TRACKS

Image Faithful Johannes by Leslie-Ann Spence

FAITHFUL JOHANNES - OUT MY DEPTH EP

Words: Jen Wilson

Losing your phone can be a freeing experience but what if it also changed the lives of your colleagues? Office Oracle is the stand-out track of the new EP from Faithful Johannes. Listening to birdsong on the way to work and the wireless at night felt so pure, as it mixed with the utter perfection and incredibly amusing story of texts that change people’s lives. Sandwiched between a misguided song choice during Karaoke Classic (Billy Joel) – “sings so high but no falsetto” – and the rather calmly accepting yet anxiety inducing A Drift, that conjures the familiar feeling of drowning in responsibility with actually nearly drowning. He does manage a “small thumbs up” before emerging from the water, but this EP gets a massive one from me and best of all it is the first of two – the second half is out in February.

Released 11.11.22 www.faithfuljohannes.com

JACK AARON GREENSMITH - LIVE OFF THE LAND

Words: Ewan Gleadow

A conjured and sophisticated naivety spreads across Jack Aaron Greensmith’s single, Live Off The Land. Carefree particularity assembled with observations that ring through from the opening moments, an acoustic guitar gearing up to deliver a track of wonder and ambition. From that echoing, singular strum comes a tender build, one that presents Greensmith as an artist with delicacy and sophistication at his core in a similar vein to Donnie Emerson. Folk constructs are clear throughout; living off the land and the fears of ageing, a timeless response that fits in with lyrics that feel similar to that of John Steinbeck’s storytelling. Greensmith creates a delicate and marked treat, with the perils of the folk genre navigated expertly and intimately.

Released: 16.11.22 www.soundcloud.com/jack-aaron-greensmith

RUTH LYON - DIRECT DEBIT TO VOGUE EP

Words: Matt Young

The five songs included on Newcastle songwriter Ruth Lyon’s newest EP of folk/chamber pop cover a lot of ground thematically. They touch on societal anxieties, box ticking expectations, organisations seeking to homogenise individuality and dealing with the scorn of perceived differences or limitations, but core to all of these is a very personal desire to not conform under pressure, to be unique. Using the fashion world’s representation of women, mirrored within the music business, and ultimately every walk of life, makes a song like Trouble a real standout. It evokes the bare honest lyricism of Fiona Apple at her most ‘difficult’. Lyons won’t be boxed in, labelled or silenced either. Her melodic songs have a tough core and they’re all the better for that.

Released 26.11.22 www.ruthlyonmusic.com

Eve Simpson by India Hunkin

EVE SIMPSON - THE STRANGEST COMPANY

Words: Niamh Poppleton

Eve Simpson’s latest single, The Strangest Company, is an emotional, acoustic rollercoaster. Self-described as “an ethereal and heartfelt narrative” the song has a Sad Girl Autumn kind of vibe. The lyrics tell the story of an outsider, who is “completely over the concept of fitting in” but is afraid of being treated poorly by those around her if she doesn’t. Based upon Eve’s real-life experience at a house party, each word follows the lone protagonist who learns from the different experiences of those around her whilst simultaneously feeling out of place. A heavenly blend of lead vocals, harmonies, fiddle and piano, The Strangest Company, in all of its Joni Mitchell-inspired splendour, displays an emerging depth to Eve’s catalogue.

Released: 28.10.22 www.facebook.com/evesimpsonmusic

EARTH FARM - EVEN CICADAS GET THE BLUES

Words: Ewan Gleadow

Earth Farm’s dedication to the soundscape of larger-than-life rock is what separates their EP, Even Cicadas Get the Blues, from other genre work. From the chanting found in the eponymous track to the drawback of slower, acoustic-driven start of The Second Song, there is a surreal ability which keeps the listener guessing. Whether that is through the rock-heavy electrics of what follows the aforementioned acoustic intro, or the loud brilliance of Revolving, Rotating. Two short tracks break it all up, and Earth Farm nail their pace and tempo, rounding their EP off with the solid Flood For Thought. Running the risk of feeling scattershot, Earth Farm hedge their bets and piece together an often angry, off-kilter piece of bedroom indie rock excellence.

Released: 04.11.22 www.instagram.com/earthfarmband

JENNA LEAROYD - LOST IN THE SMOKE

Words: Tom Astley

Lost In The Smoke has a late night RnB vibe to it. A track like this lives and dies by its precision, and every aspect of this track is so clean you could eat your tea off it. The subtle, smooth bass line, the lush modestly overdriven guitar parts, snapping drums, and backing vocals that blend exquisitely into one sound. All of these elements support a vocal that is assured in its dextrous grip on the melody. As the vocal lilts up into the falsetto range, all that RnB influence becomes apparent, but without ever going off the rails in that over the top melismatic way great singers of this genre can often do, so the voice is left to deliver a set of lyrics in a manner that sounds sincere as well as sublime.

Released: 28.11.22 www.facebook.com/jennalouisemusic

Image by Ollie Rillands

SCOTT MICHAEL CAVAGAN - GUILTY PLEASURE

Words: Matt Young

True crime documentaries eh, we can’t get enough it seems; Dahmer, Bundy et al, it’s not just the ‘big names’ though, it was while watching a programme about an ‘ordinary’ man committing murder he’s always fantasised about that inspired County Durham singer-songwriter Scott Michael Cavagan to wonder, where does that darkness come from? What guilty pleasure makes every person tick? Musically that translates into a blend of anthemic alt. rock and catchy pop melodies, all while laying punkier vocals over the mix. The result is a taut, emotional rock metal sound with synths, a rousing chorus and an energetic, self-propelled drive. You can hear this track and many others live at his Bobik’s show on Thursday 3rd November, the day before its official release.

Released 04.11.22 www.scottmichaelcavagan.bandcamp.com

CHRIS KELLY - MY NAME

Words: Stephen Oliver

My Name is a track that has taken five years to be released; the song about the transition from teenager to young adult has been on the back burner since 2017. Given that subject matter it could have been a lot darker than it is. Chris has delivered a guitar-led track that is similar in style to Tom Petty before he fell under the spell of Jeff Lynne. What makes it refreshing though is the change in pace mid-way through. The urgency at the start swings through a slower phase that helps give the song a lasting impact. This is one of those songs that would be perfect for drive time radio given its catchy riff and lyrics.

Released 18.11.22 www.linktr.ee/chriskellygtr

POLYVINYL - MODERN ART PEOPLE

Words: Tom Astley

Polyvinyl’s Modern Art People is a blistering post-modern punk-balladpunk sandwich. Led by a riveting sneering spoken word vocal that has an inflection of Karen O, Modern Art People offers guitars that have a delicious distortion to them, and with a chord structure that offers an intriguing complexity to the familiar power chord crunch, this track beg for repeated listens, even before the jolting U-turn mid song into a 50s doo wop inspired homage, replete with a slightly manic falsetto oohs in the background. Polyvinyl capture both those sounds – cool-as-it-gets New York punk and 50s bubblegum – perfectly, and manage to smash them together in a way that makes perfect sense. An absolute headbanger of a tune.

Released: 04.11.22 www.linktr.ee/polyvinylband

TOM IEUAN JAMES - DECAY

Words: Tom Astley

For a first single, Decay is a remarkably mature song. Everything from the vocals to the instrumentation is delivered with a confident, assured hand. A deeply personal song, captured as essentially a live performance by a band of musicians playing together for the first time, it retains the warmth of a live performance, yet you could be forgiven for thinking the band had been playing together for years, such is the ease of the interplay and the manner in which they bounce off one another. The guitar is distinctly John Martyn-esque, with a percussive quality, while a saxophone solo gives the track some room to breathe, after the relative density of the lyrics and vocals. This is a highly promising musician, and most certainly one to watch.

Released: 31.10.22 www.linktr.ee/tomjamesmusic

KULPA - BLOODSHOT

Words: Tom Astley

It’s hard to resist a riff like the one Bloodshot gives you. A simple, powerful beat is followed by an epic riff, and you’re instantly into it. The band knows more than to overdo it however, dropping the riff out for the second verse, as the bass echoes it in miniature. The chorus is inherently catchy, with the refrain “Talking away, but you only say nowt”, simple and anthemic. The breakdown comes and is the exact sort of thing that you hear and instantly think ‘this would be mint live’. That rings true of the whole song; the band has done an admirable job of translating the feelings of hearing such a powerful track live, onto record.

Released: 28.10.22 www.linktr.ee/kulpaofficial

HANNAH ROBINSON - HYPNOTISED

Words: Jen Wilson

Grab your car keys (or your bus pass) and lose yourself in the constant drum beat and smooth vocals of Hannah Robinson, as Hypnotised propels you through the stages of a break-up, told from both male and female perspectives. It’s not really an emotional tale of loss, evoking instead the initial loneliness and the unavoidable need to move forward with your life without looking back. I loved the contrast of the energetic drum and classic guitar riffs, it feels very reminiscent of The Bangles and Hannah’s ethereal yet husky voice blends well and is not overpowered, rather emphasising the mixed feelings of separating yourself from a person you were once part of.

Released 11.11.22 www.linktr.ee/han_robinsonmusic