Fields of Mildew-The Complete Woes
Another year has ended and I scour for the positives. Privilege allows me to complain, but I’ve been fairly fortunate to survive this time. However, I have had a fair share of melancholy. I seem to have quite a grasp on this language as well, so I can lament. Fields of Mildew choose to do this through instruments. This is their EP, The Complete Woes. I recently reviewed a neofolk project, so this was up my alley. I can really feel the tumultuous shift in emotion with progressions, each testing another element or contributing to the resurgence of a thought. Consider the first track on this album, Saudade. Aligning clearly with the album title, it is a minor scale composition that tends to reach out at moments. Using different tones, I hear strings that each grasp a certain layer of thought. Some fractals reach out like vines above a dense canopy, trying to shift the mix that has complete control. A tranquil and beautiful composition. Just the beginning of the tone has the depth you need. I expect darkness from the lyrics and riffs of metal, but this has to be a compositional experimentation that lands on its feet. Triad of Incomplete Woes uses the silence between notes to encapsulate the underlying emotion. It has to be noted that there is a oppressive theme that makes a power move to stay on top, but elements of joy, maybe even frustration try to break through. The vocals adhere to the slow, dark theme that has taken control. Powerful as all hell. Nostalgia is a popular streaming choice for FOM’s listeners. This epic uses the marching quality of the beat to build on a sensational progression. The serenity of the lyrical delivery balances the percussion very well, and the slow addition of certain elements is what brings about a change in sound and a cascading effect that the artist desires in this case. The slow flowing nature of the synths help in sustaining the continuity, as the lyrics progress to a deeper state of fugue as well. The density of this album changes with Fog. We’ve entered several phases of the deploring individual or entity. Opening with vocals this time, the entire atmosphere is suspended in a state of sincere thought. Fog marks an inspirational twist of joyous realization in some ways. It’s experiments with several guitar tones, each taking its time to make its mark. It is a bright spot in this album, even with the composed solos, like embarking upon an ocean. A Nether World has one of the best instrumental overflows in the album, according to me. The arpeggiated composition grips you from the beginning, with suspense in the flowing breeze. By the time the vocals enter, these chants sit comfortably on the instrumental that have already taken control of this passage of time. The little compression-distortion mix in the guitar tone makes quite the difference. Fields of Mildew close this album out with The Dawn of Primal Fears. This is something that is ingrained in our DNA, so the sound must reflect the title that this song has been given. It does have a large dosage of mystery, with the repetitive bass sound dominating the track. A much more melodic approach in the vocals now make me want more of this style of singing. It compliments the chugging sound that has taken control of this track anyways. Close to the 5 minute mark, there is a tonal shift, increasing the intrigue I have for what is to happen. A glorious ending. Fields of Mildew have thoroughly explored this theme, with many rarely thought of aspects. It makes for an enthralling, captivating album, but a heavy listen. You must focus to hear what is within the instrumentals and the lyrics, each are doing their part in composing part of the feelings that have been tested with the instruments. There are a lot of shifts, tone wise from Compilation I and Compilation II, though I recommend hearing how this progress has made this album sound. A great idea executed with extreme thought and preparation.
Charlie Freeman-It's Christmas (Let's Be Kids For A Day)
Very few voices comfort and bring us into the Christmas spirit like Charlie Freeman. His arrangements and vocal style incite a joyous atmosphere. The use of simple transitions makes his songs a catchy tale to hear and admire. This one is something that catapults us back to the past, his new single just in time for the holidays. This is It’s Christmas (Let’s Be Kids for A Day). Here is the kind of song that you’d like to see featured in a film. With soft piano chord changes and a full, voluminous strumming-he bakes in the essence of the holidays. This is where Charlie Freeman chooses his simple and inventive lyrics, asking us to forget the dull facets of reality We blast past to the innocence of the younger days. The chorus is an entertaining, riveting part of the song, engaging everyone who is listening to change into the holiday pyjamas. Charlie Freeman is known for bringing the listeners in with these kinds of gleeful and stupendous verse sections, things that ring out the true elements of the holidays. As the unity and purpose of coming together is understood, just listening to this song brings all those memories back. You can hear Charlie Freeman at his best with his detailed lyrics. His 2021 album Love is chock-full of experiences and shows the best of his songwriting. Christmas films like A Christmas Story & The Holiday come to mind with this exquisite song. Listen to Charlie Freeman’s beautiful song and enjoy the holidays!
Juliet Callahan-Ghost Girl
Juliet Callahan has taken the pedestal in hip-hop/alt-rock based pop. Not only are her vocals unique and polished, but they are defined and command the narrative. Quickly becoming her most popular single, Ghost Girl is at the top for all the right reasons. With mixing perfection and execution, the throne was always hers to claim. Using resounding bass to offset her charmingly melodic pipes, she sings about being present while appearing absent. Ghost Girl shows Juliet Callahan exercise her silky smooth voice for the verses and chorus. The trap beat is perfect for the way she sings the lyrics-trying to purpose the mood and theme. Faintly in the background, you can hear impressive string work-such that nothing is taken away from the lyrics yet a lot is added to the atmosphere. This is where Juliet Callahan shines, creating a ghost town for this ghost she sings about. The apparition is from the inside, and she’s just beginning her ascension to being more than a somebody. The bridge is a stylish alternate route, making a prismoid view of this dimensional being she has created with song. From Atomic Blonde to Lucy, I could see blockbuster action films make this the title track for the lead. Taking control, this track also indulges in tone quite often to create this enveloping sense of sonic origami. Juliet Callahan can be explored with her superb singles like Numb, Burning and Typical. Explore her shifts through sound like an expert with her singles and her being featured on Top 50s and 100s of many playlists. Listen to her badass tracks now!
Ruiz!-The Human Touch
Ruiz! is more than a one-man band. He creates songs with a soul and embodiment like no other, especially understanding the composition. As he floats through genres like a butterfly, he likes to bring something new every time to what he is making. Here is his melodic lament, crafted to perfection. This is his latest single, The Human Touch. There is a lot to unpack here, as a song. Not only does Ruiz! bring something unique to the table in terms of sound, but it is in each parcel of it. His vocals shift from his chest voice to a falsetto with the flick of a switch. As the rhythm teaches, he learns, alternating his percussions to this delicious off time fill before coming back as the spine. His instrumentals tread light, letting the vocals shine but taking the reins every once in a while. The effort he puts into production sees the picture as a whole, with someone who understands and feels this message. It has a duality, the human touch with music, and related to the clusterfuck that was Covid. I would have really enjoyed seeing this song featured in Her, or the Netflix series Black Mirror. As the malady of the lost human touch is talked about, I see us straying deeper into the cold metal claws of technology, forgetting our primal instincts and feelings. You can see Ruiz! and his brilliant work in songs like One Rule and Falling. This single belongs right up there, and it is in effect to affect. Enjoy his brilliant songwriting and crafting with his catalogue!
Alec Berlin-Minir Maad
Some artists can’t do without lyrics. Alec Berlin aims to do without them. His songwriting has a vocal ghost that trails it, making each instrumental part seem like choice verse sections. From the time I heard his single Life in the Bog, there was a tectonic shift. Phrasings and alternates to create this saucerful of notes is what we aim to hear. This is his latest single, Minir Maad. Shuffling through minor keys, Alec Berlin takes us through an Arabic wonderland. For this track, call him Scheherazade, because he is narrating an enamouring tale with just his stringed instrument. So the name of the track comes from Minor Mod, and the Algerian strain makes it something exotic! The choice of instrumental sorcery is abundant and scarce, shifting through paths and alleys to show us what he experienced. The “chorus” has some exciting bends and twists, making this song the carpet ride that it is. Here, Alec Berlin details a documentary as a traveller through the Arabian Peninsula. I could definitely see this featured on Somebody Feed Phil and Dark Tourist. Shows that definitely try to expand and broaden the horizons of thought with different takes in culture, that you must check out. If you truly want to hear Alec Berlin’s sound, you better shuffle through his entire catalogue. Each sound and approach is different. President’s Day, What I Wish I Had Said and Patchen Avenue are some favourites. So go ahead, travel the world of sounds with this talented guitar virtuoso.
Parjam Parsi-Dialogue
Parjam Parsi conducts conversations with his environment. A musician with a wide range of tastes, his music often sees it all come together. From far-fetched ideas to idiosyncratic music elements, they all fit when Parjam composes music. This is passion at play. His 2012 album is called Dialogue. What you hear is more than it seems. As you hear Without Words, you understand the psyche at play. With the core piano riff as the undertone, he takes steps in all directions, making a meditative exploration with nuanced details. The ambience always helps in the directional and creating a canvas of picturesque standards. If You Forget Me is a self-portrait in rumination. Delving into parts of his own personality, Parjam might be creating something particular to him alone. The flowing around the same imagery, you get a kaleidoscopic view, one instant producing so much more. Everything Carries Me To You has a rhythmic percussion within the composition. Using note after note to create something so simple yet reminiscent of a story is impressive. Appreciating sound Black Bird might not depict flight yet. It dissuades, escapes searching for meaning in the beginning. Parjam Parsi wants you to view it as the simple being it is, full of purpose and understanding of its role. An Ode to the River had to imitate the flow of water. Simple to do with a formulaic style, Parjam uses something different. The running rhythm section is a brilliant foray into warm, recognizable pockets of melodies. It can be heard in principle in This Rain as well, though the nature differs. Parjam Parsi isn’t in a position to break down what he sees with his music alone. Nature is far too complex and wholesome for that. This is a dialogue between his instrument and him, regarding the different concepts of nature. The majesty is beyond our understanding, and this is the closest iteration you will find. The thoughts and translations are merely appreciations of what unfolds, and no instrumentalist in recent times has come as close as Parjam, to just adore nature through his music. Nature as you hear it The Forgotten Dialect and Doubtless use a contrast of tempos to create frequencies of instrumentals that just admire. It is impressive to see how this “compositional” mind of Parjam’s works, it is complex yet as simple as a singing melody translated into instrumentals. Round Star is also like a narrative, almost spoken word, in the way it is performed. Enigmas is like an acceptance, of something that will continue to evade us about nature. God lies therein, in the existence and us humans, not understanding the beauty of the visual and tactile. Lilacs and Umbria close an album that is an ode to the spectacular organism that is nature. In adulation and spectacle, Parjam Parsi creates a breathtaking experience that is scintillating, yet engages in thought and appreciation. It is one that would fit any Damien Chazelle experience, especially Last Man, for the gentle instrumentals and transitions. It is a spellbinding effort, and one of many to come from this artist. Listen to his album and follow him for more instrumental magic that transports you to a world beyond this.
PRATTO-Into the Night
PRATTO controls the digital fabric as a mere mortal. Or so we assume, that he is one. With exploratory soundscapes and magical spheres taking us into each song in depth-music is the method to his madness. With this being the third single released, he already has 67k+ streaming for both his other singles. This is his latest track, Into the Night. I remember the years Hardwell and Guetta used to control radio airplay. People were obsessed with electronic music, and it suddenly dwindled. PRATTO brings that hook, that sprinkling magic back to the portal. Songs that used to inspire people to jump, dance and lose themselves to music. True EDM. Into the Night is such a track through and through, bringing a resonating, pulsating energy to it. This is something that could play at Tommorrowland and would make tsunami waves. With beautiful lyrics and effortless transitions, this is where DJing becomes an art. An artist like this deserves 10 times the streaming numbers, only owing to the quality of what he is making. It is a compounding, organic and building spirit that prefaces the purpose of melding music with technology. It was for high quality audio, beautiful experiences and all coming together for the love of dance. PRATTO makes it possible again. I could totally see this audio unite many moments in TRON:Legacy, all due to how it has been designed. It is an incredible experience, and you must hear it with some powerful surround sound. His other two tracks are The Ode and Just for the Night, raw and vigorous yet polished in execution. Experience energy from dance music like you have never before. Follow him for more music as well!
Marcus Smith-Day After Day
Marcus Smith couldn’t wait for a band to form. He became one. A multi-instrumentalist with an edge like none other, there is nothing this man cannot do. His singles are exciting, unexpected and have a beautiful mélange of live instruments pouring in like colours from a prism. His latest single might be one of his best yet. This one is called Day After Day. With the kind of groove he maintains, he should be RHCP’s latest recruit. But, he’s breaking boundaries. With a catchy, cool rhythm section crafted with the lightness of a fruity beer-he expands what you would hear. The chorus is instantly installed as a high rise tower in your brain, and it's populating quickly. He must be a stickler for style, because he doesn’t let any rhythm settle. Constantly in varying motion, he comes in with a rap section that is tighter than most who specialize in it. Choosing unique verses and words, his sentence creation and flow manifestation is off the charts. A beautiful closing instrumental part assisted by vocals rounds off the fruitful track, engraved to the back of your head. Call on Marcus Smith to make a honey like sticky track. I’d have loved to have heard this track in Wayne’s World, one of my favourite music based films. The sticky element allows for the quirkiness as well. If the lyrics were to be read into, Groundhog Day and Palm Springs for sure. You can catch more of this incredible artist’s music with She Don’t Care, 21 Questions among some funky, groovy stuff. Make sure you follow him for more special tracks that will enter your playlist for sure.
Roxi Sound - There's No Fire
Roxi Sound's latest single, "There's No Fire," is a standout dance track that showcases her ability to craft innovative and emotionally resonant music. The song opens with pulsating guitar notes, setting the stage for the driving beat that propels the track forward. The haunting synth notes and ethereal vocal delivery from Roxi Sound create a captivating soundscape, making this song stand out in the world of dance music. The lyrics of "There's No Fire" are introspective and vulnerable, touching on themes of loss and heartbreak. One memorable line from the song goes, "I'm no wiser, but I'm turning up. I'm still burning." These poignant lyrics, combined with the driving beat and pulsating bass notes, create a feeling of catharsis and release that is sure to get audiences moving on the dance floor. The song makes clever use of synth bass to accentuate the upbeat drum groove. Overall, "There's No Fire" is a powerful introduction to Roxi Sound's music, and it sets the stage for the rest of her album, 'Altpop for the existential.' If you're a fan of innovative dance music that is both emotionally resonant and musically adventurous, then you won't want to miss this debut single. This song would make a fitting soundtrack for films that explore themes of heartbreak, loss, and self-discovery, such as "La La Land," "500 Days of Summer," or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Whether you're looking to dance the night away or just appreciate well-crafted pop music, Roxi Sound's "There's No Fire" is sure to leave a lasting impression.
The Loud Bangs-Stray Honey
It might be true, the saying that you turn into what you love. The Loud Bangs then, love a lot of things. On paper, what they plan to execute doesn’t work at all. It is a mishmash of many different genres that don’t belong even in the same water. That’s where their musicality comes in. Stray Honey is to shut people like me up. By the end of this rave, it works. They open the track with Electroprize. With the washed out background, you might expect someone to croon about their lovelorn era of romance. With distorted guitar chugs, they break that expectation, and the silence. You’re hooked to this post-grunge instrumental dystopia layered with heavy reverb on the vocals. Welcome to the first wisp of the daze. Sex Complex has a club song core to it. Though you’d think that the flow is maintained by just electronic elements, they amalgamate in different proportions. It is a dreamy result, sounds that flow into each other with an ease. The jangly distortion of the guitar unites more than you think it would. A fusion supreme We Want to Be Alright has some fantastic sound production. It phases between the left and right, creating something that is a stereo dream. You’re lost in the alt-shoegaze aspect of this sound. As the crisp acoustic cuts through the Northern Lights of sound, you settle in expectations. Layers condense into creating this salad of sound, fresh and diverse, yet amicably edible. This Is a Japanese Robot has the alt-rock anticipation you want. It derives from decades of digital variation in rock, creating its own niche with surprising turns. With the vocals hidden way behind in the distance, they are merely cameos in a much larger movie. There is a joy in the disorientation they depict so well with their music-a harmony you wouldn’t typically be able to find. Closing with Bell Gardens, the dream overflows into another dimension. You might be resting on the shoulders of a New Wave movement, but sandwiched between other styles. It is almost meditative in its process, and refreshingly original. Enjoy it live or as this recording, you can imagine the psychedelia strike with only how easily it forms for The Loud Bangs. The only loud bangs till now have been the pleasant shifts of change. A surreal album by a band that isn’t afraid to test the envelope. It might be a long shot, but I could place many of these in Requiem for A Dream. Not only a brilliant depiction, but the opening up of different forays in sound asks for thorough experimentation. It is a solid, fruitful effort by a collective you might never doubt again. Listen to their album Salvation Memories and follow them as well for more music like this:
StarAV-Halo
Some musicians can change the composition of the surrounding atmosphere. StarAV can morph it to form melodies that captivate and create a collage of sound. Collaborating with Raymond Yan, Preston Woolsey and Luna Harley for this one, this track might be the light you need for the weekend. This single is called Halo. StarAV created quite the channels of magic with his 2021 EP, The End. Featuring music that tears the reality of fabric to question it, a lot is to do with immersive sound experiences. In a time when it seems like innovation is restricted because everything is visible, StarAV sifts through the details. This particular track starts out with a gorgeous instrumental that absorbs you. The vocals build off the gentle instrumentals, organically creating a dominion of an audio palette. The high notes are complemented with detailed layering, something you have to really dial into to listen to. The synth flows melt into each other to create a resounding, complex web. As you’re starstruck with what the sounds do, the song seems to etch itself in your soul. The harmonics create the kind of flavour that comes from a cultural cross-section unlike any other. It is an incredible change of paces and styles. The density of a track like this would be amazing in shows like Euphoria, where there are visual explorations in scenes. Another place it would fit in is Paper Towns, the adaptation of the John Greene book. There is some incredible detail in this work, so don’t forget to follow the featured artists in this song for some incredible, soul-searching music!
The Marsh Family-My Storybook
The Marsh Family live a dream for many. To come from a line of musicians, to be able to live and create music-is a coincidence that is near impossible. There is a chance you’d know of some people in a family who can play and sing. This one does it all. There might be a lot of stories from the studios and otherwise that they’d like to share. This is their latest single, My Storybook. With a soothing groove, the jangling spine of the music is in the guitar. The drums float in the backdrop, while creating the soft percussion a song like this needs. It is another sweet song by the family band that encases and flows through all parts of life. The flourishes bring a smile upon your face, this being a song that makes any day sunny. As the vocals run through different souls, there are different lessons that reflect within the styles as well. With no lull in the song, you’re in high spirits even as you go through their entire journey. It is a meticulously well performed track, and the best part of it is that it doesn’t stretch. Songs released as singles often try to push to a certain time stamp or repeat, but this is where the charm lies. Storybooks like this have fables inside them, and here is a moral to read. Being a huge fan of the show Full House, I could definitely hear a song like this make it to the screenplay. The togetherness, family dynamics and pure joy of being together creates quite a moment. You can check out The Marsh Family with their other singles like Bring Us a Candle and We’re Not Singing Sea Shanties among others. Follow them for the true spirit of musicianship! Sometimes it’s in the blood!