9. Saul Redhill – We Never Got To Say Goodbye
Part of a soundtrack for a documentary focused on the psychological costs of Afghan media workers and their stories, Saul Redhill’s ‘We Never Got To Say Goodbye’ is perhaps more timely than it ever has been. With the international spotlight shining on Afghanistan and a humanitarian crisis well evident, art and media that shines a light on those most affected is essential. Saul’s soundtrack is a reflection of the pain, heartache, and resilience these media workers have and are still going through.
An industrial dominant sounding piece, it leverages influences from electronic to drone in order to create soundscapes that convey the emotion whilst also very vividly illustrating the imagery and environment as well. Through playing a combination of noise ambience, with acoustic instrumentation and Arabic instruments including the oud, Saul has captured both the area and the feeling.
It’s far from an easy listen, but it is important. And of all the songs on the record, none stood out to me more starkly than this.
8. Maisyn – 8.20
Songs about summer love are immediately nostalgic, filled with warmth and heartache all at once. They remind you of the highs and lows of what love entails, the fleeting sensation when it lasts and the longing pain when it dissipates. 8.20 makes you feel all that and more. The earnest and heartfelt indie rock tune is replete with a mix of strength and vulnerability. It’s got the energy of a movie about a small town high school kid, grappling with a new found interest and trying to figure out life ahead.
Jessi Mason (aka Maisyn), a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, started writing a song almost 2 years ago to the day. Even though Maisyn was living in New York at the time, she shared a bittersweet story of her life that transcended time and space. The resultant single, “8.20,” aptly named for the day it was created and the day it releases, expresses that eternal feeling.
The underlying guitar and drum is wonderfully fuzzy, the perfect complement to Maisyn’s vocal performance. The song’s crescendo in the final minute left me floored, a piece of indie rock that’s bound to live long in my memory.
7. A.D – CocoNutz
Wearing his Ludacris influence proudly on his sleeve, ‘CocoNutz’ is a fun little number centred around candy bars but is large and punchy in its sound. It’s a quirky and funny piece of hip-hop that’s bound to make you bop your head while you’re grinning in amusement at each incredulous bar. Far from the normal kind of hip-hop you’d be accustomed to expect, ‘A.D’ brings a cheery freshness to his music that lends to his endearing qualities.
A.D. is a UK-based independent rapper hailing from Hemel Hempstead, England. His sound revolves largely around an American-Hip Hop style with influences from the likes of Joyner Lucas, Cordae and Eminem. He’s been rapping since he was ten, and that childish affection for lyricism and got you bars persists to today. Fans of rap that banks itself on lines over production will be happy to get to know him.
6. The English Train – Here Comes The Sun
No, not The Beatles. Not George Harrison either. The English Train’s ‘Here Comes The Sun’ is its own song, distinct in arrangement, composition, and lyrics from the famous Beatles’ track. The Brisbane based music collective consisting of Steve Boom, Neil Steward, Cassi Marie, Alister Bell and producer Jason Millhouse are aficionados and experts in folk-pop, playing with a twang and harmony that is reminiscent of the power pop from the 1960s.
But their ‘Here Comes The Sun’ is its own track entirely. The jangly power pop song is replete with powerfully big hooks, melodic harmonies, and a beach boys style break. The song is about heralding the end of winter and how we all re-emerge from a sort of hibernation, and start to go out and socialise again. In a sense then, it’s kind of perfect for the moment. There’s clearly been an influence from The Beatles’ track, but it’s a delight to see what The English Rain has come up with.
5. Anu]bis -Secret Garden
Gurgaon based electronic producer Anu]bis has played and worked across the globe, from New York to London to India. Although he began his career as a keyboardist, he changed trajectory in the 2000s to become a fully fledged electronic DJ who combines the old with the new, retro with modern, and new age with classical.
Secret Garden is the third release from the album Deconstruction. This is a dark, evocative fugue, comprised of lush piano chords, relentless arpeggios, catchy hooks and even his daughter’s laugh, among a host of other sounds. The future house piece is a loaded ambient electronic single that’s equal parts relaxing and energising. The sheer levels of vocal layering give it a meditative feeling, an energy that’s transcendent.
It’s the perfect tune to unwind to, as well as being the ideal backing track to help you zone in. The addition of a variety of voice based audio clips also give it an edge that makes it that much more sparky.
4. Echovox – Get Up
‘Get Up’ is as self explanatory as its short and sweet name entails. The optimistic piece of classic rock and roll is all about picking yourself up by the bootstraps and being your own change. Rather than waiting for something to happen, Echovox encourages you to be the defining influence on your own life. Carried by powerful lead vocals from Jen Howard, the classic rock outfit are built on a style and sound that has largely dissipated from the mainstream. Strong and aggressive riffs, hard knocking drums, and vocals that are booming and controlled all form a core part of their repertoire.
With influences ranging from Motorhead to the Foo Fighters, the hard rock outfit are keen to create songs that stay true to the bearings of what we conventionally view rock n roll to. It’s Rock & Roll that inspires you to accomplish anything you set your mind too! Energy, passion, and roots.
3. Ezrae – Not My Job
Ezrae’s style of pop music is birthe, carved, and cloaked in this generation’s veneer. Influenced by the likes of The 1975, Blackbear, and Yungblud, it’s clear where her sound derives from. It’s an empowering track, one that describes a modern love triangle where the singer wants the guy who is stuck in a relationship with a girl who is no good for him. A self described modern day ‘Girlfriend’ by Avril Lavigne, but draped in r&b, bedroom pop, and lo-fi beats.
“The single is about knowing that what I’m doing is wrong but doing it anyway because it feels good – a mindset that isn’t always a bad thing. And of course I had to blame the guy a little too because what’s an Ezrae song without blaming it all on the guy?”
‘not my job’ is smooth and wavy, but despite the beats being effortlessly atmospheric and relaxing, it is the chorus that’s the driving force. Ezrae’s lackadaisical and sassy delivery make the track what it is, gliding over the beat with ease while commanding your attention with each line.
2. Bones in Butter – So Alone
Bones in Butter are definitely a bit odd. Any band who cites The Velvet Underground as a primary influence are bound to have a style that is at the very least, edgy. Apart from the songwriter, Milutin Krasevic, whose used to work in linguistics, the group is comprised highly accomplished musicians with many years of touring and experience. ‘So Alone’ is a gripping piece of stoner rock, with keen influences of grunge from the 90s. The track deals with the oppressor himself, describing the moment and consequence when he is set to be stripped of his power and attire.
Using a myriad of different sounds, particularly a crooning electric guitar and a subtle but serenading humming that serve as the backdrop to the vocals, they create an entrancingly psychedelic soundscape. To me, their style sounds almost straight out of a time capsule, a track born and forged in the 90s that truly captures the raw authenticity of early grunge from the era. But there’s also a playfulness and imagination that the group have, both in their arrangement and in the vocals. As a massive Velvet Underground fan myself, it was a welcome surprise.
1. Andrea – Choose My Way
‘Choose My Way’ is an opulent piece of commercial pop that rests itself on a grandiose bed of electronic synths and soundscapes. Andrea’s powerful vocal performance is commanding, dark, and filled with emotion. The chorus, which is filled with a flooring delivery from Andrea ascends the song to another level. Less than a year after she burst on the scene, the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter has scored a string of successes unparalleled in her home country. With over 11 million streams on Tik-Tok and YouTube, and over 750,000 across other streaming platforms, Andrea is quietly staking her claim as Macedonia’s response to Dua Lipa.
But Choose My Way shows a darker side, one that’s more measured and melancholic. The dark electronic ballad is a welcome switch up that highlights the range that she’s capable of. If you’re a fan of slower pop songs that build gradually, Choose My Way is an absolute highlight.