A whole year ago, I started my series called Monthly Favourites. Each month, I pick a selection of fantastic tunes from underground artists to display here for your listening pleasure, and it’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing! This month I’m continuing the trend, but I’ve reset the playlist so every track on there is brand new! I hope you enjoy it!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by Untold River
Untold River – Sleeping City Cowboy
Untold River is the debut solo project from Ciaran Egan, with Sleeping City Cowboy being the project’s debut single. It’s incredibly accomplished for a first release – it’s a country track that also features elements of Americana and the blues. The guitar licks have a really cool feel to them, with the organ in the background also being a nice surprise. There’s almost a hint of 50s rock and roll at play here too, which makes it all sound very unique – Ciaran has done a fantastic job with this track!
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Judah Dub – Miles Away
Now for something a little different… Miles Away is a hip-hop song that also has elements of r&b, pop and soul, making for a fantastic overall mix! The music has a really chilled-out feel, seeing a slow piano melody drift along in the background alongside a slow beat. Judah Dub’s vocals change between singing and rapping, showing a fantastic lyrical flow that will pull you in straight away! It’s a really catchy song, and one that I think our readers will love.
Social media: Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram
Sam Mulligan – Snowball Season
It’s exactly the right time of year for a song called Snowball Season, with snow hitting the UK fairly recently! Sam Mulligan’s tune starts out with some 8-bit style synths, sounding almost like something out of a retro video game! The melodies are catchy as they intertwine together, with Sam’s eccentric lyrics pouring over the top. The song changes about halfway through into a rock and roll banger, complete with a fast beat and riffs, until it slows back down again at the end. It’s certainly a quirky number!
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Keeley Shade – Restless
Keeley Shade is an alt-pop singer with an amazing voice, which sounds particularly delightful in her new release, Restless. It’s quite a subtle track at first, seeing Keeley’s vocals drift across the sparse backing instrumentation in a lovely way – I was a little reminded of Phoebe Bridgers at times. The chorus changes the tempo up slightly, but it’s the slower moments that really caught my attention, having a wonderful dreamy feel. Keeley’s vocals are stunning to behold here!
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Joss Worthington – Fireflies
Fireflies starts out with a lovely, trickling piano melody, mixed together with a slew of backing effects and a small band sound. Joss Worthington’s vocals arrive soon after – whilst they’re a little raw, they have a genuine sense of feeling about them, which is something I loved about this track! The background effects really do help to create something evocative, being the real stars of the show here. The track as a whole has quite a positive vibe, which is only enhanced further by the strings and the piano.
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Destiny Imani – Chosen
It’s now time to inject a bit of contemporary r&b into this list – Destiny Imani’s song Chosen is a perfect representation of that genre! I’m not normally a fan of autotune, but it’s actually used really well here, as Destiny’s sultry vocals slide their way through this track in a lovely fashion. The music is fairly slow at times, and it takes a while to get going – once the beat picks up it starts to all fall together though. The little guitar melodies and jazzy piano chords in the background work well together, adding a different edge to the r&b genre.
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Plant Dad – favourite boy
Dream-pop has been having something of a resurgence of late – Plant Dad’s track favourite boy is one of the better songs I’ve heard from the genre of late. However, it also brings an 80s pop vibe to proceedings, sounding incredibly funky throughout. The bass and clean guitars mix together well, with some huge drums present at times. The backing vocals are used to create several layers underneath the lead vocals, adding an anthemic quality to the track. This bombastic number won’t be for everyone, but I urge you to give it a try!
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T3agray – Alone Again
I love it when different genres are mixed together, so I was very happy to discover T3agray’s tune, Alone Again. It’s a hard rock song, but it also has a lot of electronic elements, making it stand out from the crowd! Heavy chugging riffs are added to the track but there’s also quite a melodic quality too, in terms of the little clean guitar lines that can be heard in the background. The vocals go from shouting to singing, making for a great change of dynamics as the song progresses.
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Saves the Witch – She Dances With Knives
Saves the Witch are one of the more eclectic bands on this list, as their music combines together moments of post-rock, experimental rock and heavy metal into one unique package. It starts off slowly with some interesting percussive sounds – a lone guitar melody plays, with occasional, discordant sounds appearing. The tension is slowly built up until the huge riffs and drums appear, sounding rather menacing! It makes for a fantastic change of pace, before a killer guitar solo appears towards the end of the track.
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Ozz Gold – Sweet Escape
We featured Ozz Gold a while back in a similar review based around pop music. Sweet Escape is another song that mixes together elements of EDM and modern pop music – it’s an absolute banger that you’re sure to love if you’re into either of those genres. It’s quite mellow at first, with a selection of synths bubbling away in the background, underneath the soaring female vocals. The drums kick in after the first chorus, turning it into something a little more danceable. This is the perfect song to get you in the mood for summer!
Social media: Spotify, Soundcloud, Instagram
Daniel Antonio – everything I touch
everything I touch is a really impressive piece of work from Daniel Antonio – it’s a rock song, switching between heavier moments and a more melodic sound. I love music that plays around with dynamics, and this is definitely that sort of song! Daniel has a lovely singing voice, but he also adds the occasional scream to change things up a little. The riffs chug along in a really satisfying manner, with the guitar solo showing just how talented this musician is! I can’t wait to hear more from him!
Social media: Instagram, Spotify
Cloudshapes – Newborn
Cloudshapes is a musical project created by Jim Jagger and Rien De Keyser, with Newborn being their latest release. It’s a little hard to categorise by genre, as there’s so much going on here – numerous layers of synths and guitars are melded together alongside some luscious vocal harmonies, creating something that sounds really beautiful. The chorus only elevates things higher, making it sound anthemic at times. It’s a unique piece of music and one you need to check out!
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Bones in Butter – Down but Not Out
Serbian band Bones in Butter is an act we’ve featured a few times before – Down but Not Out is another eclectic indie-rock tune, sounding just as good as ever! There definitely seems to be an 80s indie influence on this track, in terms of the way the guitars and vocals are used. Divergent guitar lines break off from the main beat every so often, with the vocals having a low tone that’s reminiscent of the post-punk genre. There’s a lot going on here, so you’ll need to listen to it a few times to fully hear everything!
Social media: Website, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube
Hybrid Kid – Miracle
I’m a sucker for a haunting acoustic guitar melody, and Miracle has them in spades! This Brighton-based trio have their own brand of folk/Americana music – the track is a little raw in terms of production quality, but it stills works really well. Hybrid Kid’s vocals are really intense and there’s a palpable sense of emotion within them as the song progresses. The guitars are the real stand outs though, with multiple layers of melody weaving in and out of each other perfectly.
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StarAV – Loneliness
StarAV is a producer, artist and singer-songwriter based in Melbourne, crafting alternative songs with a shoegazey vibe. Loneliness is one such track – it’s one of the most interesting pieces of music I’ve heard for a long time! A number of eerie guitar and bass melodies run through the track, creating a fantastic texture. The vocals drift alongside the music in an effortless way, with multiple vocal layers added towards the end. It won’t be for everyone, but I felt there was something really beautiful about Loneliness at times!
Social media: Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok