LY@TT have released “Song for Pete Ham,” and it’s one of those songs that will live in your head for a long time after it has concluded. It’s a homage to a musician whose songs touched so many of those who followed. The care and respect can be heard throughout. All parts are genuine, and none try to be more […]
Pop-Rock/Review vanna pacella – Plead
Vanna Pacella’s “Plead” exudes an uneasy sense that you can’t shake. There’s a frustration under all of the song, which never comes to a head but remains constant throughout. You can sense that feeling even before you know what the song is talking about. A lot of this is done with her voice. It skips from soft to strong and […]
Pop-Rock/Review Tom Minor – Bureau of Change
The kind of song that doesn’t last very long on Tom Minor’s “Bureau Of Change”. The sensation of perpetual motion is one of the many reasons it is fun. Within the span of a couple of minutes, it changes style and mood several times. It’s constantly on the move, and you don’t know what to expect. The first thing that […]
Pop-Rock/Review Slim Loris – Stoic
Slim Loris start “Stoic” off with a familiar yet new sound. It’s a continuation of the previous decades, yet it’s very much in the here and now. There is a good sense of movement from the very beginning. The song appears to have a clear direction and begins to develop towards it immediately. The verses are intimate and personal, as […]
Pop-Rock/Review Fiona Amaka – Anyway you come
AnyWay You Come is quiet and open with Fiona Amaka’s voice and a guitar that seems to have been carrying a heavy burden for some time. No large entrance. It just starts like a normal conversation, and that makes you feel immediately connected. Her voice is warm and used, as if she sings about a real situation and not performs […]
Pop-Rock/Review zukrassverliebt – In My Heart
The opening guitar line of zukrassverliebt’s In My Heart feels like it’s heading somewhere good. From the first few seconds, there’s a lightness, a sense of sitting up a bit straighter, before you’ve thought about why. There’s a natural progression to how the song is going to go and where it’s going to lead you that you can sense already. […]
Pop-Rock/Review Reetoxa – Love Keeps Burning Still
In “Love Keeps Burning Still”, Reetoxa’s opening piano part is like a private confession before the words come out. Mildly fragile, the kind of sound that you lean towards rather than away from. The song is immediately a personal one, and has a reality to it. The voice of Jason McKee is at the centre and open and unguarded. A […]
Pop-Rock/Review The Sway – The Grief (Remix by Harry Kook)
“The Grief (Remix by Harry Kook)” from The Sway is a rare feat. It takes a song that’s inspired by real loss and makes it into a song that you almost want to dance to. That combination doesn’t seem to work so well, but somehow it does. My first impression of this is the layering. It’s like there’s a pulse […]
Pop-Rock/Review Matt DeAngelis – Helpless To The Fire
With bright, unforced voice, Matt DeAngelis introduces “Helpless To The Fire”. It does not over-extend itself to make its point. It’s a natural style of delivery, even when the words get darker. That’s what got me from the first few seconds. This arrangement begins with a small one. The guitar and piano play quietly and patiently, followed by the drums, […]
Pop-Rock/Review Harry Kappen – Distant shore
The keyboard sound in Harry Kappen’s “Distant Shore” reminds me of a certain side of seventies rock. It’s the warm, slightly weird one that seems like it came from a long, long way away. The sound makes the whole song floaty. While listening, it seems as though the ground is slowly falling away from under your feet. The thing that […]