It’s time for the final installment of my Monthly Favourites series, started at the beginning of the year. As always, there are a huge range of different artists and bands available on this list for your perusal, coming from many different genres and scenes. As such, there should be something for everyone, no matter what your tastes are!
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by Signal Static
Signal Static – Objects of Affection
Signal Static is a hard rock band from Vancouver Island, starting this list off with a bang! Huge, punchy riffs kick the song off, with a cool drum beat that suits the guitars well. The song has quite a menacing vibe at times, working well with the genre of the music. However, Objects of Affection still has quite a melodic sound to it, especially on the chorus. The music also sounds really tight, as the vocals follow the main guitar lines in a stylistic manner. If you like your rock music, this is the band for you!
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The Trusted – Terrible Fight
Bursting out of the musical world with a great deal of energy is The Trusted, with their indie rock banger Terrible Fight. The song is very reminiscent of the noughties indie scene, although it also has moments of the modern rock genre, making for a great mix of sounds. The vocals sound really genuine and are flush with emotion, dancing over the lovely guitar melodies that perform in the background. It’s a great song, and one that really raises the bar for the indie genre as a whole.
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Anaïs Lund – Silver Screen
Anaïs Lund brings the tempo down a little on her new release Silver Screen, mixing together elements of indie pop with a dreamy flavour. The clean guitar melody that starts this tune off drifts through the music in a lovely way, as the unique vocal style weaves in and out of the music. It’s quite a poppy song, despite the steady tempo, slowing drawing you into this singer-songwriters world instantly. Just try and listen to this track without it getting stuck inside your head!
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Hyper Lion – B Ok
Hyper Lion is a composer and producer making catchy electro-pop songs such as B Ok, also featuring Essa V. The track features a lot of autotune on the vocals, but it works really well here. The main synth melody reminded me a lot of the electronica that emerged in the noughties, also adding a modern twist to proceedings. It’s very catchy, featuring a dark bassline in the background that helps to push the music along to a satisfying conclusion. The breakdown towards the end adds a little variety, before the song kicks back in again.
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Amii Dawes – Carefully Yours
Northampton-based singer-songwriter and musician Amii Dawes has produced a really beautiful sounding folk song in the form of Carefully Yours, also featuring Stephen Tanner. A slow acoustic guitar melody characterises the track, allowing Amii’s vocals to shine through. The subtle nature of the track only serves to make it sound even more beautiful, adding a haunting quality to the music. Stephen’s vocals appear towards the end of the song, adding a little more variety to the piece.
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NTGB – TILL I’M GONE
Whilst there’s definitely an indie rock quality to NTGB’s music, they’re also rather poppy, appealing to a wide range of people. TILL I’M GONE is very upbeat, making you want to tap your toes along instantly! The bass and guitars following the driving rhythm well, with the catchy vocals adding a more melodic sound to the track. The little xylophone touches sound really nice when mixed with the rest of the music, never sounding too overwhelming. You can find the song below.
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Raccoon Book Club – Two Wolves
Raccoon Book Club is a band based in our very own county of Yorkshire, so I couldn’t help but share their music here! Two Wolves is more of a folk rock song, featuring a slew of strummed acoustic guitars as the main instrumentation for the track. The rhythm is fairly upbeat though, despite the melancholic nature of the vocals. The music is very expansive and anthemic, with the little guitar melodies in the background adding a haunting flavour to the piece, making it sound really epic overall.
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Genevieve Sovereign – Vibration Angle
Vibration Angle is an electronic pop song by Genevieve Sovereign, also featuring Ben Tenison. Both vocal lines mix well together, singing different vocal parts as the song progresses. The female vocals are quite high, whereas the male vocals are fairly low, providing a nice contrast with each other. Little electronic beats mix well with the synths and the piano in the background, as a slew of interesting backing effects appear every so often. It’s a little experimental at times, but this only serves to make the track sound more interesting as a whole.
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Lissy Taylor – Fierce
The first thing that struck me about Fierce was how amazing Lizzy Taylor’s vocals sound. The track is characterised by a cool electric guitar melody that runs throughout the track. The drums finally kick in on the first chorus, adding a great deal of energy to this cool song. It’s really catchy too, getting stuck in your head straight away! The vocals sound utterly effortless, running through the piece in a stylistic way, as the guitars raise the tension higher and higher.
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Jun Parker – Say Goodbye (Mellow Dusk Edit)
Jazz is another genre I’ve been attempting to get into recently, so I was very excited to hear Australian artist Jun Parker’s track Say Goodbye (Mellow Dusk Edit). It starts out with a funky saxophone melody, before the steady beat kicks in. The clean guitar adds a bluesy flavour to the piece, alongside the jazzy piano chords that give the main instrumentation for the tune. Whilst its definitely jazzy, this song has a bit of an experimental bent, making it sound rather different from a lot of other music out there at the moment!
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Nickelson – Eldrich Thrumming
If you’re into your EDM/dance music, then Eldrich Thrumming is the perfect track for you! Created by DJ Nickelson, the tune starts out with a fast beat, suiting the style of music well. An interesting bassline appears soon after, as the music slowly builds up over the course of the song. Lots of different backing effects are used, keeping you on your toes and really making the track really stand out. It’s quite unique when compared to most of the EDM you usually hear, but that’s why I loved it so!
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The Bergamot – Neon Sunrise
The Bergamot is an American indie rock band that we’ve featured a few times before, so it’s always fun to be able to share their music with the world. Neon Sunrise is a dreamy indie pop song with a funky bassline, accentuated by some lovely electric guitar melodies. The vocals fit the slow tempo well, as some luscious vocal harmonies enter the track on the chorus. It’s a really pretty sounding piece of music, working its way into your head at the very first listen!
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Katie Fry – Somewhere Far Away
Somewhere Far Away is a new track from Sierra Nevada artist Katie Fry, opening with a stunning organ melody – something that sounds very unique in a country/folk song like this! Katie has a gorgeous vocal range, showering this track with her beautiful voice. The guitars have that typical country sound we’ve all come to know and love from the genre, although the music also has a classic rock and roll twang at times, mixing the genres together well. Make sure you check out this beautiful song below!
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Departure – Perrenque
If you like your music a little left-field, then Perrenque is for you! Created by Departure, the track features a set of organic sounds, opening with some divergent percussion beats. Different layers of drum beats drift over each other, alongside the interesting backing effects. The track draws you in slowly, due to its unique sound, changing slightly as the tension is built up. It’s one of the most experimental songs on this list, but it really works wonders!
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