Here is your next dose of standout tunes I have received recently and added to my playlists.
Charlie Moss - The Ride
Charlie is based in Brighton, where his inimitable brand of Indie singalong tunes are starting to make waves - and you can see why! It is so easy nowadays to make Indie music that just sounds like a bad Catfish and the Bottlemen tribute band. But on this latest track, Charlie manages to take some of the best parts of his many influences to create an indie sound that is refreshing and joyous. You've got driving elements of the aforementioned Catfish, but added to this you can hear The 1975-esque effects on the vocals, bringing the sound up to 2021. There are also intricacies that remind you of some of Vampire Weekends' best work. Where this song really shines is it's chorus, which really hooks you in with it's addictive melody. This set to massive 80's inspired drum sounds, creates an incredibly anthemic sound, that seems ready for festival crowds this summer.
Bitter Trick - The Journey
Electronic Indie-Pop duo Bitter Trick have really landed with this euphoric 80's inspired ear-worm. The two voices meld together in the harmonies to steal the show here in a gorgeous chorus. This is all set to classic drum and synth sounds from the 80's. Combined with the lyrics about the journey of navigating life in your 20's is something so relatable to 20-somethings everywhere struggling for direction and focus. This song makes you want to get up and go for your dreams and enjoy the journey there. The synth lines are incredibly hooky and bring the song to a perfect conclusion. A really uplifting song to get on your motivational playlists!
Mothé - Dancing On An Empty Floor
The latest release from Mothé is a really interesting combination of industrial electro sounds and buzzy synths, set to some orchestral sounds with driving drums and bass to create a really unique sound. The vocal lines are sung passionately and convincingly. Half way through this song switches up where you hear Mac Del Marco-esque chords combined with Tame Impala style synths, before the track culminates with a final chorus accompanied by a single piano which once again takes you by surprise. Every aspect of this song is engaging as it takes you through a journey of various soundscapes and melodies. A brilliant listen from start to finish.
Now Open Smokes - Soft Lines
The debut single from Swedish Pop duo Now Open Smokes is a luscious summery song, that fuses strong synth melodies with acoustic elements to create a light, refreshing sound. In the chorus the synth lines escalate and the bassline is given more freedom to create an explosion of melody without feeling too sickly. The track is addictive in the way that Fleetwood Mac - Dreams is with a rhythm section that keeps you hooked waiting for every new melody that comes through. Brilliant debut single from the duo, can't wait to see what they have lined up next!
Waking April - Stuck on Silver Linings
This is a synth heavy electro-pop banger from duo 'Waking April'. The duo fuses some heavier electronic sounds with lighter synths, to produces a thick and varied sound. This song sounds like it could fit in great on the 'Drive' soundtrack with driving synth bass sounds propelling the track, allowing the lead vocals to pierce through with the crystal clear tone that lead singer Bethany offers. The group say they want to come out of the pandemic in a positive mind frame to be creative and ‘live with the lights on’ and you can certainly hear that positive mantra shining through on this blinding track.
Charade - Anything I Want
Charade says 'the lyrics attempt to navigate my conflicting emotions and realisations over the past year. It depicts the contrasts between feeling on top of the world and uncertainty, strength and human fragility'. You can hear the conflict in this track with emotive vocal lines and piercing drums and bass that give a dark atmosphere to this song. There is a real power to the instrumentation that reflects perfectly what the poignant lyrics are saying in this track. A really interesting listen from start to finish.
props - What You're Made Of
This track is a hooky slice of experimental electro-indie-pop, that combines joyful instrumentation and poppy hooks, with some real talking lyrics addressing big issues in our society. The juxtaposition between the two really adds some grit to what on the surface is a lighthearted Indie Pop track. The blend of instruments here is really interesting, utilising a wide range of timbres that fit the song perfectly throughout. This song sounds like Alfie Templeman with a bit more grit - which isn't a bad thing at all!
Fox Evades - Someday
Fox Evades is the solo project of self-taught musician, songwriter and bedroom producer, Jordan Mae. The Manchester born artist brings a moody, atmospheric Indie-Folk sound on this track to help convey themes of gender identity rights, trans rights, inequality and discrimination. So the atmospheric instrumentation provides the perfect vehicle to get across these important themes that needs to be addressed in society today. A really poignant track with a luscious dreamy soundscape and strong melodies.
Grand Apollo - New Mexico
The latest single by Grand Apollo kicks off with a melodic 80's style synth line accompanied by some 1975-esque lead vocals. The track slowly builds from there with drums and guitars slowly worked in to build up the tension. The chorus has a big, anthemic feel that has you dreaming of bigger and better things, which ties in perfectly with the lyrical theme of being wanderlust and searching for a place where no one knows your name. This track certainly manages to transmit those feelings in a joyous manner with really interesting instrumentation along the way. There is also a killer guitar solo in there along the way, which never hurts does it?!
Thals - In The Blink of an Eye
The latest single by Thals is a fun, guitar-led track that chimes with brightness and joy. This contrasts with the lyrics which revolve around love-deprived teenage insecurity. The juxtaposition between the two really provides an edge to this song. There are really nice chorusey guitar lines throughout and this is combined with ultra-cool vocal delivery throughout that allow the narrator to come across as not bothered and 'playing it cool' - however you get the feeling it is quite the opposite.
There we have the latest roundup of new tracks I have come across and wanted to share recently! Please do check out the tracks and share the love for these unsigned artists featured, and check out the playlists I have featured them on here:
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