some phenomenal material. Blur were playing on their strengths: fun and witty bangers with plenty of emotion and semi-orchestral swoon. Perhaps, four albums in at this point, there was a yearning for a new Blur: a 2.0 rebuild that would retain the quality and quantity (of tunes) but shift their music in a forward-looking direction.  Although The Great Escape gained huge buzz at the time – perhaps critics intoxicated by the Britpop rivalry and optimistic spirit in the air – the flocks soon started heading Oasis’ way. (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory was released the same year and, naturally, was seriously alluring – many critics considered apologia (a bit keen to reward a five-star review to Blur); guilty they were a bit eager and swept up. If The Great Escape had Country House, Charmless Man and The Universal: (What’s the Story?)’ had Wonderwall, Some Might Say and Champagne Supernova – I am always in the Blur camp but can tell the latter’s set of songs is stronger and more nuanced than Blur’s. The only reason Oasis lost the chart battle in 1995 was the fact they put up the wrong song to tackle Country House – any, stronger, song from the L.P. would have walked it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXnqjUfal4&w=560&h=315]

Regardless, changes had to be made in Camp Blur. The boys were riding high after Parklife’s enormous success but failed to progress significantly on their fourth album. If critics were ruefully printing retraction letters in 1995 – The Great Escape less inspired than Oasis’ near-masterpiece – 1997 would change everything. Both Oasis and Blur followed each other’s progress closely: they each released an album in 1994 (Oasis: Definitely Maybe; Blur: Parklife) and 1995. By 1997, both bands were making big statements for different reasons. For Blur, they needed to prove they were still one of the world’s best bands and capable of genuine invention and wonder. Oasis, huge critical acclaim buzzing in their ear, had to keep the momentum going after a terrific sophomore record. Oasis created a rather bloated, indulgent ‘cocaine album’ with 1997’s Be Here Now. It’s unedited, unfocused nature – many songs going on endlessly and losing traction – and (comparative) lack of anthems shocked critics and proved Oasis were mortal and fallible. Blur, conversely, made a genuine move forward with their eponymous album.  The Great Escape is a bit nuts and juvenile; it has flaws but it has gained a lot of retrospective support – even if Damon Albarn finds it messy and below-average. So what changed between 1995 and 1997? Graham Coxon suggested the band engage in a stylistic shift. Previous albums, Parklife and The Great Escape especially, were engaged in the celebration of Brutishness and our isles – eschewing American tastes largely.  Albarn’s wit and personality is all over The Great Escape: Blur finds Coxon granted the keys to the car and allowed a greater hand in the creative process. Recorded in London and Reykjavik; the guys started listening to U.S. bands like Pavement – leading to a set of songs more aggressive, electric and American. Stephen Street, producer of the album, noted (in interviews following the album’s release) how Albarn started writing more personal lyrics. Gone, but not entirely, were the odd British characters: in their place was a young musician undergoing a tough time.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f68VJQc7qys&w=560&h=315]

Reluctance from the record label – this new approach would alienate teenage fans and create divisions – the album went on to become one of Blur’s most-acclaimed and consistent albums since their inception. The move to towards a more American sound was no last-gasp manoeuvre for survival or cynical marketing ploy – the band knew they had to grow from Britpop and embrace what was happening around them. Britpop had its moment and was a hugely important era of music: by 1997, the party was winding down and American artists were becoming more popular and prominent in Britain. Blur, often seen as insincere middle-class boys compared to Oasis’ working-class heroes’ mantle, changed their game and reaped the rewards. Between 1995 and Blur’s release, Damon Albarn enjoyed (is that the right word?!) a period of criticism – seen as a bit of a loser. Blur were no longer the spokespeople of British music: they had been embarrassed by Oasis and were struggling for direction. Albarn was gripped by depression while the band themselves almost split because of tensions and disillusionment. Odd performances – including an Italian T.V. appearance that replaced some of the band members with cardboard cut-outs – and substance issues (Coxon drinking heavily) threatened to ruin the bands. It was, ironically, Coxon’s interest in American guitar bands that gave Blur a new lease of life – realising those types of groups were making very interesting music. Albarn, in typically modest mood, recognised he could not simply bang out piano-led observational gems. Going to Street, Albarn proposed a more lo-fi, stripped-down sound for their next record. Previously, Albarn had transposed himself with make-believe characters in songs like Tracy Jacks: Blur was the first-person record the guys knew they had to make. No more fantasy and quirky British witticism – they had to get serious and get the critical vote back. You’re So Great was Coxon’s first co-write – he sang lead vocals too – but would not be his only (13 and Think Tank contained more Coxon songwriting involvement).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plPyIBdD09E&w=560&h=315]

Whether you see Blur’s fifth album as a punchy, harder version of Britpop – or a fostering of U.S. guitar bands like Pavement – you cannot deny the quality and imperiousness that runs through its veins. Yes, the humour and observations remained (Death of a Party and Essex Dogs not a million miles from their earlier work) but here there was more personality and soul-baring. Beetlebum – with its Beatles-esque nods and epic status – looked at Albarn’s heroine addiction of the time with his then-girlfriend Justine Frischmann (Elastica). The song is sleepy, sexy and cooing: muscular guitars and heavy hearts trade with a typically rousing, sticks-in-the-head chorus. The drug-referencing title – “chasing the beetle” is when a user inhales smoke from a heated heroin, morphine or opium – is one of the album’s standouts. Song 2, all sub-two-minutes or if contains that now-legendary “woo-hoo!” Albarn chorus – Coxon’s introduction and shredding at its most brilliant and fearless. So many different influences went into Blur. The Kinks’ Garage-Pop best can be detected in Movin’ On and M.O.R. whereas The Beatles’ harmonies (Because and The Word especially) make themselves heard in Beetlebum and Look Inside America; one-off Punk outcasts (Chinese Bombs) and old-school Blur sing-along (On Your Own) make it a rich and veritable banquet for the senses. I love the underrated Death of a Party: its chugging festival-ride chorus and vivid, outcast imagery. Essex Dogs is dark, shifting shadowy swansong; Country Sad Ballad Man could easily have been included on Parklife – some of the Space-Rock quirkiness from Parklife continues in Theme from Retro and I’m Just a Killer for Your Love.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ7nAux8LIM&w=560&h=315]

Critics were back – some felt cold but most were swayed – and impressed by an about-face and stunning recovery from a band on the precipice of liquidation. The American influence is strong yet many felt the album’s highlights had British skin and sensibilities – On Your Own and Beetlebum particular lauded. In spite of the chaos and uncertainty in the band after The Great Escape: Blur is a throughout, focused and knowledgeable distillation of the contemporary (1997) U.S. Rock/Garage scene; the same way Parklife perfectly brought together the best British music of the past three decades. Blur were accepting American contemporaries (Look Inside America is Albarn realising the nation, and its music, is not so bad after all) and all the better for it. Being Blur, there is no let-up in the eclecticism and far-reaching blend of sounds. They were never going to hone their panoramic visions or ‘singularise’ in terms of genres. In a great way, Blur retains all the best sides of their previous albums – the celebratory, spirited choruses and big, British anthems – with open-hearted revelations and incredible, detailed songwriting. The band, rejuvenated and renewed by fresh inspiration created an album of brilliance and defiance. Some critics were not completely sold but, like all great albums, Blur has gained some retrospective pardoning and apology from many.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQVIIWq9gIQ&w=560&h=315]

I have provided the background, statistics and reviews of the album without personalising this piece – allow me to retort and focus. Blur is no longer a teenager (its twentieth birthday was yesterday) but still retains its sense of youthfulness and energy. It is an album that ages incredibly well but still reveals hidden meaning and depths. Some of the songs I did not bond with back then – Essex Dogs and M.O.R. – are starting to make their impact know. Those that were instant classics – Song 2, Beetlebum and On Your Own, among others – still sound brilliant and put me in a better mood. It is rather sobering when you think Blur came out twenty years ago. It makes me feel quite old but, in a positive way, shows just how enduring and impressive albums from that time were. If I had to do a league table of Blur albums, the bottom three spots, in no particular order, would have The Magic Whip, 13 and Leisure in there. Parklife and The Great Escape would be in the running: I figure Modern Life is Rubbish would be in the top-four places too. For me, Blur is the king because of its unlikeliness. In the same way few expected Radiohead to create anything memory after their debut, Pablo Honey (instead, they gave us the sublime The Bends); many figured Blur had reached a critical and creative cul-de-sac.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I2P2bAfiXY&w=560&h=315]

It is good finding any band that faces potential stagnation and extinction, but instead of crumbling and splitting up, they had a rethink and took in new influence. Today, we hear bands strain after a few albums and deciding the best thing to do is part company. Whilst we do not have the quality of music there was in the 1990s – not even close – or a (positive) national jingoism; that is not to say deflated bands cannot regain their initial enthusiasm and passion. Take in new bands and embrace new cultures: dispense the old way of working and go back to the drawing board. Blur showed what happens when you do that. The fact they are still together today can be traced back to that moment following The Great Escape. The boys knew things were going in the wrong direction and overhaul the Damon Albarn hegemony. Graham Coxon’s transatlantic foresight gave the band the spark they needed to grow and evolve. Even though Blur failed to match the scope and quality after their fifth album; they provided the music world an incredible record. It has just been celebrated on BBC Radio 6 Music – they commemorated its twentieth and played tracks from the album – and stands as one of the finest albums from the 1990s. As it is cold, sleety and generally dreadful out there: take an hour to revisit a classic album that is strangely intoxicating and inescapable. Once you hear the first (scratchy) riffs of Beetlebum you are, ironically and appropriately, hooked and drugged. By the time you get to Coxon’s You’re So Great – the mid-way point – we have gone through Fugazi-referencing, full-tilt Punk thrash (Song 2) and sing-along glory (On Your Own) – via the seductive back roads of Theme from Retro thrown in. Following that, you have Death of a Party’s awkward sociability and another firecracker blast: Chinese Bombs and eighty-four seconds of bliss and urgency. I’m Just a Killer for Your Love and Look Inside America is a joyous, crowd-uniting one-two; Strange News from Another Star a prescient preface for Essex Dogs’ Barking (sorry!) villains and revel in a wonderful time for music. I guarantee you this: once you submit to the album and all it has to offer you will definitely not be…

ON your own.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRxAOCFeSZ4&w=560&h=315]

FEATURE: The February Playlist: Vol. 2: A Week for (Sweet)hearts and Minds

FEATURE:

 

The February Playlist

 

 

Vol. 2: A Week for (Sweet)hearts and Minds

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IN a few days, it is going to be that dreaded thing…

IN THIS PHOTO: M.I.A.

Valentine’s Day. Perhaps irrelevant with regards music: for those of us (myself included) single and dateless; it puts certain things into focus. Music always makes thing a little easier and less lonely so, seeing as V.D. is just around the bend (hope that is the only time I will say that!), I’m diving full-steam-ahead into the new sounds oozing from the mainstream. Included are new Pop bangers from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry; videos from Depeche Mode and Skott with some classical tracks from Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin – who has just announced her retirement from music. I include a track from Blur’s eponymous 1997 album – as it celebrates its twentieth – and collect together the newest tracks from across the genres. I am sure there will be something to wet the appetite, but if not, a new Playlist will be along this time next week.

____________

Katy Perry (ft. Skip Marley) – Chained to the Rhythm

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gsGhdZDC-0&w=560&h=315]

Lady Gaga – John Wayne

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9iQ8lIfyEs&w=560&h=315]

Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Fade to Nothing

https://play.spotify.com/track/5LUg3woLYpiaNwXHDVWcY5

M.I.A. – P.O.W.A.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkkr-HhnwS8&w=560&h=315]

You Me at Six – Give

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6EakBG9DuI&w=560&h=315]

Bush – Mad Love

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H6J0Zwodc&w=560&h=315]

Michael Jackson – Bad (Official Video)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd4SJVsTulc&w=560&h=315]

Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKkWj2WpWM&w=560&h=315]

Blur – Movin’ On

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsaJ7KsH90Y&w=560&h=315]

Anne-Marie – Ciao Adios

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRuI6mTxqz4&w=560&h=315]

Bridgit Mendler – Temperamental Love

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-YXcPitNE0&w=560&h=315]

Axwell Ingrosso (ft. Kid Ink) – I Love You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqtG3GybEhs&w=560&h=315]

Skott – Glitter & Gloss

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxuEBt_RIRs&w=560&h=315]

BlackWaters – Down

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrCba30d3uY&w=560&h=315]

 

Aura – Can’t Steal the Music

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjdnEXQf3sc&w=560&h=315]

Superfood – Double Dutch

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QeaF9pQudo&w=560&h=315]

Amaranthe – Boomerang

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjdm5tJ5NiA&w=560&h=315]

Marika Hackman – Boyfriend

https://open.spotify.com/track/1b15On0D5OQTrN0z8ejuzL

Nines (ft. J Hus) – High Roller

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2PpLRjaWT8&w=560&h=315]

Nickelback – Feed the Machine

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtVU--O29oY&w=560&h=315]

Chance the Rapper – Same Drugs

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be37-T72DNk&w=560&h=315]

Charlotte OC – Medicine Man

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78VGxZQps8U&w=560&h=315]

Jamiroquai – Cloud 9

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SurkSpvcjM&w=560&h=315]

Coasts – Heart Starts Beating

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRkKL33kNMI&w=560&h=315]

Sigrid – Don’t Kill My Vibe

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk7SRjgkaPQ&w=560&h=315]

Texas – Let’s Work It Out

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBNEf4buiFY&w=560&h=315]

Vistas – Feel Alive

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdHWJ6_TdnA&w=560&h=315]

Will Heard – I Better Love You

https://open.spotify.com/track/1WLPB354JipVmjDxQcG4fN

Pigeon Detectives – Enemy Lines

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMAZDMLe33M&w=560&h=315]

FKJ – Skyline

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU5FWU0SH0o&w=560&h=315]

Hedia (ft. Kristen Marie) – Your Mind

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKdIeb018rw&w=560&h=315]

Laura White – That Girl

https://open.spotify.com/track/4jF56Sy8qkQELZPCWeGvSB

AlunaGeorge – Not About Love

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UcUl0svF24&w=560&h=315]

Jens Lekman – Evening Prayer

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgSC6Kh0N5s&w=560&h=315]

Depeche Mode – Where’s the Revolution?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsCR05oKROA&w=560&h=315]

Slow Club – Champion

https://open.spotify.com/track/2BiSZ8F94DW7lhe2JvGDBd

Zak Abel (ft. Wretch 32) – Rock Bottom

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ8BHZITkm8&w=560&h=315]

Ed Harcourt – You Give Me More than Love

https://open.spotify.com/track/5IxDJij75IC4SHcCp0sYTF

Sinkane – U’Huh

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSgmgkyhPZ4&w=560&h=315]

Wyclef Jean (ft. Walk the Moon) – Holding on the Edge

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb_lJM7F2UI&w=560&h=315]

The Magic Gang – How Can I Compete

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LzP4cPfYpk&w=560&h=315]

Carly Rae Jepsen (ft. Lil Yachty) – It Takes Two

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZHaUVhh5E&w=560&h=315]

The Bats – Shut Your Eyes

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfiO9iqpGoY&w=560&h=315]

Tina Guo – Skyrim (Dragonborn)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJc9Fko0mf4&w=560&h=315]

Una Healy – Battlelines

https://open.spotify.com/track/5kXXCD11eAHG88msayMnY2

Amber Run – Stranger

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MR5xuMvpxo&w=560&h=315]

The Dig – Astronaut

https://open.spotify.com/track/1m1Qai7WfoZkP0IDhicnVr

Froth – Passing Thing

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aArswnrgNtk&w=560&h=315]

Lupe Fiasco (ft. Gizzle) – Jump

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zp5Ee326xE&w=560&h=315]

Graeme Miller and Steve Shill – The Moomins Theme

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN6DzUpPXwM&w=560&h=315]

Toothless – Alright Alright Alright

https://open.spotify.com/track/2YZPJCMx1IB542ipm7fYA8

Jesca Hoop – Memories Are Now

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s79pNrycneQ&w=560&h=315]

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Always Sad

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qevLgqlKvIk&w=560&h=315]

Luke Sital-Singh – Killing Me

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I80QeSZ_Tuo&w=560&h=315]

Wild Beasts – Alpha Female

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTvrv30b7C0&w=560&h=315]

Tom Williams – Everyone Needs a Home

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ERoT4rBNHo&w=560&h=315]

Bad Sounds – Meat on My Bones

https://open.spotify.com/track/6q2rBix6rWHRGWkrjq6GnA

Circa Waves – Fire That Burns

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSlVRkq61eo&w=560&h=315]

Goldfrapp – Anymore

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2euqyXXjmAo&w=560&h=315]

Shakira (ft. Maluma) - Chantaje (Versión Salsa)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVcE5PFXpbQ&w=560&h=315]

Kane Strang – Oh So You’re Off I See

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1VLO17X3Is&w=560&h=315]

Dirty Projectors (feat. D∆WN) - Cool Your Heart

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUplxePolH4&w=560&h=315]

Zeds Dead – Woman Wine

https://play.spotify.com/track/3xO1EGy0qq9nZRGowRyk7R

Taking Back Sunday - Call Come Running

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDg-A6F5MrU&w=560&h=315]

Alma – Requiem

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgM7laoukA&w=560&h=315]

Grimes (ft. Janelle Monáe) - Venus Fly

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTLTXDHrgtw&w=560&h=315]

Blake Shelton - Every Time I Hear That Song

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfZfURgx9b0&w=560&h=315]

Skott – Amelia

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lglvRXToXMQ&w=560&h=315]

GEKO – Drunk on You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGdS3ecG2dI&w=560&h=315]

Ten Fé - Twist Your Arm

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4awKqbekmcI&w=560&h=315]

Sam Hunt - Body Like a Back Road

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdh2p03cRfw&w=560&h=315]

Jidenna – Bambi

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arq59eGIUw0&w=560&h=315]

machineheart – Speak In Tongues

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6JM-DGSMjU&w=560&h=315]

Filous (ft. Mat Kearney) - Goodbye

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YQ2EA-PKY8&w=560&h=315]

Melanie Pfirrman - I Don't Wanna Love

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=137Scp642WQ&w=560&h=315]

Desiigner – Outlet

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHGyn65iLGQ&w=560&h=315]

Omarion – Distance

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsrhIUmPf-w&w=560&h=315]

Kidwaste Khai – Wild

https://play.spotify.com/track/3r5ctrzNuyjx05F6iS8Nbl

NERVO – In Your Arms

https://play.spotify.com/track/6kL5KS38LCR96cNfbfsb6u

Aaron Carter – Let Me Let You

https://play.spotify.com/track/5YPV9XTUn0YRmvAC5DK5JS

FRND – Substitute

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuqt0ycaQnA&w=560&h=315]

Adam Friedman - What If

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnO5EF5k7Pk&w=560&h=315]

Dennis Kruissen (feat. David Benjamin) - Love Like the Sun

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUwDlATowSE&w=560&h=315]

Sia – Helium

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLnpvbBSjUY&w=560&h=315]

Milky Chance – Ego

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvftJAyA6Ec&w=560&h=315]

Jacob Banks – Unholy War

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwyhZfjrwQA&w=560&h=315]

Nick Jonas & Nicki Minaj - Bom Bidi Bom

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giEjPV8BJ2U&w=560&h=315]

Smino – Anita

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAnKh2gQtVs&w=560&h=315]

Corinne Bailey Rae – The Scientist

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2oAIiVL0HE&w=560&h=315]

PHOTO CREDIT: Jon April

Amtrac – Piano Boy

https://play.spotify.com/track/2PL0Lo7QLmUNiA3453bgGS

Tep No – Is It Too Much That I’m Asking For

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfP5JYsgEm0&w=560&h=315]

Elliot Moss – Closedloop

https://play.spotify.com/track/1GpXFzOfrFQldjb0SYgELx

Moonshine Man – Trouble

https://play.spotify.com/track/18DEzQirKpog7KGusQDfca

IN THIS PHOTO: Anne-Marie

Another healthy, stealthy collection of just-released tracks and some much-hyped newbies – Katy Perry’s latest single had a rather strange P.R. build-up. Whether Valentine’s Day sees you happy (with company) or lamenting its existence; do not fear: music is an ever-present and fine compassion that always lifts the mood. That is what I have been relying on and have not been let down. I am pumped to find what the next week holds in store – for music and new albums – and will ‘report’ back next Saturday.

TRACK REVIEW: Kate Dimbleby - Musical Boxes

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Kate Dimbleby

  

Musical Boxes

9.4/10

Musical Boxes is available at:

https://soundcloud.com/folkstock-records/kate-dimbleby-musical-boxes/s-b87zA

GENRE:

Soul; Classical; Folk

ORIGIN:

U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

January 2017

The album, Songbirds, is released on 23^rd February, 2017. Pre-order the album here:

https://folkstockrecords.bandcamp.com/album/kate-dimbleby-songbirds

LABEL:

Folkstock Records

______________

THIS is the last time I am looking at a Folk-based artist...

for a little while –  it is getting harder to say new things; I’m trying to diversify the blog a lot more this year – searching for Grime and Urban artists especially. To be fair, my featured artist, or her latest album at least, is based in Soul territory and explores Classical music in addition. That is not to say I am unexcited about Kate Dimbleby: quite the opposite as she has an incredible sound and is turning many heads. I will bring her in soon – through her extensive biography – but I wanted to look at the voice and stripped-back music, to begin with; take a detour and speak of more mature artists and the accolades they have achieved; go on to discussing Folk and beauty and ending with original artists and the promise they hold. Music is endlessly complicated and diverse: it is impossible to predict and has so many different artists doing very different things. I have reviewed a lot of musicians who emphasise the voice and have that as their main instrument. This is especially true of Kate Dimbleby. She has a long and successful career behind her – her previous albums have been quite ornate and stirring (at different moments) and instilled with quite subtle compositions. Now, she is placing her tremulous, stirring voice at the centre of things. I will discuss that a bit later but wanted to investigate the voice and how versatile it can be. Most of my favourite artists, solo acts at least, are synonymous with their voice. From Jeff Buckley and Kate Bush through to Björk: performers who have that extraordinary voice and take it in all sort of directions. We take vocals for granted and overlooked genuinely fresh and impressive singers. Talent shows and anodyne Pop music is preferred, by certain stations and people, as being impressive and worthy. I am not suggesting all the greatest singers of all time are in the past – with no modern-day equivalent able to match them – but there are fewer authentic and enduring singers coming through. Kate Dimbleby has that experience but a truly special voice. Of course, if the voice is rather listless or the songs simple and clichéd then you are unlikely to bond with the singer for too long. It is not good enough having a great voice and not having the songs to back it up.

I have heard a lot of promising vocalists unable to pen a deep and impressive song: you are fascinated to begin but then start to drift away and lose interest. The reason I wanted to bring this point up was to applaud artists taking risks and putting their voice right at the forefront. Dimbleby’s album, Songbirds, is a bit of a bold experiment: stripping everything back and having the vocal up-top. You have to have a lot of confidence - and know your voice has what it takes - to do something unconventional and brave. That is what she has done and the results, as you will hear from Musical Boxes, is stunning. I find there are so many artists out there doing the same thing – never separating themselves from the majority out there. What I mean is the themes stick to love, separation and togetherness: you hear too much of other artists in the vocals and few risks are taken. Sifting through that fog trying to find a beacon of light can be a tough navigation. Kate Dimbleby not only takes an unexpected approach to music but has a voice you struggle to link with anyone else. It is as a result of years of performance and work. When you have something (voice) like that; can craft a voice original and striking, you are going to bring people in and keep them there. Naturally, her songs are strong and reach into the heart. What I love about Dimbleby is her confidence and inventive approach to music. I shall move on from the voice but it is a subject that fascinates me. Songbirds is an album full of sensational moments and gorgeous vocals. Dimbleby’s near-exclusion of instruments – having that voice covering everything and the key sound – should inspire others to try things in their music. Modern artists, in certain genres, crowd their music and stuff it with overly-glossy production. It lacks naturalness and humanity: what you get is (often) music both synthetic and distant. I always look for a singer I can connect with; someone whose voice gets right inside me and elicits something profound and awe-inspired. That is what you get with Dimbleby but I will, as explained earlier, come back to that side of things. Before I raise a new point, let me introduce her to you:

“Kate has released five albums, sold out the Festival Hall, toured internationally at arts and music festivals and appeared regularly on national radio.  She is currently working on a new live show and album for 2017 as well as developing her “song stories” into various radio, podcast and TV formats.   Her new live show “Songbirds tells a personal story about finding her own voice through singing the stories of others and will tour the UK, New York and Edinburgh next year after scratch shows in Bristol in June.

Kate’s critically acclaimed live shows (Who is Dory Previn?, I’m a Woman, Music to Watch Boys By and Fever! The Making of Peggy Lee) all devised and produced by her in collaboration with “One Man Two Guvnors” director Cal McCyrstal and writers (Amy Rosenthal, Emma and Beth Kilcoyne and Lucy Powell) have become a trademark for a unique blend of singing, storytelling and entertainment. With a new podcast “The Voices in our Heads”, Kate plans to develop this in broadcast to an online audience.

Described by The Times as ‘One of the most versatile singers on the jazz/blues circuit, opening up her own Third Way, part-cabaret, part pop concert’ Kate grew up in a family where performing was the norm. Her father is the broadcaster David Dimbleby, and her mother was a trained classical singer. Her uncle on her mother’s side played jazz piano, trumpet and blues harp, and inspired her with his collection of gramaphone records.

In 2015, Kate performed her most recent show about cult 70’s songwriter Dory Previn at 59E59 Theatres in New York after the world premiere opened the Matcham Room, Leicester Square Hippodrome in 2013. The album “Beware of Young Girls : the songs of Dory Previn”, a collaboration with pianist Naadia Sheriff was chosen as one of Sunday Times Top Ten Records of 2012 and the duo have played on Jools Holland’s Radio Show (R2), Woman’s Hour (R4) and In Tune (R3). The production toured the UK through 2014/2015 and Kate and Naadia are featured in Nick Murphy’s thriller “Blood” starring Paul Bettany”

I am not using the word ‘mature’ as a synonym or euphemism. When speaking of Kate Dimbleby – not referring to age as a negative thing – she has that body of work behind her and experienced a lot. I raise this point to show young musicians what it takes to remain and succeed. Not only does she has Folkstock Records behind her (Helen Meissner’s project) but a seriously impressive C.V. to boot. For sure, Dimbleby’s record label/management help guide her career but the established songwriter has built her reputation on talent and persistence. You only have to look at her official website to see what I mean. Hailing from a family of broadcasters – that surname must have set off ideas of her lineage and genealogy – Dimbleby’s mother would sing Opera numbers around the breakfast table. Maybe this was the match that lit the fuse that set off that explosive passion for music – certainly taking an operatic approach to music. Songbirds, again, I will go into more detail later, allows listeners to fill the gaps where the instruments would be and be much more involved with the songs. Bitten by the performance bug at an early age: now Dimbleby has twenty-five years of performance experience under her belt. I have seen artists with that sort of experience tire and produce work that is rather weak – compared with their initial work. Dimbleby, in Songbirds, has taken her music is another direct and, in a strange way, back to the start of her career. It is quite a gamble relying on the voice alone but Dimbleby knows what she is doing. Having performance for so many years, and an army of fans behind her, the risk was always worth it. Many ask whether you can be a full-time musician and actually remain.

In a sense, the industry is like an illness: depending on your immune system and type of illness (your music) will determine how long you live, as it were. It sounds bleak but there are few artists remaining for years and building successful careers. Maybe it is down to increased competition – or the fact music is available on music-sharing platforms for free – but the reality is rather bleak and tough to swallow. That is not to say nobody survives years down the line but we are seeing few decades-old musicians these days. Kate Dimbleby’s inimitable talent and unquenchable drive has done a lot of the work: the inventiveness and thought she puts into the music is responsible. Maybe she arrived on the scene at the right time – again, not implying anything derogatory about age. Since singing with Black Box Music in 1998 (a wonderful year to enter music!) she worked with some of the finest Jazz musicians in the U.K.; performed fifty-date sell-out tours and devised live cabaret shows (Music to Watch Boys By and I’m a Woman). Maybe emerging in music – getting signed at least – in the 1990s is responsible for her longevity but it is Dimbleby’s work ethic and openness that has built the legacy. Today, and for someone who has been in music for a long time, there is no stopping her. I am thrilled Dimbleby is still performing and creating some of her finest work to date. She is a model to any upcoming songwriter as to how one survives in the industry. So long as you have the talent and put the work in then you will succeed. Of course, Dimbleby be has had her music featured on T.V. and film; she has involved herself with the theatre and spread herself across various different disciplines. It is not good enough relying on social media and hoping a traditional, do-it-like-everyone-else approach to a career is sufficient.

Before I come to my next point – I will get to her music fairly soon, promise – I will look at what experience and hard work can lead to. One of the most eye-catching parts of Dimbleby’s (recent) biography is her studying the vocal techniques of Bobby McFerrin. The sixty-six-year-old New York-born legend is, to many of us, iconically linked with the track, Don’t Worry, Be Happy. That song was released in 1988 and the first a cappella song to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Not only it is a funky, hugely uplifting song but the techniques involved with ground-breaking at the time. McFerrin uses his voice (overdubbed) as instruments in the song. Through an affected vocal (a West Indian inflexion) and various mannerisms/sound effects: the track has gone down in history and inspired many singers. McFerrin himself uses techniques like singing fluidly but with jumps in pitch. He can sustain melodies whilst rapidly alternating with arpeggios and harmonies – he can do scat singing and polyphonic overtone singing. That sort of talent is rare but the performance method – McFerrin often accompanying himself and employing no other instruments – is practically unheard of these days. I can see comparisons between Dimbleby and McFerrin. Aside from obvious differences – age, gender and race for example – their musical approach is very similar. In fact, I can draw direct parallels between Dimbleby’s Songbirds and McFerrin’s 1984 sophomore release, The Voice. On that album, unlike his debut release, there are no instruments: McFerrin uses his rare techniques and stunning voice to define a series of splendid originals and covers (including a stirring take of The Beatles’ Blackbird). Not only has that stock-and-trade vocal sound inspired legions of singers but has led to a vast and long career. McFerrin continues to record and has barely put a foot wrong – aside from 1995’s rather lukewarm album, Bang! Zoom.

The other honorific I wanted to mention, before coming to my final points, is that received from BBC Radio 6 Music D.J., Tom Robinson. The legendary musician recently paid tribute to Musical Boxes – defining its beauty far better than I could, it appears. Paying tribute to Dimbleby’s talent (describing her as being at the “top of her game”), it seems those ten-thousand hours – Malcolm Gladwell’s study said this is the amount of hours you need to spend on anything in order to become world-class – I am quite a way off it seems! That figure might be arbitrary and open for debate – innate talent and luck can circumvent that rule; some might not have an aptitude to become world-class under any condition – but Robinson applauded Dimbleby’s dedication and experience. By virtue of his years – Robinson’s ‘6 Music audience maybe a little older than that of Lauren Laverne or Steve Lamacq, for instance – you can appreciate the bond and affection he feels for someone as established and innovative as Kate Dimbleby. That track, and the words Robinson used mean the song has reached new ears and been picked up by other stations. Getting a track played on BBC Radio 6 Music is a bit if a holy grail-type event. It is, without any questions, the finest stations in the U.K. and, when you have your music played there, it is a huge deal. Not only because of the type of person who listens to the station – discerning and keen to embrace the finest music – but the amount of listeners it reaches.

I am keen to jump onto Dimbleby’s music but want to briefly talk about Folk and ‘subtler’ genres; those artists keen to promote originality and difference. As I said, Dimbleby grew up with an Opera-singing mum and is a classically-trained artist – having released five albums previously. She has performed sold-out shows and played at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Having studied with Bobby McFerrin himself – she did that in New York and taught herself how to use a looper to recreate the instrumental lines on her previously released original material – Dimbleby has had a grand rise and fascinating past. She is one of those original artists who has not followed a boring or conventional path. Songbirds is the result of her quest to push the envelope and utilise her myriad talents. The influence of McFerrin is strong and one wonders just what will come next. I will theorise more in end of this review but I am fascinated by Kate Dimbleby’s cross-genre sounds. As I craft this paragraph, I am listening to Jesca Hoop and one of her tracks – an artist I have mentioned a lot recently. You hear Folk and Soul in her voice but it is hard to peg. The compositions weave and suggest so many ideas: the voice floats and teases with that incredible beauty and grace. I feel the same way about Kate Dimbleby when I listen to Musical Boxes. I started this review by looking at Dimbleby as a Folk artist – something I will retract to a degree. Yes, some of her music suggests Folk but there is so much more to it than that. What strikes me hardest about Kate Dimbleby is her originality and variety. Songbirds is that vocal-only album that suggests a rare and peerless talent. Previous albums have merged Soul, Folk and Classical whereas her earlier material was different from that. She is always evolving and challenging her own material but never at the expense of consistency and personality. I get fatigued and stressed hearing artists who never change anything and show nothing but stubbornness and over-confidence. No such danger with Dimbleby who reinvents herself and produces extraordinary work – reasons why she has been in-demand for all these years.

If one looks back at Dimbleby’s work, before I move onto Musical Boxes, you can see a definite progression and change. Her debut, Good Vibrations, was released in 1998 and performed with a group of stellar Jazz musician. Covering a range of classic tracks, Dimbleby put her mark on standards from the likes of Nick Drake, Tom Waits and, as the album title suggests, The Beach Boys. It was a confident album that proved Dimbleby was/is a solid interpreter who can put her own spin on familiar songs. It was not an average cover album where you felt rather bored and uninspired. Each number could have been written by Dimbleby herself: she inhabits the songs and shows a real affection for each. Richard Niles produced and there was a real sense of command and conviction throughout – rare to see from someone on their debut-album stage. From there, Dimbleby started to perform quite a lot and looking ahead. Her sophomore album, Ain’t This Cosy was inspired by her about her acclaimed show on the life and work of Peggy Lee. Released to coincided with a fifty-date sell-out tour of Fever!; another solid and engaging album that covered new ground but retained that very special and flexible voice. Whereas Good Vibrations covered a lot of male artists and concentrated on particular times: this was more focused – in terms of subject matter – and proved Dimbleby could cover any genre she wanted to. The Kate Dimbleby band joined forces to record Things As They Are in 2009 and is the first album where Dimbleby writes her own material. Inspired by her time in a remote retreat in western Canada; it is a very different work to her first two albums and, once more, takes another left-turn. Showing herself to be a natural and talented songwriter, the material across the album is not just about her own life but is, as one reviewer pointed out, a reflection on all our lives. You get engrossed in the musical and the perfect delivery – the way words are almost treated as part of a sermon. It is a beautiful record that gets into the heart and stays there for a very long time.

The biggest difference from then to now – 2014’s Love Comes Again as recorded in a transition where Dimbleby moved from being a thirty-nine-year-old Londoner to a forty-year-old Bristolian – beautifully sets up Musical Boxes. Previously, Dimbleby has played with her band and collaborated with other artists. Beware of Young Girls (2013) saw Dimbleby join with Naadia Sheriff and other albums have seen her join with fellow musicians. Songbirds, aside from a light smattering of keys and tambourine on some tracks, is the voice alone left to fend for itself. It does so incredibly well and shows another transition for Dimbleby. If Love Comes Again is her taking stock – having spent the past twenty years touring she knew something has to change – then Songbirds is the heroine takes us in yet another direction. She wanted, with this album, to set aside any preconceptions and predictions. You cannot say whether a song sounds like anyone else or place too many influences together due to the nature of the album. The near-vocal-only dynamic makes it original and very much the product of Kate Dimbleby. It is a stunning album, as I will explore later, that shows what an evolving and fresh artist she is. You never get the same album twice: each new creation is almost like it came from another person. What does remain is the striking, majestic voice that is, if anything, at its peak here. Never has she sounded more graceful and entrancing as she does on Songbirds. I am intrigued to see where she goes next and what unfolds. You can never say so I suggest you keep your eyes peeled and follow her closely. Few artists are as consistent and strong as Kate Dimbleby: I am predicting the next couple of years will be very special and memorable.

Musical Boxes has already gained rave reviews and no small wonder. There is a bit of silence at the beginning of the track which keeps the breath baited and prepares the listener for what is to come. When Dimbleby’s voice does appear, it builds up momentum through a series of the word “hey”. Starting as a single layer, it soon builds and weaves inside one another – vocal lines float, twist and rise to create a choir-like effect. It is amazing hearing the range in the opening moments. Low notes sit and create a solid base whereas lighter, more ethereal tones summon light and breeziness. Together, it is a stunning effect that grips you from the offset. I hear McFerrin’s influence right away, especially in the vocal range and pronunciations. Those deep and gravelled parts and higher, sweeter sounds are something he mastered on the album, The Voice. Here, Dimbleby talks of ancient truths and being rooted in the trees. Whether talking spirituality or taking her voice into nature; you wonder what the lyrics refer to and the influence behind them. Certainly, there is a sense of the open in the song – no instruments and just that voice – so you transport yourself into the wild and follow the song on that basis. When the title is presented, the origins and meanings become clearer. Like musical boxes, we lock our sounds and self away until everyone is out. Secrecy and mystique are brought in and, again, you interpret and draw your own images. Maybe that sentiment refers to honesty or something as simple as the voice. We are at our most open and comfortable alone, at times, and that is when the true magic can occur. Perhaps it is not always a desirable state of affairs but common among us. Perhaps we all shelter away from the rush of the world and are fearful of being too honest and revealing. Maybe not but what I get from Musical Boxes, in the early phases, is a woman who is speaking from her soul. Perhaps Dimbleby is referring to her own creative process and when that is at its purest.

It is hard to fault the vocals as they stem from an artist as authoritative and experienced as they come. There are so many different sounds and tones yet it never sounds cluttered or wandering. Dimbleby summons up the sound of instruments with her voice and has complete freedom to project exactly how she wishes. True, she has worked with brilliant musicians before but there is something to be said for taking complete control. Musical Boxes is the most personal song from Dimbleby, simply because it is her voice in the mix – without outside interjection and any other spirit. I was fascinated by the lyrical bent and drilling down to its root. I sensed a woman hiding a part of herself or wishing for something different. Musical boxes reveal their tunes in the company of a single person and often at times when we need uplifting. A lot of times, few hear the song of a musical box until years later: never tempted to open the lid and discover what is inside. Perhaps that is the way we treat others or the way some of us feel. It is an interesting idea that every listener will have their own views on. I might be reaching and looking too deeply but cannot help it. “Imagine the noises…” we could make it we “let it out” as Dimbleby poses. If we are locked in secrecy and reluctant to sing, that would be a tragic thing. Those who are free to fly and express are the happiest and most inspired. It is a brilliant sentiment that has a lot of truth in it. Not just looking at it from a very basic and literal interpretation – those who sing feel better and healthier – you can look at the spirit and soul and how we can open them up with encouragement. Those who cloister away and restrict themselves from the outside world will always have regrets. Maybe there is another slant on this: something more political and universal. If we, as humans and conscious, sentient beings yearn to make the world better there needs to be a democratic channel and consensus. If we are allowed to express ourselves and opinions without fear of reprisals and repression, that leads to a better world. Again, I might be going in the wrong direction but that is the beauty of the song.

It is that inimitable and irrepressible voice that continues to implore, seduce and haunt throughout. It is hard getting to grips with the complexities and nuances of the performance(s) upon the first listening. After the previous statement, Dimbleby returns to the wordlessness of the introduction and lets her voice bubble, rise and chorus. You get skipping, intertwined notes and the sound of a (human) music box. Nobody can ignore the effect and power of the voice as it projects images and allows the listener to dream and drift. Softened and touched by Dimbleby’s instinct, powers and gracefulness; you allow the music box song to do its work and prove its point. Previously, we are told how sad it would be, were we never to hear that mystical song and freedom – something rectified by an enticing and stunning vocal line. There are few original lines (keeping the message pure and simple) but the ones they are hit the mark and speak for us all. Imagining the noises we can make when we let our voices speak is something we all think of. Whether that is literally singing or being more candid and bold with our instrument, I am not sure. Whatever the true meaning from Musical Boxes, you replay the song to experience those vocals paint so many colours and ideas. Not only is the song a perfect representation and taste of Songbirds but it will inspire other artists to follow suit. There are few vocal-only performers in this age. In the past, there have been the likes of McFerrin and Opera singers; groups like Boyz II Men – but they are few and far between. Modern music is, by and large, packed with instrumentation and sound – rarely does the voice have the chance to throw off the shackles and really breathe. The purity and solitude of Musical Boxes is a guiding light to those who understand the true nature and importance of self-expression. Let’s hope Dimbleby continues to follow this path (her vocals alone) as she has created something unusual, atmospheric and highly memorable.

Songbirds is the album we should all take the time to listen to this year. Sure, there will be bigger-hyped records in the mainstream but few underground albums have such a fascinating sound. The fact it has already been recommended by Tom Robinson suggests it is not your average creation. Certainly not, as Music Boxes demonstrates. A song that has won its fair share of impassioned reviews and effusive commendations. It is testament to Kate Dimbleby she is able, so far along in her career, to sound new and reborn. That might seem condescending but not at all. I am stunned by her consistency and the way she makes her albums so intimate and unusual. You would be hard pressed comparing Songbirds with anything you have heard before – unless you are familiar with Bobby McFerrin and The Voice. So what can we expect this year? Well, in terms of tour dates, you can catch Dimbleby at Bath’s Ustinov Theatre on 17^th and 18^th of this month; she heads to the NOW gallery in London on 23^rd before playing a series of dates in March – The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter (19^th) and Rise Records, Bristol (2^nd March) among them. In fact, that 2^nd March date is the Bristol album launch: if you are in the area, get yourself down there. Scanning through the remaining tour dates; we can see some cool London dates in March – The Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly intrigues me on name alone – with some other dates through April and May – Devon and Brighton are included in the itinerary. I will try and come see Dimbleby as that live experience will be one hard to top. It will be interesting seeing how Songbirds is staged on the road. Given the lack of instruments, it could be one of the sparsest stages you’re likely to see – perhaps there will be ornamentation and simple set design to accompany Dimbleby. Whatever the specifications and set design; you owe yourself to witness a very special artist perform.

Songbirds is a wonderful collection everyone should have. If you have not heard of Kate Dimbleby; perhaps you bridle at the thought of a cappella music – do not make assumptions or deny yourself. Songbirds is, as Dimbleby states, about: “…the voices we keep locked up inside. About the need for connection – right here, right now. And if it goes ‘wrong’, so what? I’ve realised that the place where things go wrong is where we find the magic”. From that description alone, there will be few not intrigued by such promise and potential. I shall not spend too much time recommending the album – lest it gives too much away or makes your mind up for you – but would impress this on everybody: it is one of those records that gets you gripped; one you struggle to forget. Musical Boxes is a good starting point and pretty indicative of the album’s sound and nature. Kate Dimbleby has been in the business a while but seems to be at her most active and ambitious. Certainly, album promotional duties will take her around the U.K. and to new places. It is great to see her covering ground in the south but one knows there is a big crowd waiting up north. I know similar-sounding artists around Manchester and Yorkshire who have to come down to London to get gigs/big crowds. It seems like most musicians gravitate towards the capital but there are some great venues in cities like Manchester and Leeds. Seven Arts and Belgrave Music Hall seem like perfectly-suited spaces for Dimbleby’s entrancing music. Likewise, Manchester’s Band on the Wall and Night & Day would be good venues for Dimbleby but that is up to her. Whether there are more dates to come or not: I know a big and eager crowd awaits her north of London.

Many are eager to celebrate an artist with a sensational voice. Her album concept had an interesting derivation: “I wanted to go in with just my voice and without instruments so that you don’t get any of the associations that usually spring up, ‘Oh, it’s that kind of thing’. It allows for an element of surprise and fun – room for people to interact by stepping into the space where the instruments would normally be – even joining in”. People will join for sure and take the album to heart. I shall end this, I’m sure you’ll be overjoyed to hear, reverting to me early points and why Kate Dimbleby impress me so. Her touring schedule, performing in churches and intimate venues, is a rare approach from someone who could well sell-out bigger spaces. I mentioned a few possible venues Dimbleby could visit – in my proxy booking manager role – further north. I know some great cathedrals/churches in Yorkshire and ornate spots in Scotland. There is an eager Britain out there: many new ears keen to witness Dimbleby’s stunning powers in the flesh. Many would argue it is hard to provoke the same sort of reality and effect one would experience live. For an album/song that is vocal-only; will the song resonate quite the same way? Those that have heard Musical Boxes, myself included, have been struck by the evocative beauty and gracefulness of the song. I opened by looking at the voice and the power it possesses. There are some great artists with a terrific voice: a lot of them hide it behind glossy production and composition noises. It is rare to discover someone who strips that all back and leaves the voice alone – unfettered and uncomplicated by instrumental concerns. I’ll jump to my last paragraph soon but wanted to send congratulations to Musical Boxes and Songbirds. I am a fan of Bobby McFerrin and albums like The Voice. Its sheer beauty and potency is hard to put into words – you can say the same about Kate Dimbleby’s latest. One other thing I yearn for in music – that will be rectified, to a small degree – are orchestral strings and cinematic sounds. Were Dimbleby, in a future album or between-releases track, to mesh her gorgeous voice with a (The) Cinematic Orchestra-esque score the results would be spellbinding. An operatic, soulful voice bonded to a symphonic, elegant passage would be a wonderful marriage – just a passing rumination of mine.

I shall end this and wish Dimbleby well in her future pursuits. She is with Folkstock Records – who are keen to support the female voice and unconventional recording artists – and that lack of conventionality makes the music really stand out. With so many people stuffed into the music sardine can: those that are willing to earn their place are to be commended. I get tired by so many predictable and samey artists coming through. Sure, everyone is welcome but open-borders approach to music-making means quality control is rather lacklustre. Volume and hoarding masses do create a bit of a crowded metropolis: you can spot rays of light and fascinating, charming side-alley treasures when you wander off the tourist trail. Navigate away from the mainstream beige and embrace something much more unusual and nourishing. We need to do more to promote artists like Kate Dimbleby; ensure they are preserved and their heritage passed through the generations. It is not hyperbole to suggest she is among the most original artists around, simply because of the way the music is present. Musical Boxes, in a sense, has an irony about it: maybe the title, if you didn’t know better, refers to the way musicians are labelled and put into boxes. Whatever the origins and your personal interpretations; Kate Dimbleby is someone with a long future ahead. I will follow her and cannot wait to see…

WHAT her next album contains.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/301804849" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

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Follow Kate Dimbleby

 

Official:

http://www.katedimbleby.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/katedimblebysings/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katedimbleby

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/katedimbleby/videos?flow=list&sort=p&view=0

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/kate-dimbleby/

INTERVIEW: Canvas Wall

INTERVIEW:

  

Canvas Wall

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AS I search around music in eager hope a great…

and enduring band will come along: Canvas Wall certainly offer plenty of wonderful music and promise. The group split their membership between Malta and the U.K. and have been together since 2008. Racking up a series of impressive singles; the boys have just released their stunning E.P., Mannekind. It is their strongest and most colourful release: one that should see them inch closer to the hallowed turf of the mainstream. I speak to Canvas Wall about the E.P. and their past; how they have progressed and what albums have meant most to each of them. Make sure you make the Canvas Wall boys part of your 2017 playlist.

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Hi guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Simon: Hi Sam, we're well, thanks. This week has been good. It's the last week of what has been a bit of a break for us - after a busy ending to 2016. It's also been an international week as Matteo (bass) heads back from Australia and Craig (drums) catches a few rays in the Dominican (Republic). Dean (guitar) and I have been fighting frostbite in London so we're all looking forward to getting back to our music and warming things up for the year ahead.

For those new to your music, can you introduce yourself, please?

Dean: We're an eclectic mix of many influences that create an energetic Indie-Pop-Rock sound. It's vibrant, upbeat, positive and fun - we always have a great time playing live and love that part of what we do. We find our audiences quite varied so I think many different people take something away from our music.

The band formed back in 2008. How did you guys come together and were you all friends from way back?

Craig: Canvas Wall took a while to come to fruition with a fair amount of lineup changes in the beginning. The band you see now is, in fact, three childhood friends and Matteo - our new friend who feels like we've known him just as long! Dean, Simon and I were playing music together when we were fourteen growing up in Malta. We all went our separate ways when we were about eighteen, and later on, life brought us back together in London. We met Matteo last year mid-recording our latest release Mannekind - and he's fit right in; bringing a solid sound on bass.

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Your first single, Sooner or Later, gained widespread radio play. Was it quite surprising doing that well from your debut song?

Simon: Getting to that point was quite an uphill battle.

We were trying to put together our first album and hit some major hurdles - with the kind of people in the industry that nobody wants to encounter.

By the time Sooner or Later came out we were just happy we had something to show - the way it was received was all a bonus and it made the hardships worthwhile.

By 2011, you released Close to the Edge and its fantastic music video. What was that experience like and do you enjoy music videos in general?

Simon: It was great! When we first got to London, one of our relatives took us in under his wing and he helped us get on our feet. Carmel works in prop, set and model-making for the advertising industry so he called on a few friends who helped us shoot the Close to the Edge video. They were all really nice and we were really happy with the end product.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbHtnjO4HoM&w=560&h=315]

The band has been played on Maltese radio. What is the band connection to the country and have you ever played out there?

Craig: Malta is home for the majority of us. Dean, Simon and I are all half-Maltese and we all grew up there together. We have big families there and fly over often for a dose of home. Matteo shares the Mediterranean connection as he is from Rome. We've played in Malta quite a few times - in October last year we launched our new E.P. Mannekind at Funky Monkey with Jack's Fusion, in fact. We've put on our own shows there before and have performed at the likes of The Beer Festival. We missed out on Bubble Festival this year because of timing but we'll be back this year for Rock the South, which we're excited for.

Based in London, it must be an exciting and inspiring city for a group to create. How influential is London to your work and how have the crowds reacted to your music?

Matteo: A lot of the songs are based on life experiences so London life does influence. The crowds are good: we always get them going and end up making new friends and fans along the way.

Mannekind is your new E.P. Songs like Storm and Chronic Agitator suggests anger and discontent. What were the events/themes that inspired the E.P.’s creation?

Simon: Storm is really about getting through the tough times which everyone experiences once in a while in a relationship and to not take them too seriously: “Don't be scared of the storm, it's just the weather”. Chronic Agitator is about a 'haters' online who likes to spend their time agitating other people: we've all seen it and sometimes it's pretty funny to read.

The general theme of Mannekind is life colouring each of us differently. It's all about how we start out the same (the white mannequin) but our experiences shape us; colour us into the unique individuals we all are.

Mannekind is all of us, mankind - with a tip of the hat at mannequin, as used in the artwork to show this.

Come and Get It is the E.P.’s current single and one of the biggest, most arena-ready songs the band have created. The video looked like it was especially fun to film. What was the shoot like and what has the general reception been like for the song?

Craig: Thanks! It was fun. It was a lot of waiting around under dust sheets - and we had a colourful mess to clear up at the end of the day because of all of the paint pigment we used. Come and Get It has gone down a treat. It's a real catchy sing-along tune so we've had some great feedback.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K0GJb8OLeo&w=560&h=315]

Are you looking forward to future gigs? What dates have you got in the diary for 2017?

Dean: We'll be performing at the closing party of the Independent Music Day weekend on the 25th Feb at the Crowndale Club. It's gonna be a great weekend and we invite those reading to join us. Tickets and info here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tenth-electric-canvas-wall-the-primes-calamity-script-the-curious-incident-tickets-31029757841 .

We're also planning a trip back to Italy at some point and we'll pop back home to Malta for a show as well.

As we all look ahead: are there plans for new material or releases later in the year?

Simon: We will be releasing some more tracks from the new E.P.

Every band has that one member who is very cheeky or lazy, for instance. Are there any pranksters in the group or one that turns up late for rehearsals, perhaps?

Craig: No one turns up late but we're all pranksters. We've known each other for a long time and constantly joke around. Dean probably takes the cake for being the craziest, I think!

What has been your favourite memory, each, from your time in Canvas Wall?

Matteo: Within my first week of playing bass for Canvas Wall I was shooting the music video for Come and Get It: straight into the deep end… fun!

Dean: Playing inside a soundproof Music Cube as part of Sennheiser’s Music Cube for Westfield (London)!

Craig: Touring Finland!

Travelling through music is awesome and Finland was full of great people and beautiful scenery. We came home - after making some great friends!

Simon: Having hundreds of people sing along to our song at the (Farsons) Beer Fest. in Malta!

If you guys each has to pick an album that means the most to you which would it be and why?

Craig: Incubus - Morning View. It's a real time and a place for me and it has been a personal favourite since released - the sort of album you can put on and listen to the whole thing from start to finish (and they're all great tracks).

Dean: Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left to Lose. (It is) the first album I ever bought and got me through my teenage troubles.

Matteo: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium - a ‘must-have’ for every music lover and bass players. Great melodies, great lyrics and great basslines.

Simon: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf. High energy and (it) always gets me pumped

Are there any new artists, either locally or mainstream, you suggest we check out?

Craig: Spring King. Just saw them at Brixton - lots of energy, great set!

What advice would you provide any young songwriter coming through right now?

Dean: Keep writing, get involved - and keep writing!

Finally, and for being good sports, you can name any song (not yours as I’ll do that) and I’ll play it here.

Cage the Elephant - Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U631FGnXDXY&w=560&h=315]

____________

Follow Canvas Wall

Official:

http://www.canvas-wall.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/canvaswall/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/canvaswall

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/canvaswallband/?hl=en

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/canvaswall

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/canvaswall

TRACK REVIEW: Bree Taylor - Perfect

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Bree Taylor

 

 

 

Perfect

9.5/10

Perfect is available at:

https://soundcloud.com/bree-taylor-4/perfect

GENRE:

Pop

ORIGIN:

Toronto, Canada

RELEASE DATE:

3^rd February, 2017

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LAST year provided me with very few artists that started their life…

in Canada (or performing there still). This year, I have already reviewed two Canadian artists – Bree Taylor is someone I am very familiar with. Before I look at her biography and background, I want to look at Toronto as a vital centre for music and the type of artists being tipped for success this year. Starting off with Toronto – where Taylor hails from – has been pretty busy when it comes to providing awesome music. Broken Social Scene and Fuck** Off can be added to the list; Austra and Crystal Castles too – in fact, a whole banquet of very cool and stunning artists. It seems like the Canadian city has been overlooked by the international press a lot. I have interviewed Canadian artists and there is that consensus: not only are cities like Toronto providing some of the world’s best music but it is hard to get attention from outside Canada. The U.S. has, in a lot of respects, always had a derogatory and unfriendly attitude to Canada – rather joking and defamatory towards its people and reputation. For a nation who has just elected a bloated tyrant to their White House have a nerve criticising or disparaging anyone. If the U.S. has few constructive things to say about Canada as a nation they cannot ignore the phenomenal music arriving right now. I am a bit pissed with the U.S. people in general but shall overlook that as an irrelevance. As neighbours, their media should be a lot more caring with regards music and the awesome sounds from the nation. In Britain, I see some publications promoting Canadian artists but they are few and far between. It is the Canadian press themselves waging a war for recognition. Before I come to Taylor – who is recording in the U.S. but originates from Canada – I want to talk about a few Toronto-based artists who will be rising through 2017 – ensuring minds and eyes turn to the nation.

The Savilles are a band I have had my eye on for a while and have been making stonking music the past few years. The radical rockers have Meg Fasulo’s striking tones providing them a fragile and tormented edge with plenty of Punk-inspired spit. A solid and intuitive percussive arsenal means the music is instilled that primordial urge and steel toe-capped kick. In terms of that Rock core, you have Flamingo Báy producing enough meat and passion to keep ears tuned to their camp. They have been playing since 2012 and boast the epic guitar stylings of Dillon Henningson. They made some big moves in 2016 but one feels the best days are still ahead of them. Steak and Eggs, their previous album, saw the trio create a Classic-Rock epic: expect more from their guys as we head through the year. In terms of established acts that will be growing and developing this year; Rochelle Jordan – thanks to The Culture Trip for the guidance - is well worth following. She draws influence from 1990s’-influenced Hip-Hop/R&B. Collaborating with the likes of Childish Gambino and Adult Swim, her debut album, 1021, has captured hearts and made critics stand to attention. This year will be an important one for her as she expands her horizons and looks to bring their music around the world. There are a lot of other Toronto-based artists one should seek out to get an idea of what the city’s about. BlogTO have given us a list of the bands they are watching out for this year. I have been listening and have a lot of love for LUKA. The minimal group, consisting nylon-stringed guitar, drummer and female backup singers have been making their mark and creating quite a storm. Following their lead – and juxtaposing the Rock-based bands I have already mentioned – is a band I am familiar with: the mighty Crooked House Road. There is a sense of traditional Folk/Pop with stunning, evocative vocals.

They are sort of a female-like Fleet Foxes: luscious and dreamy with plenty of keen musicianship and nuanced songs. In terms of the scope (of Toronto music), it is a city you cannot predict or define. There are plenty of weird and wonderful musicians stepping outside convention and delivering something unique and truly unexpected. Electronic artist Castle If (Jess Forrest) gets a kick from weird: Sci-Fi concept record, Sector 03, with the fabulous and odd Plant Material have singled her out as somewhere to keep an ear out for. Like any great musical city: there is such a breadth of sound and intention coming from Toronto. It does not matter the national press has a fight on their hand because their artists are stepping up and making their job very easy. Another act that is likely to turn heads this year is Luge. They are experimental and left-field but not in an offensive or unlovable way. Their 2015 debut, Sex Cop, certainly pricked ears and put the band in the public consciousness. They look set to follow this (this) year with new live dates and (perhaps) a new album. Conga Radio continue Toronto’s varied and proud Electronic legacy with something new and striking. Gaining applause (from behind the decks), D.J./producer Roberto collaborates superbly with Torontonian Jex Opolis. Their Balearic-Disco duo has been growing since inception and gaining a solid fanbase since then. Hip-Hop’s John River has a couple of great mixtapes to his name – The Calm (2012) and The Storm (2015) – and is primed for a summer release in the summer. Recording in L.A., the accomplished poet/songwriter is taking his time to craft something truly special. It is appropriate I finish with River, who is taking advantage of the opportunities and clemency L.A. provides. Bree Taylor, like many of her Canadian cohorts, has come to the U.S. to record and finding the communities and busy music scene conducive to inspiring songs and fresh impetus. Of course, Toronto is a vital base and wonderful place for music: Los Angeles provides more scope and support for the ambitious musician. I shall touch more on that, but for now, let me introduce you to my featured artist:

“Canadian Pop singer-songwriter Bree Taylor is a force to be reckoned with. She is known for powerful, honest lyrics and dynamic melodies that express a range of emotions that everyone can relate to.

Writing and creating music has always been Bree’s way of expressing herself and is her way of baring her soul to the world. Bree has been writing and recording her debut EP in Los Angeles, California and is excited to release her first single “Broken Dreams” this Fall 2016.

Bree was born to sing and entertain. Having been brought into this world to music in the delivery room, her love of music began making it inevitable that she follow this dream. She was always an outgoing and creative child and was writing poems, stories and lyrics and participated in school choir’s from the age of 6. Instructor’s describe Bree as an emotional and gifted singer with a powerful and unique voice. Bree has shown an ear for music and she is known to pick up instruments quickly such as piano, flute and guitar.

Bree has made a name for herself on YouTube as a beauty creator where she shares her passion for makeup, skincare and beauty products and continues to post videos for her viewers. Her popular book review series, “Books with Bree” has become increasingly popular as well and is an outlet for her to share her passion for reading and literature which was another part of her life growing up, having always had her head in books. She has gained a great following of people from all over the world who support her YouTube channel and her music”.

I’ll come back to Canada/Toronto and L.A. – a U.S.-Canada combination that is flowering and brotherly – but, at this moment, I want to look at the ideals of perfection and battling depression. Bree Taylor’s latest single looks at these issues and how we view ourselves: the value we put on so-called ‘perfection’ and the hardships of anxiety. I have looked at songs that address such concerns and wish there were more. I feel artists are not taking risks and focusing on subjects that should be talked about. From mainstream acts like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar to the underground acts making a stand: there are musicians who concentrate on issues of politics, mental health and togetherness. Most music overly-concerned with love and relationships. To be fair, Taylor has written about love and its mystery but has come up with something very honest and brave. She, like so many different musicians, has suffered (and does) mental health problems. I myself know the sting and feel there are not many speaking out and representing MY struggle. In terms of music, there are so many artists who have to endure physiological ills. It is one of the main reasons creative types come into music: a way of expressing their struggle and (creatively) helping others. I find so many musicians are self-centred in what they write about. Too concerned with their own heartbreak and romantic struggle; there are few that take the spotlight away from themselves and cast it wider. In truth, Taylor is talking about her own struggles (on Perfect) but hoping to assist others and de-stigmatise mental illness. The song is a message to everyone and a chance for sufferers to find something that represents them. This is an impressive and applause-worthy approach that should see Perfect picked up and adored. It is, as I shall show you, now a song that weighs you down and is too dark. There is light and hope but a very direct approach to something very talk about. I was pleased to review the song for a number of reasons: not only because of the issues explored but it is another Bree Taylor song.

She is somebody on my radar and primed for worldwide exposure very soon. The actress-musician has that inherent performance talent and is one of the most expressive and multi-talented songwriters around (let alone the U.S./Canada). She is not a typical upcoming musician: someone too focused on themselves and too concerned with their own mind and clichéd ideas. What impresses me about Bree Taylor is her range of songwriting ideas. Perfect does not just look at depression and anxiety but so much more. You hear about a woman’s idea of perfection: how we can judge ourselves and compare our own situation against a societal conception of ‘perfect’. The song is a message to everyone: a boost of positivity that lets everyone knows they ARE good enough. We get swamped with media messages and their vision of what we should be. From advertising evils – that concept of a ‘beach body’ and physical definitions – to the perception we should all be happy and content. They do nothing to remove pollution from society: instilling the consumer with false representations and unrealistic expectations. Taylor wants it to be known we are all good enough and not to judge ourselves harshly. We all need that kind of positivity and realism. We all get inundated with propaganda and preconceived ideals of the ‘perfect person’. Everybody is different - which is something Taylor is keen to campaign. She electioneers and stands out front: we are all fine and should not let media cloud our minds and make us feel like we need to be better. Her song is not sloganeering or riddled with cliché. Instead, it comes from the heart and is a very personal testament from a woman who has struggled but is where she is down to perseverance and self-belief. It is easy to be dubious and self-admonishing in life but there is hope and support out there. When you find a musician who understands that, it makes things a lot easier. I don’t know what it is but you feel less alone; like there is another person out there like you. Were the music pretty average – but the message pure and courageous – you might be half-invested. As it is, Bree Taylor is a stunning singer and writer who know what you are going through and backs it with incredible music and undeniable commitment. She is a passionate and kind-hearted performer who is determined to remain for many years to come.

Before I arrive at Taylor’s latest single (and take a gander at her past) I want to look at one last side of her: the female singer-songwriter dynamic. This is a genre – if one can call it that – growing and burgeoning. I have stated how I feel female singer-songwriters will be defining 2017. That may be me showing bias and false confidence but there is evidential proof out there. You consider last year and the mainstream artists who created the finest albums. It is no coincidence there was a proliferation and appreciation of great female songwriters. Sure, the boys did well but I was left stunned and awed by the incredible female-made music of 2016. This year, I know that will continue without fail. A lot more bands are going to emerge – and some great male artists create big work – but it is the women of music I am looking forward to promoting. Bree Taylor, in essence, is part of one of the proudest and more prosperous markets in music. By the same token, it is very busy and crowded but that should not deter her. Why are the female of music, in my view, so much stronger than their male counterparts? Well, I feel their natural warmth and caring personalities define their music. I am not saying there is an inherent maternal instinct but female musicians seem to reveal more of their soul in music; they are more willing to embrace ‘difficult’ talking points and provide inspiring, thought-provoking music. Were we experiencing political and worldwide stability; I would say gender and music would not be such a big issue. The fact we are undergoing one of the most unsteady and frightening times in the world means female musicians are going to be hotly in-demand. We need a warm and caring embrace but the sort of truth and wisdom only they can provide.

Call it reverse-sexism or something else: I feel there is going to be a big call for female-made music this year; artists will respond in kind and create songs that talk about what we are all feeling and how we must band together. Screw those who focus solely on love and their own lives: the consumer needs music to step up to the plate and look at the world we are all living in. For that reason, Bree Taylor excites me greatly. She has always had a knack for focusing on the bigger picture and putting an original slant on love and romantic entanglement. As we grow into 2017, her music seems to be ass relevant and important as any out there. Not only does perfect talk about notions of perfectionism but has a political and socio-economic dynamic. It is so nuanced you can extrapolate many different angles and insights from the song. The broad, but personal, conversations of betterment and self-acceptance are not reserved just for certain people. Everyone can understand the song and take something very meaningful from it. It is impossible to predict just how the year will unfold but I am fairly confident in my view. Bree Taylor will be among the most exciting and eager female songwriters around and building on the strength and impressions Perfect has already made. It is a song that has already connected with many new fans and impressed reviewers and exciting supporters. I am not saying a male songwriter couldn’t write a song like it – I have seen plenty of male musicians capable of such a feat – but there is something comforting and inspiring about Taylor. She is part of a new generation of female songwriters showing she has the capacity and endurance to build a huge and varied career. I will follow it and support her every way I can.

These are early days for Bree Taylor so comparing her recent single with songs past is quite challenging. That said, we can easily see a difference between previous single Broken Dreams and Perfect. Broken Dreams, and its video certainly, had its mind in romantic/relationship areas. The single leaves its impressions and was a song I was addicted to. I interviewed Taylor around the time the song came out and she explained how proud she was of it – and how excited she was releasing music. You get a sense of a musician keen to explore as much territory as she possibly can. Perfect is the most serious-minded, for-the-people song she has created. It has the same sort of vocal/composition sound as Broken Dreams but its lyrics look at other areas. Perfect’s investigation of expectations and fitting into moulds – the way people are made to feel less and worthless by the media – is a subject more musicians should be covering. I love the way Taylor does not just focus on relationships and love. Broken Dreams had suggestions of broken hearts and longing; there was lust and passion but nothing was projected in a predictable way. Even from the offset; she showed what an original and personal writer she is. Tackling rather ‘hard’ or untraditional areas of songwriting, in terms of subject matter, can be quite a risky move for new artists. There is that tendency, sadly, for consumers to list for the familiar and tested. Covering weighty and difficult topics has paid off for Bree Taylor who shows she is a songwriter of impressive depth and ability. I would love to see this exploited throughout the year. I have not heard whispers of an E.P. but one assumes there will be something arriving. I know Broken Dreams and Perfect would fit perfectly onto a release and shows two sides to the Canadian songwriter. How her songwriting progresses through the years will be exciting to watch. I know relations and domestic concerns will be a staple but so too will more universal and lesser-heard ideas. Whether the nature of anxiety and depression is explored more is going to be interesting.  There are so many different avenues Taylor can explore: I will watch closely and see how she progresses.

I have found when some artists attempt to write inspiration and avoiding society’s expectations; their songs can appear like a Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol. Fortunately, as is proven in the opening seconds of Perfect: Bree Taylor has crafted a song one instantly bonds with. With a sense of comfort and kismet, one settles down. Tense, tight percussion clashes and strides and bonds with a sweet-natured piano sound. It is an unusual and original start to such a song: normally, one would hear something quite mournful and stately. Here, you get a blend of pure and rushing: there is plenty of energy and meaning but plenty of depth and promise. A girl, aged twenty as it is said, is the song’s (first) heroine and subject. You feel, given the song’s background and meaning, this could be a look at Taylor herself – I have not asked her age but it would fit one thinks. She has big dreams and is looking out at the world. There is an air of Lady Gaga’s theatrical and graceful mannerisms: the way she can take a pure and gorgeous voice inside something personal and revealing and deliver a big chorus. There are screams inside the head – again, maybe Taylor as the heroine or a friend of hers – that are blotting out the rays of sunshine. Taylor’s voice mixes U.S. idols and what I expect from her. There is definite power and command but you can detect vulnerability and caution underneath. A slight Country twang underlines her delivery and gives the song several different directions. Pop-natured and radio-friendly; mixed with an evocative and raw blend of Country and Alternative. You get sweetness and compassion but the sound of a young woman pouring out her heart. By the time the chorus arrives, the narrative and debate – whether it is first or third-person – is settled. Taylor is not perfect, although she is expected to be, and happy with who she is. Despite some inner-doubts and tormented moments she lives with reality and pushes away society’s model of what it is to be ‘perfect'.

Perfection, as a construct, does not exist and is a very subjective and shallow ideology – certainly with regards tabloids’ view and opinions on the matter. That is what is at the nub of the song: an attack on the twisted logic we see in the media; taking umbrage at the screwed and skewed logic that sees many women trying to alter their bodies and health chasing some damaging and unrealistic idea. Many sacrifice their safety and mental health being thinner or happy: celebrity culture and body-perfect snapshots (in magazines) help fuel something poisonous and fake. Bree Taylor is one of those women who is subjected to that and – one would assume at some point in her life – wondered whether she is as healthy and happy as she should be. That cynicism and questioning has not come from a healthy place – it silences and converses with the Devil-on-the-shoulder evil of the media. Perfect’s chorus is a big and explosive Pop moment but not one shallow, plastic and for the dancefloors. A lot of Pop songs deliver singalong choruses that are quite inane and designed for mass chorusing. That is not the case with Perfect: it is a very meaningful and thought-provoking centre that is designed to get the listener looking at the wider world and things that need to be changed. Of course, Taylor is someone who has been questioning herself and exposed to cutting and unkind voices. Whether referring to a boyfriend or society in general: in the past, she has been saddened by expectations put on her shoulder and the savageness of words. I was torn as to whether the song was addressing the media alone or there was some personal relevance – maybe a friend or figure from her past (or present) is not being as helpful and human as they should be. One of the great things about Perfect is how engrossed you become so soon – fascinated by the lyrical slant and interpreting the true derivation of the words; also grabbed and pulled by the relentless energy and fizzing composition.

Perfect is unmistakable laden with hook and addictiveness. The chorus’ memorability and uplift has one ear on radio stations and bleeding into the mainstream market but surpasses a majority of the competition out there. I have mentioned artists like Lady Gaga but never as an easy comparison or detraction. She, as her name is in the news big at the moment, is a Pop artist who has inspired so many and created some of the finest modern Pop songs. Bree Taylor brings her music idols and favourites into her voice but is distinctly fresh and original. You get some familiar strands but always awed by that central sound: filled with determination, soul and panache. Taylor is an incredible performer who can easily convert fans of other genres into her camp – an instantly loveable artist who is not designed for a record label; she hopes to bring in as many people as possible. Perfect never loses it traction and momentum. It keeps growing and delivering key messages and phrasing. Our heroine has been trapped and forced down before but is fighting strong. I keep guessing whether all the lyrics pertain to Taylor or are a general conglomeration of archetypes and demographics. We all know the kind of people who are pressured into looking and feeling a certain way. Naturally, not everything is aimed at body image and looks. Perfect talks of depression and anxiety and the burden we place on ourselves. Most of us have unrealistic standards of ourselves and find short-comings hard to deal with. I, myself, have all these ambitions and goals and can feel inferior when they are not instantly realised. Maybe the media and outside world is to blame or it is an inherent flaw in us all. Not only did I relate to the song but fell for its genderless, for-all-the-people heart. Bree Taylor is not just writing about her demons and challenges but is representing everyone out there. Now, she runs a beauty blog and has a lot of inspiring words, but naturally, there are human doubts and issues she fights – still dealing with the capricious nature of depression and anxiety.

If you think a positive, rallying mantra was formulaic and predictable then you expectations are subverted. Perfect finds the heroine realising her own self-worth (“I am beautiful”) is a positive realisation and pivotal moment) and showing fortitude. There is never a sense of submission or demure: a young woman standing tall against and negative influence and cruel humans. Not only are the words stirring, mind. Bree Taylor’s vocal delivery is consistently alive and passionate. She fills her words with so many different emotions it means few listeners will fail to bond with the song. Likewise, the production is clean and crisp but never subject to cheap studio trickery and infused with too much gloss (and near-robotic tones). The composition keeps the beat strong and persistent and weaves in lighter piano-like sounds. So many artists talk about being as good as they can and never accepting flaws and reality. We all hear songs that paint idealistic pictures and unrealistic ideas. Taylor knows she is not perfect and does not care. In her own skin she is beautiful and the woman she should be. As I mentioned, there is never a case of over-personalisation or ignorance – the song talks about Taylor, those like her and anyone going through tough times. If you are wrestling with any doubts and niggling then Perfect is the song for you. It might take a few listens to convert all listeners but there is no reason it cannot. I, as someone who does not normally bond with U.S.-scented Pop, found a lot to love and recommend. It is a song I keep coming back to. That big and bright chorus packs a punch but has a very serious and mature side to it. That dichotomy of wise and grown-up and teenage – a restless energy and bounce mean it will resonate with many age groups – is a hard trick to pull off. By the end, you feel nourished and uplifted by the song but take something away with you. Not many tracks offer that so Bree Taylor is to be commended. Another confident and exceptional track from an artist worth watching closely throughout 2017.

I have said everything I can about Perfect – at least I hope I have! I hope it is the start of something wonderful for Bree Taylor. The song has been a lifetime in the making. She has suffered from depression and anxiety for many years and has been keeping a lot inside. It is hard confessing to mental illness at the best of times but especially hard for a musician. It is with bravery and courage she launches the song and many are thankful it is out there. Taylor has not written a track that casts out her demons and wallows: it is something intended to inspire others and give guidance. That is one side of the song, mind. The other looks at the way we all have to measure-up to a media-enforced viewpoint of perfection and idealism. If you feel doubtful of your own worth and whether you are as good as you can be – this is a song that offers assurance and a kind reassurance. Not only do the messages and heartfelt lyrics resonate: there is so much more to recommend and cherish. The vocal performance is one of Taylor’s most stirring and soulful whilst the composition mixes in Pop popularity with old-skool Soul. She is an artist who wants to make music ready for the mainstream but never too commercial or overly-familiar. As such, Perfect has that solid and relatable Pop core but ample personality and original perspective. I have said enough about the track so I will come back to Bree Taylor and where she is heading – finishing by looking back at the original points I made and how it relates to Taylor. For a start, the Canadian songwriter is regretting being positioned in Canada. Not in a bad way you understand: it is a cold country whose winters are legendary in their harshness and Arctic chill. There are few people who can appreciate just how cutting and draining the weather is there now. Conversely, California rarely experiences cold: their summer is equivalent to most nations’ summer – I long to go there and experience that all-year-round clemency. If Taylor is California-dreaming she may not have to dream for too much longer. She has performed and recorded there and is likely to see a lot of demand in California. Toronto, as I shall explore in the closing paragraphs of this review, is a hugely influential and vibrant city for music. Canada, as a whole, is a stunningly diverse and impressive musical climate and one that has to struggle.

I mentioned how the U.S. has had this long-running lack of respect for Canada. It might not extend into the music community but you see it in T.V. shows and ‘comedies’ – those digs and disrespectful asides about the fine nation. In terms of music, journalists around the U.S. owe need to do more to promote Canadian music. Get over the inter-nation rivalry and appreciate just how many stunning musicians there are right next to you. Canada is a much more sensible and warm nation than the U.S. (certainly true since Trump came to leads the country) and should be given the respect it deserves. I know Bree Taylor will play across Canada but you feel she should have the door opened in the U.S. California is somewhere she dreams of (we all do) and I envisage her playing across the state throughout 2017. Likewise, there is a huge market on the East Coast and states like New York. Such a world of American possibilities for Bree Taylor – she deserves all of them. I am not sure whether she has a U.S. tour planned but Europe would love to see her. London and the U.K. will open their doors – no Trumps-tyle immigration rules here! – we love to hear amazing international musicians perform on our shores. I could name half-dozen venues that would put her up. Maybe costs and time squander such wide ambitions but she should consider coming here for the summer – we do have one or two days when the sun comes out and the temperature is high. I talked about the great band of female songwriters creating big movements and helping (re)shape music. Taylor is among them and one of the most impressive I have heard. Her inspirational messages and social media support is reaching a lot of people and making them feel less alone. It is rare finding a musician who things of others and keen to lend them their heart – Taylor, for that reason, should be on everybody’s playlist.

I’ll end things by circling back to Canadian music and those acts coming out of Toronto. I talked about some of the great Hip-Hop artists adding vigour and street-grooves to the city (thanks to NOW Toronto for their tips). The Sorority are, as their name applies, a band of women – with a sisterly bond – that hit hard with their debut single, Undun. They first formed as part of Team Backpack’s first all-female Canadian cypher for International Women’s Day and realised they had that deep and profound bond. Following their debut single, they found that spirit and affection was long-lasting so are continuing to make and plan music. I suggest you keep a look out for the girls and what they are about this year. This year, Mustafa the Poet is going to unleash an E.P. that has, as rumour has it, Kanye West as a producer. He is a fast-rising Regent Park-raised young man who has impressed many. He released a Spoken Word album back in 2014 but is now committed to Hip-Hop. Step away from that genre and you can see what a spectrum of sounds is shining from Toronto. Pick a Piper is an act I am excited about and sure will continue to thrive this year. On 24^th of this month they release their second album, Distance. Caribou drummer Brad Weber, with bandmates Angus Fraser and Dan Roberts finds globe-hopping sounds and sage collaborations (Geographically Opposed brings New Zealand’s Bevan Smith (of Ruby Sans) lending vocals) mean it will be a fantastic L.P. That is just the tip of (a ginormous) iceberg that shows just how impressive and world-class Toronto music is. Bree Taylor is one of the acts we should all familarise ourselves with and follow. Her latest single is an anthem for everyone – not just those who doubt their worth and struggle with physiological problems. It is, as we need from 2017, a gorgeous song that promises more to come. When it comes to Bree Taylor’s latest statement, it is…

AS near-perfect as you can get.

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Follow Bree Taylor

 

Official:

http://breetaylor.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BreeTaylorOfficial/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thebreetaylor

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/breetaylorofficial/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/MisfitMassacreMakeup

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/bree-taylor-4

INTERVIEW: HEZEN

INTERVIEW:

  

HEZEN

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I must confess, right from the offset, Sarah Hezen…

seems like my perfect woman. It is almost as though she has been created in a biometric laboratory to my specifications: although her immense humanity and heart – combined with Gallic passion and enormous intelligence – could never go into anything/anyone synthetic. Her music tastes are exquisite – name-checking In Rainbows as one of her favourite albums means she is alright by me! Couple that with her incredible beauty and amazing musical talent and you have someone heart-breaking, soul-nourishing and incomparable.

I speak to HEZEN about her music and how she likes London life – the Paris-born musician moved here and certainly feels synchronised to the beat and drive of modern London existence. In addition, she discusses her latest E.P., Stigma; tackling unconventional, possible taboo themes and comparisons to Björk – an artist she admires and sources as a heroine. I ask her to select a song to close the review (another perfect selection does not help with the whole wish-I-could-marry-her-now conundrum) and what she has planned for the rest of this year. Make no mistake about it: HEZEN is an artist I am very keen to review!

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Hi HEZEN. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi! I'm good thanks. Very tired after the E.P. launch (and release) but very happy! I'm writing from Budapest - where I'm taking a few days off. It's sunny and cold and peaceful: exactly what I needed.

For those new to your music can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Sarah Hezen. I'm French and currently living in London. I'm a songwriter and a music producer - and my solo project is called HEZEN.

Stigma is your latest E.P. and boasts some wonderful songs. Oil Fire recalls Massive Attack and Thom Yorke (among others). It was created on your iPhone – a macro lens and some awesome post-production. What was the inspiration behind the song?

Thanks for the amazing comparison: these are my favourite artists! I have no idea where Oil Fire came from, to be honest. I remember the lyrics flowing out, and in ten minutes, it was done. That must have happened to me only three times ever! I was trying to make sense of a lot of things in my life and I think I needed to talk about resilience. But I wanted to peek into the mind of my character and reveal how these hopeful thoughts could also be just a coping mechanism.

There's a very dark alternative interpretation to the lyrics “It's only water on an oil fire”: the fire could either represent the strength to fight back, to grow and heal; but it could also be the fire that's hurting inside.

In the video, I wanted to create that same uncertainty, visually. The cracked skin is either an armour, a thick layer that protects what's vulnerable inside, but it's also a raw and claustrophobic envelope.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4jsTKHPPYM&w=560&h=315]

The Girl You Want is one of the standouts. It looks at women as objects: the way they are reduced to meat, essentially. Do you think there is sexism in music and how important was it addressing the issue of sexism?

There is sexism everywhere; you cannot escape it. We're talking about centuries of culture and behaviours and stigmatisation and thinking modes deeply ingrained. Everybody is sexist, me included. What's important is acknowledging our bias and correcting it. For that to happen, we need to talk about it: open the conversation in both directions and I think art, in general, is a wonderful way to ask questions and provoke a debate.

As your music does tackle some lesser-heard subjects: do you feel too few other musicians document subjects like violence and sexism?

I think they're difficult subjects that can put people off because it can often sound like ‘us’ versus ‘them’ - which is not the point at all, on the contrary. I'm criticising a system, not people. But it's not going to work with everybody, which is fine. Also, it's not a very ‘sexy’ subject! But pain, anger, misunderstanding and frustration have created the most amazing protest songs in the past, so I believe sexism and violence are great material. I think lots of artists are very vocal about sexism (Beyoncé, Björk; Grimes, Madonna; FKA Twigs...) and I feel very lucky to live in a time when these things can be talked about and challenged in the mainstream discourse - because it definitely changes things.

Try Me is a cautionary tale with a nice twist. In terms of vocals; it a seductive and arresting performance. Have you any particular vocal idols or standout singers you grew up lionising?

Lots of singers had a massive impact on me when I was growing up; especially in my teenage years.  Sia with Colour the Small One and Tori Amos with Little Earthquakes were big influences – I was fascinated with their quiet-singing and the emotion that came in it. I was also very shy and hated the idea that someone could hear me singing and playing the guitar, even my sister, so I only sang very, (very) very quietly, late at night. Their lyrics were also very dark and personal and it resonated very strongly with me. I've always been a little bit Emo...

I fell in love with Thom Yorke's voice back then too as well as his songwriting. For me, all these artists have a very original way of using their voice and their melodies are often striking and unexpected - which really is something I love.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/210899631" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

Smoke & Mirrors closes Stigma and is your most epiphanic moment. Can you remember creating the track and what led up to its birth?

Smoke & Mirrors is about closure, about acknowledging what makes us, us: the sum of experiences we went through that partly defines who we are. The track refers to a very profound experience I had a few years ago when that acknowledgement happened. It kind of ripped a veil and made me realise all the things that were keeping me from being who I wanted to be. It's the last track I wrote for the E.P. and I felt like dedicating it to this moment; all the other tracks relate to experiences which shape the individual - whether it's caving in or pushing back; Smoke & Mirrors is a realisation of these forces and the realisation that we can decide to let them define us or not.

You are based in London but hail from France. What compelled the decision to move to London and how does our capital compare to ‘home’? Are there more opportunities for you here?

I came to London for the first time when I was twelve (with my family) and I remember falling in love with the city. Since then, I knew I wanted to live here.

When I got an opportunity to study here in 2010 I jumped on it. I have never regretted it.

What struck me the most when I arrived in London is the feeling that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to if you work hard. I couldn't really tell if there are more opportunities here than in Paris because London is the place where I started working seriously on my project. There's just a vibe that happened to coincide with what I was looking for when I moved here - which hasn't gone since then.

I detect the bravery and innovation of Björk in your music. You, like the Icelandic icon, address tough themes and create wonderful electronic soundscapes. Who are the artists that have compelled you most?

That's an amazing compliment, thank you! As a matter of fact, if I had to choose one artist who has had the most impact on me and on the aims I have as an artist it would be Björk. She is my absolute hero, in every aspect of her art: the visionary aesthetic of her production, the visual universe she created; her choice of themes which are both intimate and political... she is an extraordinary human. She has this incredible ability to transcend time and genres and that's what I hope I'll be able to achieve one day. She also has a special place in my heart since I read her interview on Pitchfork two years ago, The Invisible Woman. I think it's safe to say it changed my life.

You launched Stigma at The Finsbury (London) recently. What was the reaction like there and do you have any more gigs coming up?

It was the first time we played the E.P. live - so the pressure was high - but I think we did really well. I really didn't expect so many people to turn up. One thing that really moved me is that a girl I met at the Finsbury (four or five years ago at a gig I played there) came all the way from Edinburgh to see us! That was pretty special.

Coming up, we're playing a gig on March 28^th  at The Victoria in Dalston for a night called ROAR - that supports emerging female artists. Really looking forward to it! Keep an eye on the HEZEN Facebook page for more.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voMsS6XVun4&w=560&h=315]

I have seen so many great reviews for your music – from some established publications and websites. Is it quite daunting hearing such acclaim and what has been your fondest memory (to date) as an artist?

I was a bit anxious when I released the songs that no one would like them – I confess I am not the kind of person who creates just for the sake of it.

I write songs because I want to move people. So, if it doesn't, there's no point. I didn’t expect anyone to talk about it, so I've been amazed by the response.

My fondest memory when it comes to putting my music out there is probably the reaction I got from Adam Hill from Alphabet Bands. I contacted him when I released the music video for The Girl You Want last year and I don't think I've ever had such beautiful words written about my music ever. He wrote more reviews about the other songs later; all equally amazing. I've been in touch with him since then and his support means a lot to me.

The way you make music and record is groundbreaking and refreshing. Conventionality and predictability are not in your lexicon. Do you think you’d be a lesser artist (or less free) were you record and create music the same as everyone else?

I don't think what I do is ground-breaking. I definitely get inspiration from artists who paved the way before me. But I do try to make sounds and melodies that aren't too predictable.

Ultimately, I want to provoke feelings within people, so I think the Pop song structure offers some familiar ground.

Then it gives me more freedom to experiment with chord progression, beats and sounds. That's where all the fun is for me. I get bored very fast of what I do and I get very annoyed at myself when I realise that I'm reproducing a recipe that I've done before. So, there's a lot of disappointment and frustration when I write. But it's worth the thrill I get when I come up with something I didn't expect. I don't think there's a way - that artists use more than any other - to create music though so I'm not sure I'd be a lesser artist if I was using another way. I hope I'll be using lots of ways!

If you had to take three albums to a remote island, what would they be and why?

Heligoland by Massive Attack. I cannot get bored of this album. It was released shortly before I moved to London so I was a really good mental place - knowing that a new and exciting chapter full of possibilities was about to start for me.

The Magic Flute by Mozart. I've been listening to this opera since I'm a kid and it's had a huge role in the style I've adopted (blending orchestral instruments and electronic sounds). I still can't sing the Queen of the Night Aria though; despite practising for years in the shower...

In Rainbows by Radiohead. Pure beauty.

PHOTO CREDIT: Isaac Murai

Are there any new artists, either locally or mainstream, you suggest we check out?

There are many amazing ‘female producers’ emerging these days and it's really exciting: Sevdaliza, Tsar B and Tallisker to name a few. I also discovered Gaika last year who I think is awesome. I saw him at the Roundhouse in an immersive show: he was singing from a small stage in the centre of the room and invited people to walk in circles around him. There was something very religious to it; I really loved the idea.

What advice would you provide any young songwriter coming through right now?

For me, the hardest thing you have to deal with when you're a songwriter or an artist in general is dealing with the anxiety (that you've done your best work) and that you won't be able to write again.

It's a lie. But it needs constant reminding because you'll so easily forget that you've been through this before and that you broke that wall many times. Last year, I kept a diary to keep track of the periods during which I felt dry - as well as the breakthroughs - with a description of the joy and transcendental thrill it gave me - it helped a lot. It's about remembering these moments and remember that's why you write.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can name any song (not yours as I’ll do that) and I’ll play it here.

Laura Marling – Soothing

I heard this track recently on the radio and it left me breathless.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCS4OTgaHeM&w=560&h=315]

______________

Follow HEZEN

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FEATURE: Introducing: Gemma-Louise Doyle

FEATURE:

 

Introducing:

 

 

Gemma-Louise Doyle

_________________

THERE are some definite rewards being a journalist…

but there are enough negatives. Appreciation, from the people you review and feature, can be hard to come by but I guess that is part of the trade. One would think, after expending so much effort on a piece, a cursory ‘thanks’ would not be a struggle. I have assessed so many artists who do not share my work or take the trouble to read it – small wonder many of them break-up or fall out of music soon enough. Having a musician who actively encourages others and posts inspirational messages is a rarity. Musicians, by and large, focus on the songs and have very little time to engage in anything else. It is the demands of the lifestyle but those who do go that extra mile should be applauded. Gemma-Louise Doyle is someone I have been following a long time and is a woman whose backstory is worthy of a silver screen work-up. The London-based crossover artist speaks six languages and has a fully-trained four-octave voice. Aside from her range of fantastic cover versions, she releases her own material and has just released the album, Inspire (more on that later).

Right now, Gemma is happy and contented what she is doing but that was not always the case. As a young high-school student, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a very bleak prognosis. Her parents were given the call that anyone would dread: Gemma was given mere hours to live. Overcoming such long odds is rare but recovering and growing to become a successful international artist is unheard of. That is why I wanted to feature her on these pages. Whilst Gemma was in hospital, she realised her singing brightened people’s days and made them better. Since a youngster, she had battled to be accepted; coped with bullying at school and had to deal with a lot of prejudice. Even in those early years, the start-in-the-making bonded with the stage and found a natural affiliation with singing. Maybe a coping mechanism in those early days: when lost in song, there were no troubles and any stress – it was all about the performance and speaking to the audience. It is a mantra and discipline she maintains to this day. Growing up in the north, there were few opportunities to perform. Gemma herself was a shy girl but maintained that goal: to have the courage to get on stage and amaze her friends. It wasn’t until the age of seventeen she plucked up the fortitude to regularly performed  - including talent shows and being ‘spotted’ by an experienced bass player (she began singing whilst testing her first P.A. system at a Lancashire basement store and that was that). The experience she gained as a teenager was invaluable and provided the push she needed.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re0_s5NIHOs&w=560&h=315]

It is all well me quoting backstory and providing a biography but it only gives you a small window into an amazing performer and human. Putting aside Gemma’s upbringing and musical progress, it is prudent I drill down to why Gemma is so special (to so many). When producing inspiration videos and posting messages to her website you are humbled by a person who has endured a lot of tests and doubts. The fact she is able to provide such stirring and thought-provoking messages is no trick or publicity stunt. Gemma is always thinking of others and keen to spread love and well-being. How many people do you know who actively do that? Maybe some do that have a lot of time on their hands and are paid to do such things. There are very few professionals, especially in music, that engage with their audience in such a personal and profound manner. As I say, you can follow her on social media and check her website for updates and latest messages. I am often confused by musicians’ lack of connection with their fanbase. It is all very well providing music and fulfilling the professional contract but there is an inherent social one. You do not see many artists taking the trouble to engage with all their fans and ensuring they are okay – sending messages out there to inspire and uplift.

It is the music itself that, perhaps, leaves the biggest impression on those who follow Gemma-Louise Doyle. Performing as far as Las Vegas and the U.S.; Gemma has performed on prestigious cruises and global events. She performs to motivate and touch people around the world. Music, to her, is not just a career and way to utilise talent. She is very much in love with the craft and uses her incredible talent to influence other people and make them more ambitious and fulfilled people. So far, Gemma has performed thousands of shows and recorded five albums – Inspire being her latest. Original music is constantly being developed and her cover versions, Run being the most affecting and recent one that floored me, are hailed and legendary. She has that operatic range but is capable of switching between genres at will. When you get a singer with such a range they normally confine themselves to Opera or certain genres. That fear of crossing over and experimenting is often too lofty for many to negotiate. Gemma’s upbringing, where she was exposed to a lot of different music, means she is effortless when tackling a Pop number or reinventing a heavier, more Rock-based number. You only need to hear a few notes to realise Gemma is very much the real deal. She is no talent show wannabe – designed to sound like a chart act with no personality – and has a huge and infectious personality. All of this blends into the music which is unlike any you have ever heard. Make sure you order Inspire and see what I am talking about. From her original records to covers-only discs like Venture: you get a full insight into a special talent who has a lot more to say.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqEZ1OqQUAk&w=560&h=315]

I am excited to see where Gemma-Louise Doyle heads through 2017. She continues to produce inspiration messages and has a busy diary ahead of her. On 22^nd, Gemma plays London’s Primo Bar and will be every Wednesday of this month. There is a lot more to come and I recommend everyone follow her. I know there will be an original studio album in the works as Gemma is keen to pen new songs and get her voice on the page. Whatever you look for in music, you will find all of it in Gemma-Louise Doyle. She is an artist that is there for everyone and wants nobody excluded. This attitude to music will see her go far: she has already come a long way and survived. The fact she is still with us is remarkable enough but (Gemma) will not stop there. Last year was a busy and exciting one but 2017 is going to be pivotal. Not only are there gigs and chances to perform around the world but there will be plans in Gemma’s head. Of course, her messages of inspiration will come but music is always at the forefront. Following from Inspire’s release, where does she go from there? Maybe some original music or an album of covers? Perhaps an E.P. will come or a couple of singles? Whatever she has in mind I, like so many out there, will follow her and...

WATCH her fly.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIzasI3pyWI&w=560&h=315]

__________________

Follow Gemma Louise Doyle

 

Official:

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TRACK REVIEW: Rose Betts - Orange Trees

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Rose Betts

  

Orange Trees

9.6/10

Orange Trees is available at:

https://soundcloud.com/rosebetts/orange-tree-ep-master

GENRES:

Folk; Singer-Songwriter

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASED:

23^rd September, 2016

The E.P., The Stars Look Down, is available at:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-stars-look-down-ep/id1147993391

______________

YOU might think, with another female singer-songwriter presented to me…

I would have very little in the way to talk about – original points at least. I will come to look at south London as an area for great music – where my featured artist is based – and the understated aspect of knee-buckling vocals; have a look at those components that leads to a successful career with a little bit about the type of singer-songwriter I am tipping for success. I always follow London artists and am interested how different parts of the capital make music. In terms of the East, you have some great Electro.-Pop and more variation than other parts. I guess music reflects the culture and population of a particular area. There are differences between what you hear in northern parts compared to that in the west. I know plenty of bands that are based out of south London and seem to vibe from its cosmopolitanism people and wonderful landscape. I highlight this part of London because it is, to me, the most varied and consistent. I tend to find (artists here) have that extra level of quality and more diversity in their music. Maybe it is where they are geographically and the counties that neighbour them; perhaps the wonderful venues that are there or something else. Take it back to London as a whole and it is clear the city is really stepping up and producing some world-class new musicians. I know other areas of the U.K. are strong and impressive but none quite like London. Again, maybe sheer size and population numbers mean that is always going to be the way but I think not. Most of the U.K.’s music labels and media down here and the population in the city seem to inspire something in musicians. Recently, I have reviewed artists away from the capital but it is good to be back.

Considering Rose Betts; she seems to be someone who is perfectly suited to London and its demands. She released her E.P., The Stars Look Down, last year – the fact I arrive so late is because of a busy diary – and is primed to take full advantage of London. Here, we have some incredible places to perform and a real sense of community. Down in south London, there are wonderful little bars and cafes that would be suited to her music. In addition, you could see her playing at larger spaces like Windmill Brixton in years to come. I love London and all it has to offer but it can be difficult seeing which artists have genuine potential and those that are merely promising. Last year, I tipped upcoming names like Billie Marten for success because of a number of reasons. Riding high in the mix is that insanely beautiful voice of hers – that makes every note sound completely entrancing and hypnotic. Rose Betts has a similar ability and it is a talent reserved for a limited few. We look back at music history and see those artists blessed with a spellbinding voice and take it for granted somewhat. Maybe I am biased but that is the quality I look for when reviewing a new artist. The voice is that thing that is rather subjective but you always know when you have discovered a brilliant one. So-called ‘talent shows’ are producing artists with overrated voices and muddying the musical water. Those proper musicians that do things honestly, and have a genuinely special voice, are the ones we should be proffering. Betts has a mix of classic singers and contemporary stars but is very much her own woman. I know Betts has been working in music for a while but no amount of training and practice can produce a voice like hers – it is something inexplicable and divine. Critics have highlighted it and used all types of words to explain it. I mention the relevance of the voice because it can make seemingly ordinary music extra-terrestrial and world-class. Betts, fortunately, does not make average music: her latest E.P., The Stars Look Down, ranks as one of 2016’s most impressive E.P.s by a new artist. I will be focusing on one song (Orange Trees) but have been blown away by the entire work. Before I continue my point, and raise a new one, let me introduce Rose Betts to you:

“Currently residing in South London with her band she’s been tirelessly refining her skills and taking SOFAR Sounds by storm. Far more than stunning vocal delivery, Rose is a multi-instrumentalist whose fingers dance across piano keys like rays of dappled light on water. No wonder – she’s been playing since she was 6, an innate ability that once unlocked began to rapidly flow. The eldest of 4 – including her twin – she grew up in an unusual musical household where singing at the dinner table, sleeping on the floor of Proms and being chucked out of Cathedrals’ for unauthorised singing were the norm… Now in her early twenties with no formal training to speak of, Rose’s many artistic talents came naturally. Where many of her peers are plugged into tech, Rose is plugged into the physical world. Taking inspiration from the rain running in SW12 gutters, the moon rising over Camberwell and winter in a bustling city. There’s an unshakable, wholesome quality about Rose that makes her music, her sound and her presence feel and sound so wonderful. She writes alone, but when she plays to an audience she brings them together with soaring melodies and beautifully crafted lyrics that not only capture the imagination but connect with the soul. This girl and her piano defiantly blur genres, demand attention and for a minute, make you forget the mania of modern life. For Rose and her band, the future is wide open. 2016 will see her first official EP release sometime in the summer”.

There are so many things to recommend about Rose Betts as a human. From a purely non-musical standpoint, she is one of the most striking and beautiful women in music and marries that beauty to her music. In terms of star quality, she can take to the stage and seduce any crowds ably. In terms of personality – that which matters most – she is eager to connect with her fans and has a down-to-earth nature that you fall in love with. Her social media pages are constantly updated and she is always keeping fans abreast of what’s going on. At the moment, her E.P. is being promoted and Betts is looking back at the wonderful gigs she performed at last year. Among them was her time at Union Chapel (supporting The Milk) and you know she is going to go all the way. The singer-songwriter market is one of the busiest around and that is true for its female artists. Betts’ band comprises Mel Underwood ad Pete Morrisby. She has already wowed large sectors of London but is not going to rest there. What I love about Rose Betts is she is organised and completely committed to music. You hear so many musicians that expend little effort on their social media outlay and provide thread-bare insight. Betts gives us a full and frank biography and all her social media links. I know many musicians that come into music with some great songs and plenty of energy. Soon enough, they start to tire and cannot keep up with the demands and fast-paced nature of the industry. It is sad to see but one should be aware of the hazards and strains music provides. Rose Betts has that wide-natured social media portfolio and a really impressive and eye-catching official website. In addition, you have regular updates and plenty of great photos – quite the reviewer’s dream! That is what really stands Betts out to me: she makes her music and personality accessible but leaves enough room for the individual to interpret and speculate.

Before coming to Rose Betts’ music, I will look ahead at this year and see what is going to shape the landscape. I mentioned how I’ve tipped singer-songwriters like Billie Marten and feel her, and mainstream artists who sound like her will do the best work this year. Rose Betts can be included in that comparison and is an artist who will be creating big steps through this year. In terms of the mainstream, I have already suggested Laura Marling’s forthcoming album (Semper Femina) will be this year’s best. Perhaps a bold and foolhardy but consider this: she has been away for a couple of years and has never dropped a step. There are other big albums out this year - Queens of the Stone Age rumoured to be back – but I can see nobody challenging Marling for that album of the year honour. I feel the world in 2017 will focus on artists that provide a bit of comfort and beauty – against a wider world that is wracked by uncertainty and conflict. I know Trump and Brexit are still big talking points so music must respond to these crises. Last year, fantastic artists such as Beyoncé created some spectacular work. There was an emphasis, in 2016, on music that addressed vital points and challenged political corruption. Her album, Lemonade, looked at love and infidelity but took the time to talk about racial issues and things happening in the U.S. I feel 2017 will have a different demographic and demand: primed at Acoustic/Folk music and a certain sense of grace. This is where Rose Betts comes in. She is one of the leading names in the underground and I feel she can ascend to the mainstream in years to come. You just feel Betts has all the components and attributes to make changes in music and put her stamp on it. The earliest steps are positive and if she continues this way I predict some really special things.

The Stars Look Down is the latest work from Betts but not her only creation. She is adept when covering other artists and shows what an interpretive talent she is.  A few weeks ago, Betts covered Jimmy Eat World’s Hear You Me. Putting her own spin on it; it’s a fantastic version and shows just how comfortable Betts is when tackling other people’s songs. She can pretty much take on any genre or artist and provide her unique stamp on it. That is a hard talent to hone and one that should not be understated. Betts’ constant work and live performances at SOFAR Sounds has helped and meant she is a more confident and assured performer than she was at the very start of her career. Saying that, I Can Never Give My Heart has thumping, pulsating chorus notes and that smooth, raw vocal. It is the contrasts in Betts’ voice that makes that song so essential and nuanced. There is a raspiness and soulfulness to the performance. You get blindsided by the percussion which is bellicose and proud. The beats thud as Betts’ voice rides high. It is a fantastic song and one that could have fitted in an E.P. Maybe it did not fit the tone of The Stars Look Down but is a fantastically professional and confident song. Demo cuts like Recovery and Row sound complete but, as Betts would confess, perhaps not fully formed enough to appear on an E.P. Nevertheless, these songs are the girl at her piano and singing her heart out.

They are more stripped and intimate than I Can Never Give My Heart and would benefit from a studio work-up. I would like to see Row and Recovery appear alongside one another if only as a single/double A-side. Maybe that will be a consideration but it shows just what range Betts has. She is a songwriter able to create wonder in a number of different circumstances. Whether looking at love or the wider world, she is captivating. Changing Days is another highlight from her new E.P. – a song that had a music video filmed last year. It is a skipping and fast-moving song that has plenty of hooks and a catchy chorus. Betts’ voice is proud and reflective as she looks at the changing skies – not sure whether it is light and dark – and the changeable nature of the outside world. It has a stop-start quality that takes the listener by surprise. The chorus is flowing and river-like whereas the verses more considered and paced. Across the E.P., you get a sense of what Betts is inspired by and the kind of topics key in her mind.

Orange Trees gives shivers right from the off. The vocal has a little hint of Amy Winehouse in the duskiness and smoky side. I mention Winehouse with no exaggeration: she is someone hard to top and few artists can naturally replicate the late, great Soul artist. Not that Betts is trying to copy Winehouse but has that similar power and whiskey-soaked tone. If Winehouse got that rasp through hard living; it is the struggles and pains of life that influence Betts. The leaves are falling from the orange trees; there is smoke in the air and a weight of sadness. The vocals never begin too burdened or affected but have a distinct burden they are carrying. “Put on your shoes/In the dead of night” the heroine asks and it gets the imagination working. After the natural world impressions of the first couple of lines, it is to domestic urgency and mobility that one turns. The twist and storyline turn takes the mind from one interpretation to another. I was thinking about – after hearing the first words – a rumination on nature and times passing as a metaphor for life and how it is ever-changing. Now, I look elsewhere and think about love and discovery. “Wait for me” it is said by Betts. When delivering those words, there is elongated magic and spine-tingling beauty. You feel the words rush from her heart and through the veins. The moon shines and the heroine is looking across the land. Maybe she is calling to a man or someone who is distant from her. Whether it is a long-distance relation or something else every listener will start to draw their own conclusion. The leaves have fallen but the heroine wants her subject to meet her there tonight. It is a romantic and yearning passage that continues that stretched, evocative vocal delivery. With little more than the vocal (at this point) you are mesmerised by the gorgeous sound. Betts’ voice has power and purity with a heavy dose of vulnerability and uncertainty.

Maybe there is a history between the two: at once, you are hooked by the story and keen to follow it on its path. All manner of declarations and imagery is represented as the song progresses. The birds will fly and the ground will keep feet planted; our heroine’s heart is on her sleeve and she is keen to meet her suitor. Lesser artists would have employed cliché lines and some rather uninspiring sentiments. That is not the case with Betts whose poetic pen and unique approach makes the story and song so deep and rich. You swim in the vocals and let them take you along but are keen to unpick the words and what they represent. The heroine is holding back words and has things she needs to say. You can hear the weight of her voice work through the composition and strike with intention. Few singers have the same prowess and potency as Rose Betts. Throughout the song, you are awed by the ability of her vocal and the incredible melodies. Betts’ band members provide support and help convey the emotions of Orange Trees. It may have been one night – referring to the romance or the effect her sweetheart had – but has been a transformative experience. That night “caught in my heart” and has been life-changing. The chorus is the most affecting and startling aspect of the song and something that never grows tiring. With each utterance of the chorus, you hear new things and its relevance grows. I have grown a bit sceptical of a lot of love songs and how intent and meaningful they are. I hear too many plodding lines and songs that are not delivered from the heart. It is easy to be jaded but my reticence stems from a very real place – artists not really creating anything new or delivering music that stays in the mind. It is impossible not to be buckled and floored by Betts’ vocal delivery and the pictures she paints. As the song ends its dying moments, there is no let-up in the force and brilliance of Betts’ vocal.

Here is someone who has worked hard on her voice and always bringing something new into it. Other songs across the E.P. elicit different reactions. Orange Trees touches you deep and gets into the soul. It is an intriguing track that reveals new things every time I heard it. At first, I was taking it all in and stunned by the incredible voice. The next time I listened to it, the lyrics came more to the fore. That is the marker of a great song: one that unfurls over time and never sounds the same. It is a hard feat to pull off by one Betts does with ease. By the end, you wonder whether things worked out and that orange tree meeting ever took place. The leaves have fallen and time marches on: the seasons are growing cold but there is something burning in the heroine’s heart. As I type this, having completed listening to Orange Trees, I am listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams – after writing a piece about the album yesterday. There are familiarities between the songs: certainly in the expressions and dreaminess. Nicks’ song has an optimistic current but looked at disconnected love and some turbulence. It is her voice that manages to transcend the song from mere brilliance to something otherworldly. The percussion and guitars elevate the song and are the perfect accompaniment to a divine song. Rose Betts’ Orange Trees has a fast-beating heart and firm resolve. By the end of Orange Trees you come to your own conclusions and hope things worked out well. In any case, it is a fantastic song from an E.P. full of beautiful moments. Rose Betts is a fantastic talent who cannot be easily compared with anyone else and shows just what a force she is.

Orange Trees is, to me, the defining moment of The Stars Look Down but is not the only jewel. In fact, every song from the E.P. resonates and creates reaction. You view the E.P. as a whole but can well isolate the song and see different positives in each. There are few songwriters that have that beautiful voice and all the colours it possesses. It might be a little pretentious unwrapped and decomposing a voice but (the voice) is much more complex and deep than anyone would imagine. Her E.P. is a wonderfully solid and compelling collection of songs that sees it creator very proud. She should be very proud as people are responding to it and really getting involved. I have seen reviews for The Stars Look Down and there is that consensus:  a gifted singer and someone who can write striking and immediate melodies. That is something I missed out on at the top of this review: the way Betts writes songs and the type of music she creates. In terms of subject matter, she takes influence from the rain pattering in SW12 – the manor and Muse – and some key truths. Betts writes about love and her own life but is much more imaginative and poetic than the majority of songwriters out there. You get, with her music, a real tangibility and physical nature. One immerses themselves in the songs and is powerless to resist the velvety vocals and detailed songwriting. Penning lyrics that are relatable and complex is a hard task but something Rose Betts seems a dab hand at. Sol songwriters have that inherited loneliness and have to entertain themselves a lot. Sure, Betts has her band and support of musicians but when it comes to creating those songs, there is no other voice in the mix. Perhaps that is why so many promising songwriters are falling by the wayside: the solitude and struggle creating solo causes them to rethink and buckle. Conversely, there are those who feel too many other people spoils a song – a case of too many cooks as it were. That seems to be the case for Betts who has free reign to create her own world and tell her story. She lives in a bustling and startling city that will never, ever be boring. There is always inspiration and events happening: you get a real sense of London’s pace and personality in her music.

I mentioned how last year was a productive and memorable one for the young heroine. She performed at some gorgeous venues across London and that is something I envy. As a ‘failed’ songwriter – much more comfortable as a journalist – I was always eyeing those intimate and close-quarters venues. That might not be the right word but you know what I mean. Places like Union Chapel – where Betts played last year – are immaculate, evocative and truly wonderful. I do not envy artists that place big stadiums and festivals because they lack the character and intimacy that can enthral a crowd and ingrain fond memories in the mind. Betts will get a chance to play like-minded dates throughout this year. I do not know whether she has played at St. Pancras Old Church or Ronnie Scott’s’ but those are spaces I would love to see her play. In fact, she does not really need my guidance as last year saw Betts sell-out the Courtyard Theatre and launch a video at The Ivy! Orange Trees, which she performed at Courtyard Theatre, was picked up by Edith Bowman and championed by BBC Radio 2. Not bad going for an artist so young and still making their way into music. Refining her skills, Betts has owned and stunned SOFAR Sounds and has covered much ground in London. As we are in this fresh year, it might be worth looking at where Betts is headed. Sure, she will be busy in London as there are plenty more spots she needs to visit. Being in the south of the city, there are some great places and she has tonnes of wonderful little venues on her doorstep. Brixton is a key territory and Clapham is vital too. I would expect more attention from national radio and demands from up and down the nation.

There is something about Rose Betts’ music that seems perfect for the modern world: it eradicates and mutes the mania and takes you somewhere safer and better. The strains and stresses of love are dissipated and, like a soothing balm, you feel better and less harrowed. There are few musicians that have that ability and do we need it these days! Betts has an incredible voice and soaring melodies; there are those incredible songs and a general aura of calm and beauty. I mentioned how 2017 will be defined by artists who help nullify the terror and volume of the modern world. We are in a rare position where there is less certainty and more division than any other time in living memory. Music is not responsible for solving the world’s problems or making them seem irrelevant. What is does is provide a universal space for safety and purity. There are no ills and agendas; politicians laying down their will or any bad blood. Music is going to be more and more important through this year so artists are stepping up and responding to that trend. Rose Betts released her E.P. back in autumn but has plans for this year. I would expect new music to come: if that is another E.P. or L.P. I cannot be certain. There is so much support in her camp so you feel something will arrive before the year is through. Big radio stations are supporting her and some of the most prestigious and finest venues in London have already welcomed her in. I can see Betts taking her music further north. Manchester is a city many new musicians are putting on their agenda and for good reason. Not only is there an incredible music community there but some brilliant venues. Whether Betts has considered Manchester or not; she would find many fans waiting there. Likewise, thinking internationally would be sage. Her music is utilitarian and capable of enticing and amazing audiences around the world.

America would be a great country for her to play – better get there quick before Trump bans people from every nation entering the U.S.! I can imagine Rose Betts doing a mini-tour of America and finding some hungry support there. Whatever is afoot for Betts, you know she will have a golden future and continue to plug. I shall return to my earlier points and wrap things up. I talked about London and how it varies between boroughs and that is evident in the type of musicians coming through. In East London, I tend to find more Electro.-Pop acts and artists at their most cosmopolitan and variegated. That side of the capital has a reputation for being overly-gentrified and priggish: quite hipster-ish and ultra-trendy. As such, the music you get from there – a lot of it but not all – reflects the looks and D.N.A. of East London. North London is a bit grittier and ‘real’ but has that slightly highbrow side to it. I have seen a lot of bands come from there that marry Rock and Alternative but take little bits from their neighbours in the east (of London). Over in the western quarter, there is, I would say, the majority of new music. In terms of my reviews, I am seeing a lot of fantastic artists come from west London. Sound-wise, there are more bands than solo artists (I would say) but perhaps less variety than, say, East London. That might be a generalisation but I see contrasts and differences with every area of London. It is interesting to see how music changes as you travel. Cover only a few miles of London and the musical backdrop does vary. South London is my favourite area of the capital as there is that real boiling pot. There is edgy and captivating Urban music – the best Grime and Hip-Hop stems from the south – and some truly fantastic Pop. Folk/Acoustic artists like Rose Betts are less rare but you have a range of styles and genres that is surely inspiring her. She seems happy in south London and exploring the city through her music.

That music will only get stronger as the months progress. The Stars Look Down is a stunning E.P. that has been praised by critics and created huge reactions in everyone who hears it. I urge you all the check it out and discover the fantastic talent and gorgeous voice of Rose Betts. She will take her band around London and get her music out to the people of the U.K. I am excited to see where she can go and just how far she can reach. Her website and social media is full and updated: ensuring fans are connected and informed when they need to be. It might seem like a small point but one a lot of new artists overlook. It is vital you have information about yourself and your social media links together so the new hunter is more likely to stick around and investigate. If you have a Facebook page with no biography and very little information then why would you take a big interest? With Rose Betts there is a determination to get as many people into her camp as possible. She will not fail in her mission. Orange Trees is a song I could not resist reviewing as it has already been highlighted by BBC Radio 2 and many others. Get onboard a singer-songwriter with a big future ahead. Rose Betts is not your average songwriter and is someone I see hitting rarified heights very soon. The Stars Look Down prove she is no mere mortal, which, in a fraught and fractious world, is demanded. Beautiful, seductive music that takes your troubles away is…

WHAT our world needs right now.

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