Monthly Favourites #15

It’s amazing to think that we’re onto the 15th iteration of this series already – the last year or so seems to have gone by very quickly! The Monthly Favourites round-up review shows no signs of slowing down yet, as I seem to be constantly discovering a slew of amazing new artists from around the world. As always, every track here is a little different, so there should be something for every taste!

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Jasi Bella

Jasi Bella – Claim Me

Starting this list off nicely is Jasi Bella with her new track, Claim Me. I’m not normally one for pop of the mainstream variety, but when the music is this good, I can’t help but love it! As you might have guessed by now, Claim Me is a pop song, but it’s infectious catchy. Jasi uses the full force of her vocal range to really make the track go down a treat, singing along to the poppy beat in style. The chorus is particularly wonderful to behold, seeing Jasi using some unique backing vocals at times to add a little more character to the tune.

Social media: Spotify, Instagram

Julian Petrin – Are We Ok?

We’ve featured German composer and musician Julian Petrin a couple of times in recent months, and his music just keeps on getting better and better! Are We Ok? is an expansive electronic song that is absolutely full of synths, all bubbling away in the background with each other. It’s an instrumental track, but there’s so much going on here that vocals would really be overkill. There’s something incredibly elative and anthemic about the entire thing – it’s the sort of piece you’ll really have to listen to a few times over to fully appreciate.

Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok

Josh Tepper – Always Everywhere

Josh Tepper is a New York-based artist with quite a musical background, shining through in his new release, Always Everywhere. It’s a pop song of sorts, although it also has a singer-songwriter vibe, seeing a gorgeous piano melody underpinning the rest of the track. Josh has a fantastic voice, full of emotive clarity, drawing you into his lyrical world immediately here. Some faint female backing vocals can be heard at times, although the focus still remains purely on Josh’s stunning vocal lines.

Social media: Spotify, Twitter, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok

Luna Melero – Ultimatum

If you like your pop a little more upbeat, Ultimatum is for you. Crafted by Californian songstress Luna Melero, it’s a mainstream pop tune with a catchy beat that will get underneath your skin in no time. The electronic drums sound absolutely massive here, adding an interesting texture to the tune, alongside the different synth layers that carry the rest of the music along. It also helps that Luna has a great singing voice, even if the drums do overshadow her vocals a little. There’s a lot going on here, so you will need to pay attention!

Social media: Taplink, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram, Bandcamp, TikTok

Mackenzie – I Hate July

Singer-songwriter Mackenzie adds something a little different to this list, as I Hate July mixes together pop, rock, indie and country together in an awesome way. It’s quite a melancholic sounding tune, with the guitars pushing the music along in a frantic way, alongside the rhythm section. The vocals are quite low on the verses, but they raise up to some lofty heights on the choruses, showing just how fantastic Mackenzie’s range is. They sound especially emotive at the end of the chorus, really helping to tug at the heart strings.

Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok

Sturt Avenue – Talk

Sturt Avenue is the project of SCALA award winning singer/songwriter Bryn Soden, with Talk being his latest release. The track mixes together moments of folk, Americana and indie into one great package, and it sounds really beautiful – particularly on the chorus. The accordion gives the chorus a really unique flavour, working well with the higher vocal tones. The verses are a little mellower, seeing Bryn sing along at a low pitch – it sounds really raw though, making you feel everything he’s singing about.

Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Instagram

Jean Orange – SOMETIMES

Jean Orange brings something a little different to this list, with their wonderful indie-rock tune, SOMETIMES. The track has quite a steady tempo, seeing a simple selection of guitar chords wrapped in a delectable manner around the rhythm section. The vocals are a little low sounding, but they actually work really well to create a grungy quality within this indie song. The guitar melodies change at times, creating spidery little riffs that spiral off from the main melody in a way that keeps you constantly guessing throughout!

Social media: Spotify

The Midnight Vortex – Run

The Midnight Vortex is a five-piece alt-rock band based in London, who are no doubt set to be massive! Run is incredibly groovy, opening with a menacing guitar riff complete with fuzzy feedback to make it really stand out. The verses creep along nicely until chorus erupts, as the vocals rise up to a shriek. It’s a really interesting sound, and one that works well for the band! The vocal range is really impressive, showing an ambitious eccentricity that is unmatched at the moment. The guitar solo towards the end elevates things to an even heavier level.

Social media: Linktree, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, Songkick, TikTok

MARQ Electronica – Nervous

MARQ Electronica is an artist we’ve featured before – if you liked his previous work, you’re sure to love Nervous! It’s another electronic pop song, having quite a dark undertone to it. The bass has a really interesting sound here, adding an eerie quality to the piece that suits the themes nicely. The beat is fast, as the vocals sing over the music, repeating the title of the track at certain times. A set of synth-laden strings appear later on, adding a different type of vibe to the tune. If you like your EDM on the more experimental side of things, Nervous is for you!

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Rogue Jones – 1, 2, 3

It’s quite rare that we get to hear music sung in Welsh, but Rogue Jones is doing something absolutely fantastic with their language. They’re an experimental pop duo consisting of Bethan Mai and Ynyr Morgan Ifan – 1, 2, 3 is a subtle pop song consisting of a simple piano melody as the main instrumentation (although some other backing effects do appear later on). The songwriting is simply sublime here, showing a wonderful understanding of music theory. The vocals are also stunningly clear – even if you don’t understand the language, the passion is clear.

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Snows of Yesteryear – Counting Stars

Now it’s time for something a little more folky, in the form of Snows of Yesteryear’s track Counting Stars. The song contains a gorgeous orchestral section performing in the background, alongside a simplistic strummed acoustic guitar melody and the odd piano chord. The vocals are rather high, as the backing vocals add a harmonious yet ethereal edge to the tune. There isn’t that much variation as the song progresses, but it sounds beautiful enough as it is, so it’s still well worth checking out if you like your folk music.

Social media: Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter

SRVR – You Are

You Are is another folky song, belonging firmly within the singer-songwriter genre. However, the track changes into more of a pop-rock song a little later on, showing SRVR is hugely talented. The female backing vocals add a nice texture when they arrive on the chorus, melding well with the lead male vocals. The instrumentation is a little sparse at times, although the occasional piano chords and spidery guitar motifs provide a nice contrast against the fast-paced beat. The lead vocals are a little raw, but you can really feel the emotion within them.

Social media: Soundcloud, Youtube, Twitter, Spotify, Instagram