Once again it’s the end of the month, which can only mean one thing – summer is now on the horizon. And, you also get another dose of my Monthly Favourites round-up review series. I can’t believe it’s been going for 29 months already! You should know the drill by now – here, you’ll find an array of tantalising bands and artists, all chosen by the York Calling team for your listening pleasure. Let’s get cracking!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo of Love Ghost
Love Ghost – GOD DAMN
GOD DAMN is a collaboration between Mexican artist ND Kobi and Love Ghost, mixing elements of Latin R&B, alternative pop and emo music into one package. It’s quite a poppy song at times, but at the same time, it’s fairly minimalist in parts, ensuring the focus is always on the vocals. A lovely little guitar melody runs through the piece against some hip-hop style drums, providing a nice backdrop to the vocals. I’m not normally a big fan of autotune, but it’s used really well here, adding a nice stylistic touch to the piece.
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TaniA Kyllikki – I Struck Gold With You
British singer-songwriter TaniA Kyllikki brings a taste of the folk-pop scene to these pages with her new release, I Struck Gold With You. It’s a piano-based track, seeing TaniA add her own unique style to the modern singer-songwriter scene. The music is fairly minimalist apart from the piano, but this factor only allows TaniA’s stunning vocals to really shine through. She has an amazing voice and it’s absolutely drenched with passion and emotion here, carried in a gorgeous way against the pretty piano melody.
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MOLTENO – Clouds
On Clouds, London-based artist MOLTENO mixes a taste of dream-pop with alt r&b and trip-hop, making for one awesome package altogether! Clouds is a pop song with a difference, although it’s still catchy enough to appeal to mainstream pop purists, providing a universal appeal across the board. A fast drum beat carries through the track, clashing slightly with the slow, synthy chords on offer here. However, this mix of opposites works surprisingly well – all the more so when MOLTENO’s amazing vocals appear, drifting through the music with ease.
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ELDR – Deer Skin
ELDR is the solo project of London-based artist & award-winning composer Marina Elderton, with Deer Skin showing just why her music has been so lauded! It’s another song that mixes elements of dream-pop, alt-pop and trip-hop (just listen to that cool drum beat!), but it’s also one of the most unique tracks I’ve heard in a long time! It’s undeniably catchy, seeing layers of instrumentation build up around the drums in a captivating way. ELDR has quite a unique voice, but it really works with what she’s trying to portray here.
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Azu Yeché – Leave Me Now
On Leave Me Now, Azu Yeché combines moments of subtle folk music and African influences into one, creating a form of soul-pop that’s unlike anything else at the moment! It’s quite a stripped-down sounding track at times, with a steady beat and some faint keyboard melodies playing under the surface, but Azu’s voice is so good that this is actually a really positive thing here! His range is amazing, and you can really hear how much this track means to him. There’s a slight gospel tinge too with the way the backing vocals work, adding another cool element into the mix.
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Alba James – You Belong To Me
We’ve featured French artist Alba James a few times, so it’s great to have her back with her new single, You Belong To Me. It’s a folk song with a traditional sound, seeing Alba channel a dark feeling of obsessive romance into the tune. The lyrical themes fit the melancholic music perfectly, making for something that will get directly under your skin in no time. Surprisingly for this style of music, the piece also features some lovely woodwind instrumentation, really grabbing the listener and making them pay attention.
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Davy Lyons – One To One
We have another fantastic folky song for you, this time coming from Irish artist Davy Lyons. One To One mixes moments of traditional and modern folk together into one tantalising song. It’s quite dark sounding, both in terms of the music and the lyrics, making you feel everything Davy sings about in the lyrics. The main instrumentation comes from a subtly rhythmic acoustic guitar, but there’s also the occasional haunting violin motif at times, keeping you constantly guessing. And of course, Davy’s vocals are strong too, adding something extra special to this tune.
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Judas Goat and the Bellweather – There is Always a Dawn
The curiously titled Judas Goat and the Bellweather is a British folk rock group, with There is Always a Dawn being one of my favourite songs on this list! The duo have created something really imaginative here, combining Americana, country and folk together. Vocalist Sara Vian has an amazing voice, sounding strong and soulful here as her vocals carry through the tune, with some lovely backing vocals added for good measure in parts. Musically, the track consists solely of some nice acoustic guitar melodies, creating an expansive, flowing sound that fans of Americana and folk should enjoy.
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Monthly Favourites – playlist by York Calling | Spotify