CD and DVD reviews
“A sonic spa of love, loss and inner peace”. These are the words used to describe Jarad Miles’ first upcoming full-length studio album ‘Standing Upon This Array’ — and from my first listen through the beautifully crafted body of work, I can attest to it being just that. Jarad Miles has a way of evoking…
Kenny Fame is back this month with another infectious sunny single. ‘Feels Better’ is another edition of Kenny Fames ever-evolving discography and this time the New York based singer-songwriter has sunk into the sunny reggae realms of his sound with one of his most vibrant tracks yet. It’s safe to say from his track record that…
With a musical career spanning over ten years, we’ve got accustomed to Blue Soul Ten scoring our daily soundtracks with anthem after absolute anthem. His unique blend of jazz, soul, hip hop and EDM has resulted in some seriously captivating tracks. Seriously, just check his past albums The Incredible Sound Of Blue and Sounds About…
With harmonies that are bigger than the verses they frame, you know you’re in for a melodic tidal wave not long after pressing the play button on “Nothin’ You Can Do About That.” In this song, as well as the other three that join it on The Act Americana Trio’s The True North EP, is driven…
Stephen Jacques’ “Send Them Love” begins with a guitar and strings arrangement. He sings about a love that came quickly – perhaps, a love at first sight. Yes, this is an extremely romantic song lyric, but it’s also sincere, which gives it validity. Vocally, Jacques sounds a bit like a grizzled Irishman. There’s a roughness…
Madeline Rosene’s “Everyday Existential Crisis” begins with a simple acoustic guitar part, and then her lovely high singing voice kicks in. It amounts to the unusual combination of big, philosophical questions, set to soft music. The first line gets right to the point: “Is it too much to bear when I over share?” If that’s…
A metallic gleam defines the intense rush of Bramses Xalyxys’ powerful fury of “Mysterious Warrior.” Volume is a must for his is a sound to fully surrender to. The artist makes sure that the journey the listeners embark upon has an ancient aspect to it, for the storytelling proves to be truly profound. Within each…
I expected Alex Wellkers’ famous now to be his debut offering for the music world, not his tenth release overall. His prolific rate of creativity hasn’t come at the expense of quality; the nine tracks included on the new album are every bit as forceful and attention-grabbing as anything that’s come before. Music and songs flock to…
A nice swinging country rock, Steve Dunn delivers a story straight from the heart with “Mixtape”. Volume reigns supreme for the rest of the song has a tremendous power to it. The buildup has a majesty to it. Guitars further the sound along, for they play confidently. Everything about the atmosphere has a warmth to…
Performing as Webster’s Wheel, Daniel Lee Webster and Marie Robertson write songs that recall simpler times without ever being simple. The straightforward nature of the ten songs included on their latest release Tenderly So lightly disguises the emotional depths explored by the duo and there’s more to the arrangements than meets the ear. Some may go into…
Edwrd delivers a truly defiant anthem with “Dgaf No Mo.” Pop, country, and dance blend into this infinitely catchy sound. Things get balanced in a delicate way, making sure every flourish matters completely. The production here keeps things crisp. Making sure every single element receives the right amount of space, the song has an expansive…
The best records in the history of hip-hop have been those built on duality; through a juxtaposition of themes and symmetrical grooves, the legacy of an entire genre has been well-defined over the past four decades. In their official debut, 148 are looking to join this legacy with a multifaceted wonder in Sampati, and although…
It isn’t always the case that the last song on a record represents the ultimate climax of the tracklist, but in Del Vertigo’s On the Day That You Come To, this just might be true. The titular track in this all-new EP feels like a completion of a journey, better said an odyssey that starts some…
Matthew Stephen brings a symphonic grace to pop on “The Fire” and “Blue & Gold”. Nicely fitting into the very moment, these two tracks nicely embody the determination that seems to have run through the whole of the world. By far the highlight of the sound comes from the thoughtful way that he sculpts the…
Robin Trower has been a major force in rock guitar since joining Procul Harum in the late 60’s. Since the early 1970’s he has been touring and recording with his Robin Trower Band. On this album RT handles the guitar and bass, along with Richard Watts on vocals, and Chris Taggart on drums. Additional bass…
Vineet’s latest single “Nine” also leads his short story collection of the same title. Nine features nine songs from Vineet’s 2021 and beyond with short stories for each track. It isn’t what you might expect from someone who scored several number 1 hits on the Euro Top 100, placed high on assorted other charts, and produce lively…
MADELEINE’s upcoming album ‘Stoned And Bored’ manages to blur the best of pop, indie and rock realms. There’s a nostalgia that flows through the tirade of tracks, bringing to mind the old school pop-punk powerhouses that pushed their boats out and made the music landscape what it is today. As these influences ripple in the…
Hard rock, psychedelic and funk. Three genres you wouldn’t necessarily think would melt together. Yet, Lurid Purple Flowers have sculpted a sound that sews together the most interesting elements of all three. Their recent single ‘Darkness,’ off their latest EP Mania, plunges into the depths of their rockier sound whilst their other tracks like ‘On…
Throughout the whole of Brunette’s discography there’s one common theme; stunning storytelling and interesting narratives laid over delicately designed soundscapes that seem to reflect them. Brunette’s latest single ‘Fight Night’ is another example of their stunning ability to encapsulate a scenario with colourful and captivating imagery. Having been released with their other latest track ‘Pall…
Age Of Ore is a serious one of a kind type of band. Not just because of their hard-hitting hooks, intricate drum fills that cut to your core or their riotous riffs that seem to slice through your speakers more and more with each listen. But also because each member of this Philadelphia based trio…
Get ready for instrumental music at its finest on the new album titled ‘Full Circle’ by The Still Point. With bright elements of: Jazz, Rock and Americana, The Still Point gives you 10 original songs that will entice your ears. The Still Point features five talented players where each member brings the A game on…
Isyla sculpts a truly magnificent journey with “Of Blood and Star”. Ambience, shoegaze, indie rock and more filter into the work. Every song plays off the last. Her style brings to mind the lullaby-like bliss of Beach House. Much like their work, Isyla makes sure that there is a dreaminess to the way it all…
A gigantic beast of a track “Union Divine” revels in its sheer power proving Templemind to be exceptional storytellers. The mixture of the new and old help to imbue the song with purpose. Industrial, Gregorian chant, classical, and shoegaze get filtered into the overall spirit of the piece. Layer upon layer intermingles to create something…
A rollicking sense of purpose defines Wesson’s sound on the unleashed energy of “Understand”. Tempos feature a tremendous speed for they hold nothing back. Everything about it has a greatness to it, from the hit of the drums to the riffs that race on through. Multifaceted, they bring together classic rock, indie rock, garage…
Brey dives headfirst into a neon-hued splendor on the yearning of “IMU”. A nice mixture of ambient, dance, trance, and pop the song has a timeless quality to it. The vocal treatment adds to the overall spirit of the piece. Much of the sound seemingly gets woven into a coherent, cohesive whole one that feels…
The uplifting beauty of Not Ashamed’s “In Spirit and Truth” is impossible to deny. This energetic track in the contemporary Christian style brings together different musical elements you may not ordinarily associate with music carrying this sort of message. The Irish quartet, however, never forgets that, along with conveying the song’s subject, they have an…
Fans of classic country and western music will undoubtedly be familiar with the latest that Dale Ann Bradley and Danny Paisley have to offer; their collaboration arrives in the form of the single “One By One,” a cover of the Kitty Wells and Red Foley duet originally written by Jim Anglin, Jack Anglin, and Johnny…
Quite a spiritual journey, Rev Peter Unger explores the joy that people bring to each other with “Love The Whole Day Through”. His voice features a lusciousness to it. Forgoing drums, the rhythms have a gentleness to them. The sound has a rural psychedelic quality to it, dreamy-eyed and highly optimistic. Lyrics matter a great…
Marcelo Maccagnan embarks on an epic journey on the transfixing “Creatures of Habit”. With a multi-suite approach the song sprawls out into the infinite. The atmosphere recalls the power of classic rock’s heyday, spreading out over the course of its eight plus minutes to incorporate a wide swath of genres into the field. Beyond the…
Alex Krawczyk goes for a lovely, delicate arrangement on the gracious chamber folk “There Will Be Light”. Sung with a degree of grace the song has a timelessness to it that adds to its appeal. The hopefulness of the song guides it along. Full of optimism the atmosphere is a soothing one, one that completely…
Pamela Hopkins embraces a southern rock country fried charm with “One Too Many”. Stylistically rooted in a mixture of the blues, soul, and hard rock in a way that feels stunning. Though her vocals take front and center stage, the rest of the band does an exceptional job in buttressing the sheer intensity of her…
There’s not one track on Jon Fuller’s upcoming album that you couldn’t class as a stand alone single. From the ethereal air of the opener ‘Voice’ to the pop inflections of the concluding ‘I’m’, When Did You Get So Damn Scared is one the most dynamic albums I’ve come across in a while. You could…
Martin Graff delivers a delicate impressionistic work on “Prism”. Without needing to say a single word a narrative takes shape. The keys are played with a sense of softness. Everything about the sound has a hushed loveliness to it. Nods to Debussy proves to be readily apparent. By keeping things so delicate for there is…
Between the chiming strings of “Baby, You’re My Weakness” and the lusty harmonies that cling to a rock-inspired rhythm in “A Girl Like You,” Barry Muir is covering a lot of aesthetical ground in his latest album Gentle, much of which is summed up in the record’s lead single “She’s a Little Wildflower.” Artistically speaking, Gentle unites the…
With exotic melodicism leading the way, “Autumn Leaves” begins to fill our speakers with the type of buoyant string play that precludes the most intimate of songs, but if you’re under the impression that this is the greatest show of strength Bettman & Halpin are capable of delivering in the new album Timeless, you’re in for…
Ken Dunn is a true singer/songwriter with an incredible body of work and this latest release titled ‘Anthology, Volume 1’ proves that notion. This new album contains 20 songs written and recorded by Ken Dunn over the span of his 25 year music career. All words and music on this record are by Ken Dunn…
“Be Gentle With My Mind” the newest single by Love And Able is one of those declarative titles with a pleading undertone. The Welsh duo, who are also a couple, have contrasting backgrounds and they’ve come together to create a signature sound. Their genre is probably best described as Adult Alternative, and this particular track…
What music do you turn to for an escape? Are you looking only to find a song that matches what you are feeling at that exact moment, or would you rather expand your horizons and brave new waters and territory? Take a chance on the riveting Sea Change from Corey Stapleton And The Pretty Pirates. The wonderful…
Giles Lamb is someone who should be a household name. Not only has his work gone on to be featured in a slew of television series, but he’s earned himself quite the hefty sum of awards in doing so, taking home even the Golden Lion from the Cannes festival! For that last award, it was…
There comes a time in every songwriter’s plight in which they reach an existential crossroads. Their introspection and inner voice becomes too loud to ignore and they begin to question everything, much like they started off doing. They start families and raise children in some cases, and their perspective evolves. Chris St. John seems to…
