Category: Single Review

Video by William Ruben Helms

Lyric Video: HotWax Shares Anthemic Ripper “Wanna Be A Doll”

With the release of their first two critically applauded EPs, last year’s A Thousand Times and Invite me, kindly, the Hastings, UK-based indie rock trio HotWax — Tallulah Sim-Savage, Lola Sam, and Alfie Sayers — exploded into the national and international scenes. The trio played over 150 shows over the the past 18 months, including packed headlining shows in New York and Los Angeles, a North American tour with Royal Blood and showcases at last year’s SXSW. Building upon a growing profile. the trio have made the rounds of the European festival circuit, playing sets at Reading and Leeds Festivals and Mad Cool.

The rising British trio’s highly-anticipated full-length debut, Hot Shock is slated for a March 7, 2025 release through Marathon Artists. Co-produced by Catherine Marks, Steph Marziano and Warpaint‘s Stella Mozgawa, the 10-song album features blistering, adrenaline-jolted anthems that were meant to be played live to a crowd, loudly and with abandon. Described by the band’s Lola Sim as “an explosion of color,” the album’s material is visceral and immediately gets under the skin.

Lyrically, the material draws from Fontaines D.C., Autolux and Sonic Youth while reportedly anchored around a bold, groove-based sound with rich arrangements. In a “complete experiment,” as the band’s Alfie Sayers says, “the band recorded songs live in front of a crowd at London‘s RAK Studios, capturing the energy of a HotWax set.

Thematically, Hot Shock sees the band tackling a broad range of challenging topics — selfhood, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and more — while allowing for reach band member’s personality to shine. While the album’s material may traverse the unsettling terrain of entering adulthood, the album’s material has an underlying playfulness rooted in the band’s desire to nurture and sustain their personal and creative partnerships: The band’s Sim-Savage and Sam are childhood friends, who have been writing songs together since they were 12. Sim-Savage later met Sayers at music college five years later. Sim-Savage says. “We know how each other’s brains work so well. We couldn’t do any of this without each other.”

“Wanna Be a Doll,” Hot Shock‘s latest single is a rousingly anthemic ripper that immediately recalls 90s grunge and riot grrl punk but underpinned with a raw urgency and vulnerable pulse. “This is the first song we wrote for the album and we re-wrote it in so many different ways,” HotWax’s Sim-Savage says. “And it ended up pretty similar to the first version, which seems to be how it goes. It’s a song where I am writing about myself from someone else’s point of view, being self aware of my bad, sometimes destructive, traits.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Lyric Video: WILDES and St. Francis Hotel Team Up on Broodingly Atmospheric and Yearning “Are You Gonna Speak?”

Ella Walker is an Irish-British, London-based singer/songwriter and the creative mastermind behind the rising pop project WILDES. Walker’s critically applauded full-length debut, last year’s St. Francis Hotel-produced Other Words Fail Me featured “True Love,” a collaboration with The Flaming Lips. Building upon a growing profile, Walker released her self-produced EP Subsidence earlier this year.

Declan Gaffney is an acclaimed Irish producer, best known as St. Francis Hotel. Gaffney has worked with the likes of Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka, Wasia Project, Lip Filler and a growing list of others.

WILDES and St. Francis Hotel recently announced the forthcoming collaborative EP, Kopfkino. Slated for a February 19, 2025 release, the EP continuing their wildly successful collaboration together while drawing from 80s synth pop acts like Erasure, The Human League and Depeche Mode, and trip-hop acts like Massive Attack and Portishead. “Though regularly collaborating for various projects, we chose to come together for this EP because of our shared experience and grounding in the emotive meaning behind the songs,” Walker says of the forthcoming collaborative EP. “Exploring and getting lost in our own minds, being shut out of the minds of others, and trying to navigate the world at the behest of our subconscious.”

Kopfkino‘s second and latest single “Are You Gonna Speak?” features bursts of reverb-drenched, strummed guitar, throbbing and oscillating synths, skittering industrial clink and clatter, which help to create a broodingly atmospheric bed for Walker’s yearning delivery.

“Drawing from the silence and suffocation that can surface towards the end of a relationship, ‘Are You Gonna Speak?’ is a plea for connection,” Walker explains. “Exposing difficult conversations but trying to inspire hope, it’s a final cry for help before the moment ends for good.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Joey Sachi Teams Up With AKINAT on Breezy “7 Seconds”

Joey Sachi is an Aussie-born, Tokyo-based singer/songwriter and pop artist, who can trace the origins of her career to her childhood: She grew up in a household where music was not only a pivotal and integral part of her life, but where she quickly became ins tired to follow in the footsteps of the pop icons she admired.

Before relocating to Tokyo, Sachi became intrigued by songwriting after studying Classical music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

As a songwriter, Sachi cites the likes of Jamie xx, Daft Punk, and Sabrina Claudio as influences on her sound and approach, which sees her attempting to bridge the gaps between pop and electronic music while paired with introspective and emotionally intimate lyrics.

“7 Seconds,” the Aussie-born, Tokyo-based artist’s latest single is a hook driven and breezy pop confection featuring a simple yet propulsive beat and glistening synth arpeggios serving as an atmospheric bed for Sachi’s ethereal delivery. The pair explain that they “wanted to experiment making a track inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ with a simple beat/layers and a topline influenced by Stevie Nicks’ melodic creativity. While nodding at Stevie Nicks, I think the song reminds me a bit more of JOVM mainstay ACES and others.

Sachi explains that the song is inspired by the life story of Clive Wearing. “Clive Wearing is a British classical musician whose life was devastatingly impacted by a rare and severe form of memory loss. The profoundly beautiful part of Clive’s story is that his wife Deborah remained a constant in his life – the deepest of connections…almost instinctual, that despite his memory resetting every few seconds allowed him to always seek comfort amongst his fragmented existence.

Inspired by his story we created ‘7 Seconds’, exploring the divine beauty in a love so deep, one that  endures all the ebbs and flows of life.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Allegories Tackle Talk Talk’s Smash-Hit “It’s My Life”

Canadian experimental pop outfit Allegories — childhood friends Adam Bentley and Jordan Mitchell — can trace their project’s origins to their members’ penchant for indulging in unconventional musical pursuits. After founding anthemic, indie rock outfit The Rest, Bentley and Mitchell embraced any opportunity to indulge their more outeé inclinations and desires. 

Back in 2014, Bentley and Mitchell began writing and recording material with no clear destination in mind, dabbling in everything from neoclassical compositions to hip hop. Gathering further inspiration from DJ’ing house and hip-hop nights, the act began to create electronic music that often shifts between the mainstream and underground spectrum. 

Throughout the past decade or so, the duo have had very busy schedules: Bentley currently works behind the scenes in the music industry. Mitchell operates a restaurant. But Allegories almost always found a way to creep back into their lives — even if only as a private amusement between the pair. 

The duo spent the better part of a decade winnowing down 35 song ideas into their nine-song album. 2022’s Endless, their first full-length album in over 14 years. “There’s a moment during the marking of an album, where you don’t know if you’ll finish it,” Bentley and Mitchell say. “Endless was riddled with these cynical epiphanies. It’s unavoidable when you’ve spent over half a decade tinkering away. But as we closed in on the finish line, there was a sense that this could be the last work you ever complete. That spurs the process on, giving urgency. If you spend 14 years between albums, you want to make every note count.”

Since then, the Canadian duo have released a handful of standalone singles, including their first ever cover, Talk Talk’s 1984 smash-hit “It’s My Life,” which was also famously covered by No Doubt back in 2003. As the story goes, the duo’s Adam Bentley has long been skeptical of the song, associating it with the No Doubt cover that he was forced to listen to “almost every day for five years” while working at a hardware store. However, Bentley’s bandmate Jordan Mitchell managed to get the British band’s biggest transatlantic hit stuck in Bentley’s head, which sometimes occurs for months at a time. And with his prodding, Mitchell got Bentley began to see it in a new light.

“The urgency in Mark Hollis’ vocals struck me. And by covering the song, I felt like I was taking back to a place of admiration and passion, and away from Gwen Stefani. Keep Talk Talk away from Gwen at all costs,” Bentley insists.

While the Allegories’ take on the song is for the most part fairly faithful to the original’s climbing bass melody and steady beat, paired with Bentley’s urgent, impassioned delivery. But unlike the original, the Canadian duo add some swirling shoegazer-like synth textures, which gives the Allegories cover a subtly otherworldly quality.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: John Finbury and Bruna Black Team Up on Meditative “Pérolas”

https://youtu.be/lV4VCFavzek?si=qISKiIoxuUGNoT_l

Andover, MA-based Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated drummer and composer John Finbury spent his teenaged years playing in rock bands at New York’s legendary The Bitter End. He then went on to study classical piano, music theory and composition at the Longy School of Music at Bard College and at Boston University. 

Back in 2014, the Andover-based musician and composer released The Green Flash, a four song EP of original compositions of Brazilian jazz. All four songs received nominations for the 2015 American Songwriting Awards with “SambaDan” winning for Best Instrumental. Finbury followed The Green Flash EP with 2015’s 11-song Brazilian jazz effort Imaginário featuring vocalist Marcella Camargo and some of Boston’s best players, including Fernando Huergo, Mark Walker, Tim Ray, Claudio Ragazzi, Roberto Cassan and Ricardo Monzon. Finbury surprised the Latin music world when Imaginário track “A Chama Verde” received a Latin Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.

2017’s Pitanga was released to critical acclaim. Adding to a rapidly growing profile in the Latin music scene, Finbury’s third album, the Emilio D. Miler-produced Sorte!, which saw him collaborating with vocalist Thalma de Freitas and an All-Star band featuring Vitor Gonçalves, Chico Pinheiro, Duduka de Fonseca, John Patitucci, Rogerio Boccato and Airto Moreira received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz album. 

2020 saw the release of two albums of originals: American Nocturnes: Final Days of July, an album of intimate chamber jazz compositions featuring arrangements for piano, cello, guitar, accordion and harmonica — and Quatro, a Latin jazz album featuring Lagos Herrera, Chano Domínguez, John Pattiucci and Antonio Sánchez. 

During the pandemic, the Andover-based musician and composer collaborated with French jazz vocalist Camille Bertault. They recorded and released “Look at What a Mess You Made of Me,” which featured Christian McBride (bass) and “Boulevard,” which featured Larry Gouldings (organ) and Billy Martin (drums). 

In 2021, following the death of the legendary Chick Correa, Finbury and de Freitas wrote and recorded “Ring The Bells” as a tribute to the man and his influential work. 

In 2022 Finbury wrote and released three original Brazilian jazz compositions recorded in São Paulo by Mestrinho (accordion), Michael Pipoquinho (bass), Cainã Cavalcante (guitar), Celso de Almeida (drums) and Leo Rodrigues (percussion). 

Last year was a very busy year for Finbury: He continued an ongoing collaboration with Magos Herrera and recorded and released three original compositions of Chamber Jazz. The Andover-based musician and composer also continued his successful collaboration with Miler, who introduced him to rising São Paulo-based singer/songwriter Bruna Black. 

Black wound up contributing vocals to Finbury’s latest album Vã Revelação, which was released earlier this year. Over the course of the past year, I’ve written about three of the album’s singles: 

“Chão De Nuvem,” a soulful year breezy tune featuring an arrangement of fluttering accordion, a supple bass line, shuffling percussion. The song gorgeously — and effortlessly — meshes elements of samba, jazz fusion and pop while being a perfect vehicle for Bruna Black’s languorous yet soulful delivery. 

“Será,” a song built around a gorgeous arrangement of shimmering acoustic guitar by Chico Pinheiro, a supple and sinuous bass line from John Pattiucci that’s roomy enough for Black’s expressive vocal. Fittingly released at the end of last year, the song is a meditation on the passing of time, the choices and plans we make that work out and the ones that fail — with the understanding that all of it influences who we are, and who we will become. 

Album title track “Vã Revelação,” a breathtakingly gorgeous yet bittersweet tune, anchored around the classic shuffle and sway of bossa nova featuring shimmering, strummed guitar, a supple bass line, twinkling and expressive bursts of piano serving as a lush bed for Black’s stunning vocal turn. Much like its predecessors, “Vã Revelação” is meditative yet breezy, a blast of summer — but full of the recognition of the passing of time, and of regrets, hopes dashed and hopes to be had again.

Vã Revelação’s latest single “Pérolas” is anchored around a swaying jazz/pop standard-meets-Bossa nova-like ballad arrangement and a gorgeous, soulful guitar solo by Chico Pinheiro paired with Black’s equally gorgeous vocal singling lyrics by Thalma De Freitas. Much like its predecessors “Pérolas” is nostalgic yet mediative, seemingly ruminating on the things that one cannot get back — youth, love, and so on.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: TONNUP Shares Sultry, Club Friendly “I’m So into You”

TONNUP is a mysterious and emerging American electronic music producer and artist. His latest single “I’m So Into You” is a club banger anchored around glistening synth arpeggios, skittering beats, tweeter and woofer rattling low end, a sultry vocal sample and some incredibly catchy hooks.

“I created this track specifically for blacklight body paint EDM parties. I want people to be able to enjoy it,” TONNUP says of the new single.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Riga’s Bēdu Brāļi Shares Brooding and Uneasy “Drošākā vieta”

Jānis Liepiņš (bass) and Pēteris Ozols (drums) — spent their formative years among their homeland’s vibrant mid 00s punk and rock scenes. While the scene’s fiercely independent ethos and the use of Lativan lyrics rubbed off on them, they’ve managed to stand apart from their peers. 

The Riga-based outfit’s full-length debut, 2022’s Duende saw them crafting a sound that featured elements of shoegaze, psych rock, post-punk and more. Building upon a growing profile in their homeland, the trio’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Lauskas will be released through I Love You Records.

Deriving its title from the Latvian word for shards, the Riga-based outfit’s sophomore album reportedly sees the band further cementing their boundary pushing sound. The album will feature two previously released singles that I’ve written about over the course of this past year: 

“Ikdienas-dzive,” a track anchored around glistening guitars, a chugging motorik groove and a woozy, shoegazer textured guitar solo paired with Tu’s punchily delivered vocal. While recalling Montréal‘s Atusko Chiba, “Ikdienas-dzive,” captures a nagging sense of vacillating self-doubt, bored and uneasy dread and frustration that should feel familiar to anyone who’s slaved away at a soul-sucking day job. 

“Pieskaries,” is a brooding, decidedly post punk affair featuring an angular and propulsive bass line, rolling drum pattern and bursts of slashing guitars serving as an uneasy bed for Oskars Tu’s desperate wails. While continuing a run of material that reminds me a bit of Atsuko Chiba, “Pieskaries” captures a modern sense of isolation and unease while being with others. 

The album’s latest single “Drošākā vieta” is a tense and brooding song featuring an angular and propulsive bass line, swirling shoegazer textures guitars paired with Oskars Tu’s achingly plaintive delivery before ending with a noisy coda. Deriving its name for the Latvian phrase for “safe place,” “Drošākā vieta” captures the long for a safe place in a mad, mad world.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Phoenix’s Glixen Shares Stormy “lick the star”

Phoenix-based shoegazers Glixen — Aislinn Ritchie (vocals), Esteban Santana (guitar), Keire Johnson (drums) and Sonia Garcia (bass) — was founded back in 2020 by the band’s Aislinn Ritchie, who then enlisted Santana, Johnson, and Garcia to complete the band’s lineup. Emerging from a scene of local DIY artists, the quartet’s unique sound and look set them apart from their counterparts and led to tours across the US alongside bands like Narrow Head, Cowgirl Clue, MSPaint, Hotline TNT, and They’re Gutting A Body of Water. 

Glixen’s debut EP She Only Said was released last summer through Julia’s War Recordings. The EP saw the band adding themselves to a list of contemporary shoegaze outfits actively pushing the genre in a new direction — through a approach that incorporates ethereal pop vocals and shimmering guitars that are meant to guide you toward the feeling of true self-expression. 

Building upon a growing profile, the Phoenix-based shoegazers’ highly-anticiapted Sonny DiPerri-produced sophomore EP quiet pleasures is slated for a February 21, 2025 release digitally through AWAL and on vinyl through Wichita Recordings. The EP will feature previously release singles “sick silent” and two singles I wrote about on this site:

“foreversoon,” a woozy bit of shoegaze built around fuzzy and melodic power chord-driven guitars, thunderous drumming and Ritchie’s tender and ethereal falsetto paired with enormous hooks and choruses. “foreverspoon” sees the Phoenix-based outfit taking up a much heavier sound that seemingly channels Souvlaki-era Slowdive, Nowhere-era RIDE, and contemporaries like JOVM mainstays Blushing. “‘foreversoon’ represents blissful moments of new love and intimacy,” Glixen’s Aislinn Ritchie explains. “The song harnesses melancholy chords, layered with fuzzy red melodies and gliding guitars that pull you in deeper. I wanted my lyrics to feel like a conversation that expresses my infatuation and sensuality. Time is relentless and memories are fleeting, this song encapsulates those emotions forever.”

“lust” is a woozy track that sees the band continuing to explore a heavier sound — but this time channeling 90s grunge and nu-metal with fuzz and distorted pedaled power chords, down-tuned bass and blissed out rhythms. Ritchie’s yearning vocal ethereally floating over the brooding and muscular arrangement. “lust” is about the yearning and wanting of somebody and the rush that that person makes you feel,” Glixen’s Aislinn Ritchie explains. “It is a feeling that is shallow, yet it feels intense and passionate but only for a moment. We wanted to take the direction of our sound to a heavier place. I wanted the weight of the sound to crush me.”

The Phoenix-based shoegazers celebrate the announcement of their second EP with another single from it, “lick the star.” Beginning with an eerily atmospheric and brooding sound bath-like introduction reminiscent of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, “lick the star,” quickly turns into a wall of sound of fuzzy and swirling guitar textures, thunderous drumming paired with Ritchie’s ethereal yet plaintive delivery before ending with bursts of feedback.

“This song is special, it begins with a mellow sonic bath of an intro and explodes into a whirling wall of sound and melody,” the band’s Aislinn Ritchie says. “Also, we are excited to announce our first full US headline tour. This is going to be a very busy and fun year for us!”

2024 has been a busy year for the rising Phoenix-based quartet. They’ve played SXSW and Treefort Festval. They’ve also had opening slots for acts like Interpol, DIIV, Nothing., Tanukichan, Turnover, Glare, Glitterer, Softcult and Fish Narc among others.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: 802 Returns with Disco-Tinged Ripper “Princess”

Andreas “Slowoff” Asingh was one of the most critically acclaimed electronic artists in Denmark, working with internationally renowned artists like Raekwon while touring the world. Eventually, life’s twist and turns took Asingh back to his roots, the Danish countryside of Mols Bjerge.
Back in 2022, Asingh met Emil Sørensen and Kristian Holbæk, two young dudes making names for themselves in the country’s underground metal scene. Although the the members of 802 weren’t an obvious creative musical match, they bonded over their desire to create a sound that meshes elements of classic heavy metal, hazy shoegazer textures and ghostly synth pop with unashamedly catchy melodies. According to the band, the 802 world is ruled by musical anarchy and is a place for headbangers and pop lovers to unite.
The trio’s first ever show was at last year’s New Colossus Festival. And since then they’ve released three singles that received attention internationally: “My Girl,” and “22 (Velvet Vampire),” which were featured in award-winning horror shorts and “1986.” “1986” saw the Danish trio firmly cementing their sound: dense layers of crunchy metal riffage and thunderous drumming reminiscent of Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets-era Metallica, dreamy and incredibly catchy melodies, the sort of twinkling and atmospheric synths that will remind some of shoegazers like Chicago‘s Lightfoils, BLACKSTONE RNGRS, Hong Kong‘s Lucid Express and Montréal-based JOVM mainstays Bodywash paired some rousingly anthemic, raise-your-beer-in-the-air-and-shout-along worthy hooks.
Over the summer, the Danish outfit took their hook-driven mesh of metal and pop to some of Scandinavia’s biggest festival, including Copenhell and Roskilde. The band has also received New Artist of the Year and New Live Artist of the Year nominations at the Danish metal awards, Den Hårde Tone. Building upon the growing momentum surrounding the band, the rising trio share their fourth single “Princess.” “Princess” sees the band pairing a relentlessly propulsive, Metallica-like chug with glistening synth arpeggios and the band’s penchant for enormous, rousingly anthemic hooks and choruses.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Copenhagen’s Homesickness Shares Brooding and heartbreaking “Asunder”

Led by Mathe Junge (vocals, guitar), the acclaimed Copenhagen-based experimental chamber folk septet Homesickness has been raised for a “gorgeous and wild” sound that draws from a diverse array of influences including Laurel Canyon folk, British folk, Laughing Stock-era Talk Talk and contemporary experimental avant-garde folk, as well as the tranquility and expansive beauty of nature.

Crafting lush and elaborate arrangements anchored around instrumentation like violin, cello, woodwinds, bells and guitar, the Danish outfit’s material lyrically focuses on deeply personal themes. According to the band’s Junge, the compositions serve as intuitive artistic tools to mirror and stimulate conversations about mental health, spirituality, love and relationships while offering a glimpse into a vulnerable and sometimes almost devotional pursuit of emancipation, where light and love, pain and darkness are unified into a cohesive aesthetic whole.

The Danish folk outfit’s sophomore album Anamnesis is slated for a March 21, 2025 release through Copenhagen-based label Pink Cotton Candy Records. The 10-song album features arrangements that blend spirited ambient flute and string improvisations, ghostly field recordings, vibrant orchestrated folk rock, singer/songwriter folk and avant-garde breakouts. Recorded during the harvest moon of 2023, the album’s material is infused with a sense of cyclical renewal and the natural rhythms of life. According to Junge, the album is more than just a collection of songs, it’s a wish to journey into the heart of our shared humanity and an exploration of the intrinsic and primordial aspects of our being. Ultimately, the album is a call to recognize and embrace the fundamental experiences that bind us together, and to express the kindness and care that naturally flow that recognition.

Anamnesis’ second and latest single “Asunder” is a slow-burning and meditative track that’s one-part chamber pop, one-part cosmic folk, one part-jazz freakout anchored around Junge’s softly whispered plaintive delivery that sonically seems indebted to Nick Drake and contemporaries like Loving.

“Asunder” is a deeply personal song that sees Junge reflecting on the profound impact of the suicides of his stepfather and stepsister with the song capturing the struggle to cope with such massive loss, the burdens of inheritance and more. The song is a heartbreaking farewell, and a reminder of the beauty within the universal experiences of grift and joy that honors the memories and legacies of those who are no longer with us.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Cardiff’s Red Telephone Share Sleek and Brooding “Sentimental Dreaming”

Cardiff, Wales, UK-based quintet Red Telephone features two sets of brothers, alongside the first full-time drummer in their history. Their debut, a double A-side vinyl was released by Welsh cult label Popty-Ping and received praise from Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq.

Building upon a rapidly growing profile, the Cardiff-based quintet’s full-length debut, last year’s Hollowing Out, which saw them firmly establishing a blend of psych rock and darkwave, received attention from Clash Magazine, Under The Radar and others, as well as airplay from BBC 6 Music.

The Welsh band’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Delay The New Day is slated for a January 31, 2025 release. The album reportedly sees the quintet building upon their melodic blend of psych and darkwave while also drawing from cinematic influences.

Delay The New Day’s last pre-release single “Sentimental Dreaming” is an arena friendly tune anchored around a propulsive, hypnotic bass line, driving four-on-the-floor, glistening synth arpeggios, ad a brooding bridge paired with incredibly catchy hooks, a rousingly anthemic chorus. Seemingly drawing from Simple Minds, MGMT and 80s post punk, “Sentimental Dreaming” can trace its origins back to a 14 minute acoustic guitar session originally intended to fix the chorus of a different song, but quickly became one of the first songs the band worked on for the album.

The song eventually went through several iterations. including a foray into Robyn-inspired pop before finding its final version in a spontaneous late-night studio session. “We started listening back to practice recordings of all the different versions we’d attempted and there was this one phone recording with this really rhythmic, catchy bassline by Dom,” the band’s Declan recalls. “We were basically recording it ten minutes later on the fly and didn’t leave the studio until about 2am. There was definitely some late-in-the-day chaos as we scrambled to get it over the line, but it added a different energy & even brought about one of Kieran’s favourite guitar parts on the album, which he put down off the cuff going into the outro almost in some jaded desperation to get it done.” 

Thematically, the song focuses on the trials and tribulations of contemporary artists, touching upon the gaping chasm between romanticized versions of creative pursuits and the bitterly harsh realities of chasing one’s artistic dreams, including the exhausting juggling act of day jobs and creativity, the bombardment of conflicting advice on achieving success and more. The song subtly touches on the self-doubt, unease, paranoia and determination that it takes to make it in any creative field — especially music. But it also touches on refusing to compromise on one’s artistic vision, and the mentality needed to keep creating for the right reasons.

“There’s obviously this idealistic sentimentality in dreaming – it almost sounds like a sweet, harmless thing to do – but it’s deceptively powerful, because it can send us down paths that end up dictating not only behaviour but entire periods of our lives and ways of living,” Dom says.

Cardiff, Wales, UK-based quintet Red Telephone features two sets of brothers, alongside the first full-time drummer in their history. Their debut, a double A-side vinyl was released by Welsh cult label Popty-Ping and received praise from Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq.

Building upon a rapidly growing profile, the Cardiff-based quintet’s full-length debut, last year’s Hollowing Out, which saw them firmly establishing a blend of psych rock and darkwave, received attention from Clash Magazine, Under The Radar and others, as well as airplay from BBC 6 Music.

The Welsh band’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Delay The New Day is slated for a January 31, 2025 release. The album reportedly sees the quintet building upon their melodic blend of psych and darkwave while also drawing from cinematic influences.

Delay The New Day’s last pre-release single “Sentimental Dreaming” is an arena friendly tune anchored around a propulsive, hypnotic bass line, driving four-on-the-floor, glistening synth arpeggios, ad a brooding bridge paired with incredibly catchy hooks, a rousingly anthemic chorus. Seemingly drawing from Simple Minds, MGMT and 80s post punk, “Sentimental Dreaming” can trace its origins back to a 14 minute acoustic guitar session originally intended to fix the chorus of a different song, but quickly became one of the first songs the band worked on for the album.

The song eventually went through several iterations. including a foray into Robyn-inspired pop before finding its final version in a spontaneous late-night studio session. “We started listening back to practice recordings of all the different versions we’d attempted and there was this one phone recording with this really rhythmic, catchy bassline by Dom,” the band’s Declan recalls. “We were basically recording it ten minutes later on the fly and didn’t leave the studio until about 2am. There was definitely some late-in-the-day chaos as we scrambled to get it over the line, but it added a different energy & even brought about one of Kieran’s favourite guitar parts on the album, which he put down off the cuff going into the outro almost in some jaded desperation to get it done.” 

Thematically, the song focuses on the trials and tribulations of contemporary artists, touching upon the gaping chasm between romanticized versions of creative pursuits and the bitterly harsh realities of chasing one’s artistic dreams, including the exhausting juggling act of day jobs and creativity, the bombardment of conflicting advice on achieving success and more. The song subtly touches on the self-doubt, unease, paranoia and determination that it takes to make it in any creative field — especially music. But it also touches on refusing to compromise on one’s artistic vision, and the mentality needed to keep creating for the right reasons.

“There’s obviously this idealistic sentimentality in dreaming – it almost sounds like a sweet, harmless thing to do – but it’s deceptively powerful, because it can send us down paths that end up dictating not only behaviour but entire periods of our lives and ways of living,” Dom says.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Club 8 Shares Blissful and Woozy “Something’s Wrong With My Head”

Formed back in 1995, Stockholm-based duo Club 8 — Karolina Komstedt (vocals) and electronic music producer, artist and Labrador Records founder and label boss Johan Angergård — initially began as a recording project, before expanding into a full-fledged touring band. 

Throughout their nearly three decade history, the Swedish pop outfit has a long-held reputation for being sonically restless and notoriously difficult to pigeonhole. Their full-length debut, 1995’s Nouvelle saw the duo tackling Bossa nova. 1998’s The Friend I Once Had saw the duo exploring electronic pop and electronic dance music. The Swedish outfit’s next three albums — 2001’s self-titled, 2002’s Spring Came, Rain Fell and 2003’s Strangely Beautiful — saw the duo dabbling with old-school-inspired soul. 

2017-2018 may have arguably been one of the more prolific and busiest periods of Angergård’s lengthy career: With his solo recording project The Legends, he released Nightshift. Djustin, the Labrador Records founder and label boss’ collaboration with Rose Suau released their full-length debut, Voyagers. He closed that period out with Club 8’s 10th album, 2018’s Golden Island, which featured “The Hospital,” one of the most industrial/goth-leaning tracks the pair have ever released. 

Over the past year, the Swedish duo have released a batch of singles, including “Sucker,” which saw the Stockholm-based duo dabbling dance floor friendly, hook-driven 80s New Wave nostalgia.

The duo will be releasing their 11th album A Year With Club 8 through their longtime label home Labrador Records. And along with the album announcement, the Swedes shared the album’s latest single, “Something’s Wrong With My Head.” Seemingly nodding at Joy Division/New Order and The Raveonettes, “Something’s Wrong With My Head” continues a run of material dabbling in 80s New Wave nostalgia while being a woozy, blissful and downright escapist little bop.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: ORKID Shares glistening “Skin and Bones”

Northern Sweden-born pop artist ORKID has made a name for herself in Stockholm‘s acclaimed and vibrant pop scene. Drawing influence from Nat King Cole and Sam Cooke while embodying the essence of modern Swedish indie pop, the Stockholm-based singer/songwriter possesses a vocal delivery that’s ethereal and fragile yet commanding. Behind the scenes, the Swedish pop artist has also made name for herself as a formidable pop songwriter, writing hits in studios from Los Angeles to London through collaborations with Armin Van Buuren, K-pop group Apink while working alongside Shane Stevens, Maths Time Joy and Eddie Serafica.

ORKID’s own work have appeared on Spotify New Music Friday playlists across 20+ countries while receiving praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, Complex and Beats 1.

Building upon a growing profile, the Swedish artist’s latest EP Where Flowers Grow may arguably be her most intimate effort yet: The EP’s material is a poignant love letter to her late mother. The five-song EP features carefully crafted songs that see her infuse luminous indie pop with a shade of melancholy, informed by grief and loss. “There’s no reception for a soul, so I go where your flowers grow and sit there with you for a while,” the Swedish artist says of the EP.

The EP’s latest single, EP opening track “Skin and Bones” is anchored around an ethereal production featuring glistening synth arpeggios and skittering beats that serves as a lush, Stevie Nicks “Stand Back“-like bed for ORKID’s yearning, pop star delivery, which sees her confronting mortality — her mother’s and even her own — and the aftermath of death on those left behind.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Parra for Cuva’s Chilled Out Remix of Christian Löffler’s “A Life”

Christian Löffler is an acclaimed German musician, producer and DJ, whose work is widely celebrated across electronic music circles for a distinct sound that seamlessly blends elements of ambient music, techno and house. 

Released earlier this year, Löffler’s third album A Life sees the German-born musician, producer and DJ continuing to push his sound and approach in new directions while exploring new emotional depths. The album features “Y,” a lush and flirty, crowd pleasing banger featuring Mogli‘s yearning delivery paired with woozy and glistening synth arpeggios, thumping tweeter and woofer rattling low end, skittering beats and a rousingly anthemic, euphoric set of hooks and choruses.

Album single and album title track “A Life” is a lush electro pop tune featuring bursts of twinkling piano, glistening Giorgio Moroder-like oscillations that slowly boil dup in intensity, skittering beats paired with a yearning cooing vocal sample that’s chopped up and pitched down. The result is a song that’s mediative and cinematic yet intimate.

Recently Parra for Cuva remixed “A Life.” The Parra for Cuva remix retains the yearning and cooing vocal sample but places it within an lush and soulful production that pairs squiggling, reverb-soaked The Edge-like guitars, skittering beats and woozy synth oscillations. Sonically bringing Washed Out and Brothertiger to mind, the Parra for Cuva remix retains the original’s intimate feel but while giving it a moody, chilled out vibe.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Rising Irish Trio Adore Share Mosh Pit Friendly Ripper “Can We Talk”

Rising Irish outfit Adore — Lara Minchin (vocals, guitar), Lachlann Ó Fionnáin (bass, vocals) and Naoise Jordan Cavanaugh (drums) — hail from Dublin, Donegal and Galway respectively. Influenced by The Breeders, Elastica, Echobelly, The Undertones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sleeper, the Irish bonded over a mutual passion for melody and message, while developing a sound that pairs crunchy power chords and a driving rhythm section with incisive, thought-provoking lyrics that delve into pressing societal issues.

Since the release of their debut single, last year’s “Postcards,” the band has made the rounds of the Irish live circuit, opening for the likes of The Scratch, 86TVs, The Bug Club, Cardinals and SPRINTS. They’ve also played at Electric Picnic Festival and Whelan’s Ones To Watch 2024 showcase. Adding to a growing profile, across both Ireland the UK, the Irish trio have received coverage from the likes of So Young Magazine, DIY Magazine, Clash Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, Dork, Rough Trade and Nailler9, as well as airplay from BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and Radio X’s John Kennedy — with just a handful of singles under their collective belts.

Hot on the heels of September’s “Supermum!,” the rising trio’s latest single, the Daniel Fox-produced “Can We Talk” is a 90s alt rock/riot grrl-inspired ripper anchored around crunchy power chords, a chugging rhythm section, enormous mosh pit friendly hooks paired with Minchin’s delivery, which alternates between indignation and wry humor. For the old heads out there, this one will remind you a bit of 120 Minutes-era MTV alt rock — but with a decidedly post-punk air.

“‘Can We Talk’ revolves around a pattern of abuse where one is picked up when broken, broken down even farther and is moulded into something subservient, meek and willing to please,” Adore’s Laura Minchin explains. “There is an awareness that one doesn’t get into these situations from a good start. In my experience there has been something unhealed in me that has made me lean into control in the past.

“It begins with not being allowed to disagree with small things, until dangerous patterns of behaviour come to the front and you are so beaten down and made to feel so worthless that you feel like there is no conceivable way you can leave.

It’s sort of like a horror film, where the threat is always there; it presents with small poltergeist acts, a glass is smashed, the dog keeps barking at seemingly nothing, until the force gains more and more power as it feeds from your livelihood. It’s only when it gets genuinely frightening that you realise that the threat has always been there.”