DEMOS

WORDS: MICHAEL O’NEILL

DEMO OF THE MONTH

Amy RS – Bittersweet

Entirely recorded, performed, produced, mixed and mastered in her bedroom, Bittersweet finds 18-year-old Amy Ross-Sanderson making her bid to enter the pantheon of brilliantly gifted songwriters taking the foundations of the harmony-soaked scuzzy indie of The Breeders and Sleater-Kinney and going one further. It’s a phenomenal slab of enthralling songcraft replete with thunderous guitars, pounding drums and syrup-coated double-tracked harmonies, which acts as a stellar showcase for RS’s prodigious talents as a songwriter, musician (she has only been playing guitar for a mere four years) and a producer (the engineering and mixing is pristine). Make no mistake, if Bittersweet is just the beginning, it’s going to be very interesting to see where Amy RS goes next. Superb. www.instagram.com/amyrs.music

Chloe Gudgin – Christmases & Game Nights

Upon a hypnotic fingerpicked melody and an atmospheric fog of tape hiss, Chloe Gudgin crafts an engrossing and refreshingly sparse piece of lo-fi folk that is rich in melody and potential, and a strong reminder that the measure of fantastic songwriting is not determined by fancy studio trickery, swanky production values and an orchestra’s worth of backing musicians. The intimacy of the production allows Gudgin’s phenomenal command of songcraft to take centre stage, with her dynamic voice soaring over the sparse accompaniment of ukulele and echo. The lyrics paint a rich and vivid picture abundant in raw emotion and hooks, with Gudgin’s strong command of the craft of writing a phenomenal song being clear at every turn. Marvellous stuff. www.twitter.com/chloelgmusic

Owslandr (feat. Sofia Was Here) – Searchlight

Upon a glorious trip-hop beat that immediately calls to mind the filthy delight of Bristol’s finest, Searchlight is a deep dive into a rich ocean of sound which finds Northumberland-based producer Owslandr making a compelling argument for there being plenty of life left in the criminally under-valued and gloriously dynamic, dubby sub-genre of experimental hip-hop. The powerful vocals from Germany-based Portuguese singer Sofia Was Here float gracefully on the track, resulting in a phenomenal piece of songcraft that goes so much further than merely being a pastiche of Mezzanine, Dummy or Maxinquaye, whilst also serving as a reminder of why those records stand as some of the finest works of music to ever emerge from these shores. www.owslandr.bandcamp.com

Orchid Loop – Illuminance

A delightfully widescreen and deceptively complex slice of crystalline pop which manages to sound like Astral Weeks, The Kick Inside and Voodoo at the same time (no small feat, believe me) Illuminance finds the South Tyneside-based artist Karen Atkinson (recording as Orchid Loop) weaving a rich tapestry of sound of multi-layered harmonies, cinematic strings and horns, slide guitar and funky bass pops that refuses to stay in the same place for too long, whilst wisely avoiding the pitfall of trying too hard to impress. The production is utterly flawless, serving the rich arrangement, which anchors itself brilliantly to Atkinson’s voice, and demands endless repeated listening so you can wrap your head around the sheer might of the song itself. www.orchidloop.bandcamp.com

AbeliA – Harbour Town

A pop-soaked dose of forward-thinking country in the mould of Sheryl Crow and Kasey Musgraves, Harbour Town is a total delight fit to burst with melodic hooks and brilliant songwriting that doesn’t fall prey to the clichés of the genre, instead being refreshingly full of life, benefiting from some brilliantly deft production touches along the way. It’s a refreshing ode to the sheer joy of having a crisp pint with mates with the glorious aroma of the ocean wafting on you. Besides harmonies and rolling acoustic chords, AbeliA’s accompanied by little more than a sparse programmed beat, atmospheric keys and an insistent cowbell refrain, yet the arrangement is full of energy, brilliantly serving the laid-back delight that is abundant throughout. www.facebook.com/abeliaofficial