Cruising – Black Lips
This Atlanta-based garage rock band have been making music together for over twenty years, and this year we have seen the release of two singles as well as an album this month. The group also had in store for their fans another two songs titled ‘Make It’ and ‘Cruising’. It was hard to pick a favourite to feature but ‘Cruising’ just has that classic old and new blend that makes a song so special.
You can listen to the song here:
Pace Yourself – Joyce Wrice
I had been waiting to feature Joyce Wrice for the longest time, always finding her singles in the wrong month. This October she released an EP however, including her single and duet with KAYTRANADA ‘Iced Tea’, but also a track called ‘Pace Yourself’. There’s a slight 90s feel to the song, where Wrice lets the vocals flow so eloquently.
You can listen to the song here:
Scene 1 – Sebastian Mikael
R&B soul artist Sebastian Mikael has accumulated his collabs and singles on his latest EP ‘PHILEO’, but there’s one song with the name ‘Scene 1’ that fits into neither of these categories. In ‘Scene 1’ the singer channels some funk, demonstrated by a smooth melody and lush vocals which tunefully get lost in each other.
You can listen to the song here:
Dead Hotel – King No-one
‘Dead Hotel’ by Northern alternative rock group King No-one has an amazing hook that dominates the song ever so melodically. I love that it doesn’t feel overproduced, but there is a new detail you notice on each listen.
You can listen to the song here:
It’s Only Love – Be Charlotte
When I started looking for music for this month’s discoveries, I knew I wanted to find a song like this. A refreshing pop single that deserved the energy it gave itself. There’s also that relatability there, matched to a tune that just gets better and better.
You can listen to the song here:
Quiet Waves – Marika Takeuchi
Since reviewing many instrumental artists, I’ve now been on the look out for music belonging to such genres. When I first heard ‘Quiet Waves’, I was taken by how Japanese composer Marika Takeuchi makes something so beautiful with one sole instrument of the piano. And now every time I go back to listen, I can notice another intricacy of one of the perpetually gorgeous piano sequences.
You can listen to the song here:
Something Special – Thouartchi
London musician Thouartchi is not afraid to go straight into the core melody on ‘Something Special’ during the intro, producing a melody and providing vocals that follow whatever emotion she is going for in that moment.
You can listen to the song here:
Bullet – Elizabeth M.Drummond
This month indie songstress Elizabeth M. Drummond has produced a stripped back track entitled ‘Bullet’. Here we get to listen to her elegant vocals close up, accompanied by serenading guitar in the instrumental.
You can listen to the song here:
Waiting For You – Ewan Mainwood
British pop singer Ewan Mainwood repeats the emotion filled line ‘feels like I’ve been waiting for you all my life’ behind a fun instrumental. It’s Mainwood’s first song after his debut EP ‘Broken’, and it seems as if the musician has more in store for his listeners.
You can listen to the song here:
Players Part – Nia Chennai
Nia Chennai is foreshadowing what she is ready to bring to the UK music industry with her debut single ‘Players Part’. So far she has already showcased the alleviating quality of her vocals, the smooth flow of her instrumentals and how she mixes and matches her influences to add her own print on her music.
You can listen to the song here:
The Royal Blackbird – The Unthanks
This sister band have not long released their 2022 album ‘Sorrows Away’, featuring a fascinating track called ‘The Royal Blackbird’. Just by listening to this song I can tell that The Unthanks are making the music they want to make, as it feels freely sang and authentically produced.
You can listen to the song here:
Robert Wyatt – Neil Dexter
Being one of my dad’s favourite singers, the title of this song by Irish soloist Neil Dexter took me by surprise. And so did the music actually, in a good way. I wasn’t expecting the extraordinarily 80s electronic chorus, but I throughly enjoyed it.
You can listen to the song here:
