The Silver Bars – The Morning
The Silver Bars capture an element of 2,000’s indie on their new single ‘The Morning’. There’s a great sense of humour that permeates the track, from the eery intro to the upbeat chorus which is contrasted with the earworm vocal line as the words ‘I won’t bullshit you I don’t feel fine’ punch through the bright indie exterior. This clever use of irony really gives ‘The Morning’ it’s appeal and a real edge in a saturated indie market.
The Cumbria-based five piece truly capture the charm of The Strokes early material on this single. With their sarcastic delivery and biting guitar lines The Silver Bars seem not only like a band who would be great fun to see live but also a band I’m sure would be great fun to hang out with at the pub.
Dragonfruit – Gears Of The Giant Machine
Capturing the music complexity of UK nu-soul band Jungle with a fresh R&B pop edge, Dragonfruit really shine across their new album ‘Gears Of The Giant Machine’. For the sake of this review I’m focusing the title track, for me one of the album’s highlights.
The Rotterdam five piece really smash it out of the park on Gears Of The Giant Machine: from the virtuoso vocals on display, to the funk infused moving bass line and swaying beat, to the subtle layers of synths, to the epic strings, every element is perfectly thought out, expertly executed and brought together elegantly and beautifully, it’s truly aw-inspiring. It’s well worth looking on youtube for the live version of this track, it really shines on what a truly talents group Dragonfruit are. A band with so much potential it hurts.
Miko – In My Dreams
Canadian indie-pop solo artist Miko has been building a name for himself over the last few years. The new single ‘In My Dreams is a prime example of his work – muted, modulated guitar lines, airy synths and a tight beat come together to create a bedroom pop backing under Miko’s effortless, attitude soaked vocals.
Catchy and brilliantly produced the track definitely packs lots of commercial appeal but deeper than that, ‘In My Dreams’ captures a beautiful simplicity and a real honesty in the lyricism. With it’s inventive instrumentation and melancholic mood despite the upbeat guitar and synth lines, Miko sounds as if he has really found his sound on ‘In My Dreams’ and is really having fun writing music.
The Ceiling Stares – Mouthbreather
The Ceiling Stares latest offering ‘Mouthbreather’ blends Hot Chip styled electronica with a sharp vocal delivery comparable to David Byrne to create a sound which is multifaceted and isn’t quite like anything else. This originality coupled with the low-fi nature of the production: vintage drum machines, layers of analog synth, makes ‘Mouthbreather’ a really interesting and somewhat addictive listen. Having also just dropped a new album, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on the ever prolific songwriter’s Spotify page.
Coco And The Lost – Crying In The Bathroom
Capturing an element of Brit Pop, Coco And The Lost’s new single ‘Crying In The Bathroom’ contrasts the feeling of needing to be on your own to have a little cry with a thick, synth heavy, upbeat backing to create a track which is a joyous, exciting and intense listen. Inspired by Jarvis Cocker, Ella (the girl behind Coco And The Lost) tried to capture the charisma that he exudes in her vocal takes, as she explains:
“The song started off as an acoustic ballad, then I realised I didn’t want it to be sad. I had been listening to a lot of Pulp at the time and have always loved how Jarvis Cocker delivers lines and writes lyrics. I tried to embrace that in this song and as an artist in general. It’s sad and dramatic and fun.”
Echlo – Puppeteer
Dark electronic-pop artist ECHLO is at her haunting best on new single ‘Puppeteer’. Pulsing beats, airy synths and deep bass create an airy cloud of sound around her smokey vocal delivery to create a catchy yet somewhat unsettling soundscape. With elements of trip-hop, EDM and out and out pop all coming together, ECHLO doesn’t allow the listener to remain comfortable and instead creates a sound which flows effortlessly through varying layers to great effect. Akin to the likes of MARINA and Robyn, ECHLO certainly has a lot of potential.
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