Reviews
‘Three Things’- Cosmic Souls, making alienation feel defiant
‘Three Things’ is the sound of Cosmic Souls drawing a line and refusing to step across it. Inspired by a Solzhenitsyn quote and written in response to the band’s perception of the political and social changes that followed 9/11, the song takes distrust, fear and submission as its central concerns. It’s not interested in compromise […]
‘I Can See Clearly Now’- Rusty Reid, keeping the sunshine intact
Taking on a song as familiar as ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ is always a balancing act. Push too far away from the original and the charm can disappear; stay too close and there’s little reason for another version to exist. But here, Rusty Reid finds a sensible middle ground, preserving the warmth and buoyancy […]
‘Crocs with Socks’- Lil Sanga, questionable fashion choices and a party energy
Lil Sanga knows exactly what kind of song ‘Crocs with Socks’ wants to be, and that clarity gives it much of its charm. This is a bright, cheeky burst of dance-rap built around a fashion choice most people would never expect to inspire a single, yet the absurdity quickly becomes part of the appeal. There’s […]
‘Love ‘n Let Live’- Cass DiFonte, letting the sunshine in
Cass DiFonte makes optimism sound wonderfully effortless on ‘Love N Let Live’. Following her debut single ‘Fly Like A Bird’, the Dubai-based singer-songwriter returns with a bright slice of indie soul that brings jazz-inflected warmth, expressive vocals and an infectious sense of possibility together around the simple idea that life is far too precious to […]
‘Caught In A Flashback’- Stomp Box Choir, getting lost in the past
Stomp Box Choir take a darker turn on ‘Caught In A Flashback’, building the track around a woozy trip-hop pulse, shared lead vocals and the uneasy sensation of being dragged back into a memory you thought had already loosened its grip. With band members Joe Stratton and Howsie stepping forward together for the first time, […]
‘Mariana Trench’- Paul Garside, floating towards the surface
Paul Garside’s ‘Mariana Trench’ takes a difficult subject and gives it an unexpectedly buoyant frame. Written around the experience of emerging from depression, the song avoids sinking into heaviness, instead using movement, warmth and gradual lift to mirror the act of working towards the surface. The title is an effective metaphor. Here, the deepest ocean […]
‘Can’t Keep Wanting You’- James Bruner, bursting into full colour
James Bruner’s debut album ‘Can’t Keep Wanting You’ arrives with the kind of restless energy that makes everything feel one size bigger. Across twelve tracks, the Illinois-born, Nashville-based rocker tears through lust, ambition, self-doubt, infatuation and resilience with a sound that is loud, melodic and full of personality. The title-track captures that tension immediately, turning unhealthy desire […]
‘No Pictures’- Underlowe, tearing into the present
Underlowe make their intentions clear almost immediately on ‘No Pictures’. The Cardiff outfit open with filtered vocals and layered guitars before the track snaps into distortion, giving the song the kind of abrupt lift that suits its message about stepping away from screens and actually inhabiting the moment. There’s an obvious pop-punk foundation here, with […]
‘Liminalland’- Pray Silence, taking isolation and transforming it into impact
Pray Silence continue to sharpen their identity on ‘Liminalland’, a heavy, melodic single that balances muscular riffing with a more reflective emotional core. Built around themes of mental health and isolation, the track carries a sense of pressure from the outset. The guitars are dense and propulsive, but the arrangement never relies on heaviness alone. […]
