Music Reviews

Black Surf’s Army of Sheep: A Fuzzy Alt-Rock Triumph – Single Review

15th Nov 2024 — Leave a comment

The new single from Black Surf sees the band continuing to hit it out of the park with yet another alt-rock home run.

Mixing elements of slacker rock and post-punk, the group have once again stumbled upon a winning formula on Army of Sheep, which sounds like a lost Weezer track from the nineties.

You can almost imagine Rivers Cuomo belting out the massive chorus, which features a very Weezer-esque rush of guitars and feedback reminiscent of tracks like Holiday from their 1994 Blue Album.

In addition, I could hear the influence of groups like Pixies within the songwriting, with the dynamics following a quiet verse/loud chorus mould that was the cornerstone of the legendary American group’s success.

I also adored the beautiful fuzzy solo, which hit gorgeously after the chorus, as well as the feedback bridges between the verses and choruses that perfectly build anticipation.

If you like big choruses with a fuzzier edge, then why not give this one a try!

Frazer Lambert Delivers Soulful Brilliance with Latest Single, Renaissance – Single Review

10th Nov 2024 — Leave a comment

The latest single from Frazer Lambert shows the Stockton singer-songwriter at their best bearing his soul to gorgeously rich results.

Opening with an ornate brass section, the influence of the likes of Al Green and Marvin Gaye is immediately evident, with a soulful feeling woven throughout the track.

All of this combines to bring a very chilled vibe, placing the emphasis on Lambert’s excellent vocals.

Performed exquisitely, these vocals are both personal and calming, allowing the track to hit the heights.

Overall, this track brings a great ’70s soul vibe, which is incredibly pleasing to the ear. If you’re in the mood for something with a lot of heart, this one is for you.

Ricky Clark Delivers a Hauntingly Good Mod-Rock Single “SOS” – Single Review

3rd Nov 2024 — Leave a comment

Combining hard rock guitars and melodic songwriting, Ricky Clark has struck upon a winning formula with this mod-rock single.

The new single from Ricky Clark shows the artist’s eclectic taste, drawing influence from across the rock spectrum – from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers to the mod stylings of 90’s Paul Weller.

This is immediately clear from the song’s opening moments, which have a classic rock feel and an almost spooooky vibe, fitting perfectly with the season of its release.

However, Clark breaks away from this into a very RCHP feeling verse, featuring a hint of a sneering Liam Gallagher-style vocal powering the song along.

The momentum builds on the bridge, which features an excellent melodic falsetto that lingers in your memory.

Eventually, the track breaks down into a middle eight reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys’ Pretty Visitors, adding a menacing tone that complements the song perfectly.

Praise is certainly due for the songwriting on display, which shows both variation and attention to detail, especially in the song’s structure.

Overall, this is a really fun, guitar heavy track, perfect for fans of bands such as Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller.

The Agency and The Samphires Build Spooky Atmosphere With Their New Single Harbour Song – Single Review

31st Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

The latest single from The Agency and The Samphires is a masterclass in atmosphere and storytelling, taking you on a darkly ominous journey.

Drawing influence from the likes of Nick Cave, the track blends cinematic themes with a dark aesthetic, which works incredibly well. Featuring the voices of The Samphires’ Elise Shields and Rosa Thomas in a hypnotic call-and-response waltz, the emphasis is firmly on the song’s lyrics.

It’s fortunate then that they really shine building a captivating story that matches the musical background painted by the groups. The whole thing sounds like how I feel the film The Lighthouse would sound if put to music.

The mood is set immediately with the introduction of the deepest of dark synths engulfing your entire ear creating the omnious feel which is reflect within the lyrics.

Lyrically, the track has a fairy tale or nursery rhyme quality, revolving around the “harbour” mentioned within the song’s title, with the duet working well between the two groups.

The whole thing leads to a spooky vibe that suits the season perfectly and is almost certainly one for those who are fans of atmospheric music with well-thought-out lyrics.

Middlesbrough’s Boy Found Sound Delivers Haunting Emotion and Atmosphere in New Single “Monochrome” – Single Review

17th Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

Boy Found Sound’s latest single is a heartbreakingly beautiful track, which further showcases the Teesside artist’s incredible songwriting talent.

The ethereal-sounding track has a chilled production, beginning with a great guitar line that shines above a well-crafted drum machine beat.

Lyrically, the track confronts loss, with Boy Found Sound laying everything bare throughout, producing an amazing set of deeply personal lyrics.

When the chorus comes along, it really pops, backed by an ethereal-sounding synth that adds to the track’s cold production.

As the song progresses, the drum machine is replaced by a slow, pounding drum beat, bringing a new energy to the track.

Overall, this is another really strong song from Boy Found Sound, combining a range of influences together to produce something both beautiful and original.

Daniel Maple’s Gorgeous New EP Four Walls Displays His Raw Talent At It’s Best – EP REVIEW

16th Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

Combining experimentation with stark production, Durham’s Daniel Maple leaves no place to hide with his latest release.

From the first track, I Love You And I Hate Goodbye, it is immediately evident how much talent has gone into crafting this EP. With just an electric guitar and his vocals, the Durham singer-songwriter fills all available space with his songwriting talent and terrific singing voice.

The song opens with a gorgeous guitar flourish – something that runs throughout the EP – which sees Maple flex his rhythm and lead guitar skills, crafting complex and intricate melodies which are not immediately obvious to the ear.

Throughout, his guitar skills are matched by a set of defiant lyrics, which add an extra dimension to this beautiful track.

Crying In A Different Key uses musical metaphors to craft a creative set of lyrics that encapsulate Maple’s emotions. This lies atop an intricate rhythm guitar part fitted with a clean tone with an underlying bite.

A beautiful descending opening brings you into third track, Lewis, where Maple displays the strength of his vocals to really sell a touching track. This flows nicely into Waiting In The Catapult, which features a great chorus, with the Durham songwriter getting a lot out of a little.

On this particular track, I found shades of Elliot Smith alongside the influence of Bob Dylan which runs deep throughout the EP’s sharp lyrics.

Lonely Night takes a more full-bodied approach to the guitar work, weaving a beautiful love song that is capped off by a gorgeous set of yearning lyrics. It also features a great solo that illustrates Maple’s phenomenal guitar playing. This gives way to Easier Rider, which has a rockier feel, with more bite added to the guitar.

Closer War and Freedom features yet another complex melody, which still manages to sound warm, providing a gorgeous feel. Maple really saves the best for last, with the vocals delivering an epic performance worthy of the song.

Overall, this is a phenomenal EP that showcases what can be done with just an electric guitar and vocals. I really adored listening to every twist and turn.

Waves of Dread Deliver a Dreamy Masterpiece with “The Tide” – EP Review

13th Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

Combining the very best of shoegaze and dream pop, Waves of Dread have produced one of the best EPs to come out of the North East this year with The Tide.

Following up 2023’s A Bad Dream in a Raging Sea, the Newcastle group have pushed themselves forward with their latest release, which combines lush production with excellent songwriting.

This all coalesces into a tight package that feels like waking up to a beautiful morning, with its hazy and distorted production.

Opener The Tide sets the dreamy tone, providing fun basslines and synths aplenty. Beneath the dream pop aesthetics lies an exceptionally written song, with a gorgeous chorus that hits all the right notes.

Early Riser builds on these aesthetics with a very trippy sounding beginning, featuring distant vocals and a beautiful guitar line built upon a bed of rainfall. As the track progresses, it welcomes gorgeously thick basslines into the mix, with a few hauntingly good synth lines thrown in for good measure. The whole thing feels like waking from a nice dream into a perfect morning.

The guitars clean up for Overspill, with its sharp guitar melody. The track once again demonstrates the smart production choices that run through the EP at its core. The use of layering is fabulous, allowing the track to get dirtier as it goes on, as layer upon layer of guitar is added to the overall mix.

Restless Sleeper, Sleepless Dreamer concludes the EP, using a glockenspiel to power the track forward, contributing massively to the dream pop feel. There’s more of an acoustic focus on this track, yet it is still washed in beautiful reverb.

Overall, this dream pop and shoegaze EP is a must-listen for fans of groups such as Slowdive and Cocteau Twins, with sharp songwriting and lush production.

North Shields’ Club Paradise’s New EP “Life On TV” Combines Indie, Pop and Emo to Amazing Results – EP Review

10th Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

Combining influences that include The 1975 and The Killers, Club Paradise have found a unique formula for indie pop perfection.

The four piece group, hailing from North Shields, have been slowly working their way up throughout the year, releasing singles such as Chasing The Summer and Years, both of which we have previously covered.

Those teasers definitely whetted the appetite ahead of the release, which combines everything that works on those tracks into a grander piece.

Beginning with Let Me Lose, the group immediately establishes the tone of the EP with a set of keys which feel like they could have walked straight out of a 1975 song-think I Couldn’t Be More In Love with an indie band core.

This is further elevated by a huge bridge that gets you ready for the huge gear shift the group takes you on as they increase the tempo. The vocals are a strong mixture of North East authenticity combined with a definite influence from The 1975’s Matty Healy.

The track concludes with a glitchy guitar solo that is excellently performed and provides a sign of the guitar heaven to come.

Single Chasing The Summer is next up. We covered this in depth back in July – you can read the full review here. The song still sounds like the upbeat summer banger it was when it was released and sounds great within the context of the EP.

Third track, What If These Days, continues the indie themes, winding them around an 80s pop core. The song shimmers with chorus-imbued guitars, conjuring thoughts of the neon guitar pop of the 1980s. Imagine a pop version of The Blue Nile, complete with jangly guitars and a lot of heart.

The gorgeous guitar solos take more influence from 80s rock, bringing a very classic rock feel to the sheen of the rest of the song, which works well. The overall combination of rock and pop influences works well to produce another great song.

Runaways switches things up slightly, throwing pop-punk and emo influences into the mix. This is evident at the beginning of the track, which reminded me of groups such as Blink 182. Gone is the sheen of previous tracks, replaced by chunky guitars that reach their peak in the chorus.

The track also features a great guitar solo, which illustrates the amazing lead guitar talent on show throughout the EP. This gives way to Years another song which we have previously covered. You can read my full review here.

Finisher Interstate is the perfect pick as a closer to the EP with its grandiose production and larger-than-life nature. Once again, the group taps into their heavier sides to produce a dramatic conclusion to the album.

Overall, this EP shows Club Paradise delivering on the promise of their lead up singles. If you’re a fan of groups like The 1975, you’ll love this EP.

Ryder’s “Only The Brave” Showcases Sunderland Group at Their Anthemic Best – Album Review

6th Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

The debut album from Sunderland group Ryder is packed full of anthems from start to finish. Combining the influences of Oasis and Kasabian together leads to an album brimming with heart.

Opening with Forgotten Dream, these influences are immediately evident, with a definite hint of Liam Gallagher in the vocals. The track as a whole reminded me of some of Johnny Marr’s solo work, with the bass breakdown towards the end skilfully executed, adding to the track’s massive overall sound.

Lone Soldier has a nice synth opening which gives it a slightly different feel. This combined with a chorus of voices and heavy guitar work reminded me a lot of Kasabian, especially with its passionate delivery.

Northern Lights continues the trend of massive choruses and soaring anthems, with a very Noel Gallagher-esque solo thrown in for good measure. Whilst Inner City Violence brings some social commentary to record, with some excellent drum work going on on the track.

The bass work on the album is also exquisite, and is particularly showcased on Men in Suits, where the bassline reminded me of Paul McCartney’s work on Taxman.

The beginning of Ziggy echoes of Oasis’ Talk Tonight before the whole band kicks in for the second verse. The song has an anthemic vibe, with some touching tributes to David Bowie baked within the lyrics. It feels tailor-made for a live setting, with a soaring chorus you can easily imagine going down well at a festival.

The title track, Only The Brave, again brings heavy guitars, with a touch of The Clash in the mix while lighter guitar flourishes sit atop of them to great results.

The commentary on problematic men on Hold on Tight is seamlessly woven into this biting track, creating a sharp, aggressive edge.

Heavy guitars pierce throughout Balloons, which features a great recurring guitar line reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys. Finale Faces In The Crowd is a suitably grand ending to this massive-sounding album, finishing the LP on a high.

If you love your anthems and like groups like Oasis, then you will definitely appreciate this strong debut showing.

Darren Burdis Takes an Emotional Stroll Through Heartbreak on New Single “Heartbeats” – Single Review

3rd Oct 2024 — Leave a comment

Indie singer-songwriter Darren Burdis’ new single will certainly get hearts fluttering with a gorgeous, personal track.

The Newcastle songwriter has turned in a clever and touching acoustic ballad, hitting hard from the moment the needle drops.

The shimmering guitar line that floats atop the acoustic opening is a gorgeous way to start showcasing Burdis’ talent with the instrument and setting the track on the right path.

I particularly enjoyed how the drumbeat mirrored the rhythm of a heartbeat, reflecting the meticulous attention to detail in the production.

In terms of the overall vibe of the song I could hear the influences of indie folk artists such as Elliot Smith, particularly evident in the heartbreaking lyrics.

This is beautifully intertwined with the glossy guitar work which reminded me of the heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen and the North East’s own Sam Fender.

The vocal delivery is hoarse and husky perfectly suited to this track giving Burdis the perfect tools to paint this emotionally raw piece onto the record.

The gorgeous backing vocals towards the backend of the song evoke early Radiohead, and if you’re into similar acoustic indie music with a lot of heart, this single is definitely for you.