Monthly Favourites #24

It’s been two years since I first started my Monthly Favourites review series, and it seems to have gone incredibly fast! Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve discovered and showcased some amazing artists, and this series shows no signs of slowing down yet! As always, every act featured here is slightly different from the last, ensuring all our readers should be able to find something that suits their tastes.

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Rosina Buck

Rosina Buck – Like A Lion

Rosina Buck creates songs with a dreamy folk-pop vibe, sounding incredibly inventive in the modern era. Like A Lion opens with a pretty piano melody – it’s fairly simplistic, yet it’s a pleasure to behold, having a playful quality. Rosina’s vocals are great too, seeing her croon through the tune with an almost jazzy sound. The rest of the instrumentation kicks in after a while, accompanied by a steady beat and a glorious string section, accentuating the piano motif well. Like A Lion really is a stunning tune!

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Lemon – You Keep Me On Track

It’s great to be able to share funky alt-rockers Lemon with our readers once again, and You Keep Me On Track is a blinding comeback song! Opening with an organ, the funky rhythm section and guitars soon arise, reminding me greatly of the 90s music from the Manchester indie scene. It’s catchy as all hell, containing a groove that would make most modern funk bands jealous! The bass is a particularly standout here, although the guitar tone works wonders too, as the lead vocals drift through the music in a melodic way – just check out those harmonies!

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Monaco Slim – Ain’t No Good

Monaco Slim is a psychedelic blues quartet from Florida, bringing their amazing sound to life with Ain’t No Good. The track kicks off with an eerie bassline, followed by a fast beat and a guitar line that follows the bass. The saxophone is a lovely surprise, playing the main melody in a killer way, before some discordant guitar licks arrive. It all strips back once the vocals start, aligning well with the style of music. It’s great to hear something a little different and Monaco Slim manage to pull it off, also adding a catchy touch into the track.

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Heather Nation – Pool of Mystery

San Diego artist Heather Nation creates palpable indie/alt-pop songs with a dreamy sound, as displayed in Pool of Mystery. It’s actually pretty unique sounding, seeing Heather utilise a range of diverse instruments to create something really magical. The synths and bassline hint at the 80s electro-pop movement, but the percussion is unmistakably modern, with so much going on that you’ll need to listen to it through a few times! Heather’s soft vocals are used to great effect here, repeating the chorus refrain over and over again, getting stuck inside your head instantly!

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Stuart Rolfe – How Lovin’ You Goes

If you like your rock and roll with a touch of Americana and country, then Stuart Rolfe is for you! How Lovin’ You Goes mixes all those genres together with ease, making for something really special. The opening guitar melody appears throughout the track, alongside the piano and the rhythm section, making for a really full sound. Stuart’s vocals are good too, although my only qualm is they’re a little quiet on the chorus underneath the music. Nevertheless, How Lovin’ You Goes is a near perfect track and it’s well worth a listen!

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Sick Richard – Ruination

Sick Richard is a post-punk/alt-rock trio based in London who have just released their new tune, Ruination. It’s an energetic rock and roll track, filled to the brim with dubbed basslines, ethereal synths and a slew of jagged guitar lines, getting stuck in your head straight away. One of the things I loved was how prominent the bassline is, cutting through the discordant guitars in a cool way. In terms of the lyrics, the track is a post-Brexit lament, with a tongue in cheek nature that fits the style of music perfectly. Make sure you check Ruination out below!

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Order Of Owls – Speak Up

Australian rockers Order Of Owls bring a touch of heaviness to this list with their blistering new tune, Speak Up. The track starts out with an immense guitar riff, continuing throughout the majority of the track. The vocals are pretty melodic when compared to the heaviness of the guitars, mixing the two different styles together well. Occasional guitar solos tail off from the main riff, creating more variety within this killer track. The production is a little raw, but it works surprisingly well with the style of music, making Order Of Owls one band not to be missed!

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Richard Tyler Epperson – Another Day (Unplugged)

Richard Tyler Epperson brings something a little different on his new release, Another Day (Unplugged). As you might have guessed, it’s a pretty stripped-down song, featuring some lovely piano and guitar melodies that run along beside each other well, creating a folky pop tune with a glorious sound. Richard’s vocals are the real stand out point here, showing a great depth of passion and emotion as he croons along to the music. The quiet nature of the music allows his vocals to really shine through, making for another must listen track from me!

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Dave Mohan – Somewhere Beyond the Blue

Up next is Dave Mohan, a classical musician that we’ve featured a few times before. His new song, Somewhere Beyond the Blue, adds a poppy vibe into his usual neoclassical sound, featuring some glorious vocals that sing perfectly next to the piano. The piano has a jazzy quality at times, showing just how talented Dave really is! It’s a pretty stripped-down piece of work, but it really doesn’t need anything more, as it’s beautiful enough as it is like this! It’s a wonderful closing song for this list, leaving our readers on a pensive note.

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