Indie-folk duo Cricket Blue are storytellers in ever sense of the phrase, and their new album Serotinalia is packed full of them. With pristine harmonies and scaling acoustic guitars, Cricket Blue is able to cause the listener to drift off into another conscious zone, full of hope, but also darkness.
Members Laura and Taylor are a vocal match made in heaven. As you listen to each song/story, you feel you are at a concert, with Cricket Blue performing just for you. This concert is not at a large venue. It is simply in a small room, with just the sound of Cricket Blues voices and strings enveloping the confined space. The darkness in every song prompts contemplation of self, allowing the listener to be full immersed in the art. I cannot stress enough how talented these two musicians are, and how their chemistry creates an album containing the purest form of the indie-folk genre.
Serotinalia is out now, and you can keep up with Cricket Blue at http://cricketbluemusic.com/. You should keep up with Cricket Blue.
Birmingham-based rock musician Alabama Rose just released a song that was basically made for your next great adventure. “Come With Me” boasts ethereal reverb for days, and robust vocals that weave gracefully in and out of guitar-heavy instrumentals. We’re hearing hints of Zooey Deschanel and Joan Jett coming through, a sound that is enigmatic and timeless all its own. As Alabama Rose urges you to “Come With Me”, the urge to move energizes you. This song is perfect for road trip weather and lazy, beautiful days in the grass.
Acclaimed artist Allman Brown captures intimate love and all its facets in his sophomore album Darling, It’ll Be Alright. Brown has created an album that is so smooth and captivating in both vocals and lyrics that you find yourself easily slipping into a constant loop of his music for hours.
The album opens up with the effortless soft pop of “Home,” a heartfelt track that is as catchy as it is uplifting. The title track, along with “Dust & Heat” and “Bury My Heart” have a similar positivity to them that feels genuine and sounds like summertime. On the flip side, songs like “Crazy Love” and “Shapes in the Sun” delve deeper into the sultrier aspects of Brown’s music. It is reminiscent of fellow British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s many hits in the unique vocal melodies and edgy, sharp guitar riffs.
Brown also delves into more somber ballads with “Hurting,” “Waiting for Something to Believe In,” and “Lonely Hearts, Los Angeles.” In particular, “Lonely Hearts, Los Angeles” stands out as a track that discusses the solitude of being in a big city, but still manages to be romantic in its depiction of something as gloomy as being alone – a difficult feat. Another standout was the final track, “Natasha,” which is a perfect example of Brown’s ability to emphasize the details of a loving relationship as well as highlight the beautiful simplicity of the song itself:
I bought you a Neil Young CD, You made me try different food, Showed me that being angry is not the same as being strong, My darling, my darling one, This is you love song.
Much like how Brown comes across in his music, Darling, It’ll Be Alright wears its heart on its sleeve. It is deeply romantic, heartbreaking, optimistic, and incredibly honest. To put it simply, this is what passionate music sounds like.
Be sure to check out the album, and keep up with Allman Brown here.
Goosebumps. The immediate sensation one gets when listening to the intro to Judah and the Lion‘s new album Pep Talks. The aptly named Pep Talks gives the listener a metaphorical punch in the mouth with numerous vocal buildups, booming horns, and a steady building guitar. This is the band’s third album, and it does not disappoint from start to finish.
Big band feels with heartfelt lyrics is how this listener likes to describe Pep Talks. 17 tracks long, Pep Talks boasts features from Kacey Musgraves and Jon Bellion, but the majority of the focus is on Judah and the Lion’s ability to captivate audiences with their pop-alternative style. The constant presence of the variety of strings, and the pounding of drums, just make you want to move. Even as I write this at my desk, my head is consistently bobbing, and my feet are thumping with every single beat. Emotionally stirring, Pep Talks is raw in every sense of the word, putting on display every single talent that Judah and the Lion possesses.
The release of Pep Talks signals the announcement of a worldwide tour from Judah and the Lion. With festival stomps throughout, the band will be touring from May until November. Without a doubt, the songs on this album will be triumphs live, all of them have a live feel even when you are streaming them through a computer. I for one cannot wait to witness Pep Talks live, and I can only hope that Judah and the Lion incorporate the intro track “Pep Talk” into the performance. It gets me amped just thinking about it.
You can keep up with Judah and the Lion on their socials and their website judahandthelion.com.
Dead Girls Corp. recently released an album. So what’s it like? Read on and you shall discover.
The album starts with Dead Girl, the feel of the track is very much 90s metal. It has nice droning chugging guitars and potent vocals. I also like the industrial feeling you get on this one.
From The Bottom is next, this has a gorgeous old school industrial start and feel, I must admit the feel of the music is nothing new but it’s amazing just by being what it is. This track has a lot of power behind it both vocally and musically, some very nice potent and energetic drumming here.
X’s No O’s again has that classic industrial start, the music is very packed full of sound which can sometimes detract from each angle of the music but this is not a bad thing. Again this track is nothing different from the previous two tracks in any way, but the music is one you find yourself moving to.
Alleys Of Death is by far the most melodic of all the tracks so far with great placement of each part of the music, it doesn’t feel as slightly too full as the previous three tracks do. This has a cock rock feeling to the track vocally and also the way that the guitars screech.
Ask For It is really a track that has very prominent vocals and guitars, they just seem to dual with each other yet compliment each other at the time. Though at points when both are full on they tend to drown each other out somewhat which is a shame as it detracts from the feel of the song.
Flesh For Fantasy again has a cock rock feel but this time it’s melodic and very sexy, almost orgasmic industrial metal. On this track the vocals sound like a sensual but aggressive David Coverdale. I like the music on this one, the backbeat is good but the guitars seem to tell part of the story which is quite clever.
Can’t Change does what some of the other tracks on this album don’t, it harmonizes the clutter of the music. It’s full on sound but with etiquette and emotion, I do love the slight echo on the vocals here as it adds a slight excitability to the feel of the music.
Promise Me is a track that is something different to other tracks on this album, this has more a late 90’s nu metal feel yet with a more slightly classic guitar sound. It’s almost a homage to the greats of that era like Stabbing Westward as it has that slight feel to it.
VDay comes next and to me as the album is winding down then so is the music, VDay is a lot more mellow than the other tracks but yet it does slightly peak at points. It has them chugging guitars again but yet there is something about this track, so far from what I have heard VDay is my favourite so far. It’s heavy, melodic, light and a true belter of a track.
Just The Same does similar to VDay, it winds down from the other tracks. Again this track is lighter, it’s less cluttered than some of the other tracks and I must admit this one is very harmonic. It just seems to fit well together, for the first time here you can hear the bass perfectly. Liking this track a lot.
Dynamite is again quite light compared to the beginning tracks, David Coverdale esq vocals make a return here. The music ebbs and gets a bit more heavier than VDay and Just The Same but then it calms down again, I think it’s perfect for the setting lyrically here.
And last but not least we have Worth, oh the bass here is very sexy. Only issue here is at points the music becomes cluttered again which kind of spoils what is a very catchy track, it’s just a little bit too much I feel.
Overall I feel this is not a bad album but there are quite a few tracks where the music is just too full and it becomes very cluttered which detracts from the actual talent of Dead Girls Corp. As the album comes to a close the music mellows and shows the true expertise of each of the musicians, vocals are amazing but they do get overpowered by the music sometimes.
If you like decent industrial then this album is for you, it’s nothing new but it does keep alive a genre that we don’t tend to see much of these days.
Atlanta-based foul/soul collective Rising Appalachians – comprised of Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Biko Casini, and David Brown – releases their new twelve track album Leylines today, and we’re overjoyed with the sonic adventure it leads its listeners on. From the first, caressing lines of “I Believe in Being Ready”, the album feels alive. The vocal layers are absolutely exquisite, and we’re blown away to see the ferocity with which said vocals lead the album as a whole. Working with talents such as Ani Difranco (“Speak Out”), Trevor Hall (“Shed Your Grace”), and Maurice Turner (“Indigo Dance”), Rising Appalachians has found a way to bring in distinctive traits from each act and meld it into a sound all its own.
“Make Magic” and “Sassafras” are two of our personal favorites on the release, and their contrasting sounds are the perfect display of how robust the talent found in this four piece truly is. Take the album for a spin below, and let us know what tickles your fancy!
New Orleans-based indie pop band RoyalTeeth manages to meld vulnerability and a catchy beat together in their latest single “Rivalry.” The track highlights the ever-present rivalry between change and constancy — the inner turmoil of deciding whether to move on or not to move on. The lead vocals of Gary Larsen and Nora Patterson, paired with guitarist Thomas Onebane and drummer Josh Hefner, creates a sound that allows the music to take hold of their listeners in an emotional way. The chorus stands out as the perfect example of how RoyalTeeth can show off their own musical style— deeply honest lyrics to a toe-tapping beat so that it gets stuck in your head:
Baby I’m not wasting no more time,
Drag my heart down one too many times,
Hold me steady give me one more try,
I made up my mind, I’m wasting no more time.
Be sure to check out Royal Teeth’s upcoming album Hard Luck, and keep up with them here.
Los Angeles-based indie pop duo slenderbodies brings us a groovy new tune in “dewdrops”, laced effortlessly with their quintessential relaxed sound and ethereal vocals. It seems to go well with the midwest weather this time of year, as April showers seem to be extending into the month of May. But we’re entranced completely by this song, and all about the soundscape that surrounds you when you allow yourself to delve into it.
Wrap yourself in “dewdrops” for a bit, why don’t you?
Searching near and far for an ethereal soundscape, propelled forward by some of the most magical and fierce vocals you’ve ever experienced? Then SHELLS‘ new track “Mexico” could very well quench that thirst for you. A song that feels warm and embraces you from the get-go, there is also a sense of longing in the lyrics that could open one’s heart up and make it feel something. And that’s what we want – what we need – from music, especially now. So take “Mexico” for a spin, and embrace the reality of your week ahead.
