JOHNNY RITCHIE – EP Review: “JAWKNEE”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

As a music blogger who writes about a lot of independent and unsigned artists, I’m continually impressed by the number of creative and talented people who are making some truly innovative music. One such artist is Johnny Ritchie, an intelligent, personable and wildly imaginative young singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in Indiana and is now living in Spokane, Washington. I’ve featured him several times on this blog (you can read some of my reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post), but will reiterate a bit of his background.

With a lifelong love for music, he began learning to play piano and drums as a child, then went on to study Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music at Columbia College Chicago, ultimately earning a B.A. degree in Music at Western Michigan University in 2020. He now has his own business teaching others to play piano, keyboards and drums, as well as giving lessons in music theory, songwriting and improvisation. He also writes and records music in which he fuses alternative and experimental rock with neo-psychedelia and contemporary jazz to create incredibly fascinating and sophisticated soundscapes for his often provocative lyrics addressing relevant and timely topics like political corruption, intolerance and our troubled and conflicted relationship with social media.

Johnny released his debut single “Social Robots” in March 2021, a song exploring people’s behavior and social media consumption in response to the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL in 2018. He’s since followed with 11 more singles, and in keeping with his penchant for continual experimentation and pushing his musical boundaries, each sounds totally different and distinctive from the rest. His most recent, “walking anomaly”, was released on July 14th in advance of his debut EP JAWKNEE, which drops today. With a title that’s an endearing phonetic spelling of his first name, JAWKNEE is a work of self-exploration and discovery for Johnny, which he says is “a way of reclaiming who I am, what I am, what I believe and what I want to believe.”

Unlike most debut EPs and albums put out by a lot of musicians and bands, where they include some or all of their previously-released singles, Johnny has instead written all new material for JAWKNEE. The EP features eight tracks, three of which are instrumentals lasting a minute or less. Johnny graciously explained the background and/or meaning for several, beginning with opening track “twelve tone jawknee“, which “started as an experiment beat on a video call with my best friend Charlie Petralia. We wanted to create a lick that used all 12 tones in the chromatic scale in western music. I became obsessed with this lick and ran with it. Some of the speaking parts you hear were provided by Bill Davies, a friend of my uncle’s. He sent me audio recordings of poetry for another project we’re working on. I decided to splice some of his testing phrases, and this helped set the tone for the rest of the EP.” The result is a trippy fantasia of skittering spacey synths, layered over a deep, pulsating bass groove and accompanied by Johnny’s clipped, otherworldly vocal repeating the words “Jawknee” and “what’s going on inside of your head?” This track is followed by “majik“, a 47-second long instrumental that sounds like a fractured and twisted reimagining of the melody in “twelve tone jawknee”.

The song that resonates most with me is “bologna“, where Johnny focuses his anger on leaders and those in society who scapegoat others they don’t like, degrade the environment for their own personal gain, and refuse to pass legislation to protect us from real dangers, not invented ones. He elaborated on his sentiments: “the song hits on a lot of themes typical in my other songs, however it has a heavy emphasis on protecting our young people and empowering and emboldening them to have agency and to be conscious of their actions unlike the generations before them. I feel a heavy burden personally and socially to make a better world for our young people. They are too often used as political pawns for the ruling class’s money games all while being the ones who suffer the most. The ugly truth is that the USA is a country that has politicians trying to ban books about LGBTQ+ lifestyles because of this preposterous myth that transgender people are pedophiles and groomers, yet actively refuse to pass safer gun legislation to prevent more school shootings even going so far as to suggest putting MORE guns in schools- all so they can get a bigger paycheck from the NRA and gun-lobbying corporations. It’s absolutely disgusting to me and I’m tired of our government’s inability to lead due to their own selfish and greedy desires.” I couldn’t agree more!

Musically, the song has a languid hip hop vibe, with a deep, undulating bass groove and gentle airy synths, over which Johnny, in electronically-altered vocals, rap/sings his biting lyrics. I love them all, but will quote just a few: “I wanna see some change, I wanna see some action./ Want the kids to grow old, maybe they’ll help save us. What the hell do we know, been gluttonous for ages./ Focus on your money, convinced we can’t do better, but that’s just straight boloney.”

With its hypnotic, almost menacing beat, spacey industrial synths and eerie, otherworldly voices, “mandible patella” would be great for a sci-fi movie soundtrack. Johnny explained “this song is actually a sample from the first song “twelve town jawknee”; I did some splicing and editing, threw some FX on the track, and that’s how the beat was born. The speaking parts are my grandpa, taken from an audio interview I did of my grandparents back in 2018, in which he was describing his thoughts on death. I spliced up and rearranged the words to reflect what I wanted in the message. After that I just needed to added a cool hook melody that wrapped it all together.”

Johnny wrote “deestrukt” and “walking anomaly” in February/March of 2022, when he was still living in Great Falls, Montana, “during a period in which my family and I were the victims of abuse from church officials, congregation members, and wealthy small-town-Montana politics. During this time of injustice I felt very ostracized, manipulated, exploited, traumatized. I’ve been working through these issues, but these two songs were my initial reactions and expression of what was happening in my world. I was angry, but I used it as a catalyst to become a better version of myself. I’m proud of who I am now, I wouldn’t be this person without that chapter in my life. I don’t hate boomers responsible for it, however I feel immense sadness for their stunted worldview and vast ignorance, it is a waste of the human consciousness.”

“deestrukt” is a super grungy, mostly instrumental track, with harsh, rather menacing psychedelic synths and sharp percussive sounds painting a macabre nightmarish scene. Johnny’s vocals convey a visceral anger as he shouts “Who am I to challenge reality?” The track ends with a staccato of what sounds like gunfire, bathed in discordant reverb. On the other hand, “walking anomaly” is more languid and melodic, featuring watery chiming guitars, a throbbing bassline, swirling synths and very crisp percussion, all of which give the track a distinctively sharp sound. Johnny sings of embracing his true self, not giving a fuck what others may think: “Grew my hair down to my waist. Some people called me a hippie. Really I am just depressed. Some called me a Jesus. Really I am just super pissed. Some called me a hooligan. You’re damn straight I am one of them, so stop trying to ignore who I really am. I’m damn glad to be out of my mind. I would sure hate to be in it. Walking anomaly.“

Dividing the two aforementioned tracks is “ponchi“, a quirky and fun little minute-long instrumental piece Johnny says is an homage to Chopin’s “Nocturne in Eb”. The delightfully spacey 46-second-long closing instrumental piece “nif” brings the EP full circle, with Johnny’s otherworldly-sounding voice repeatedly chanting “Jawknee”.

While JAWNEE is an unusual and unorthodox work that probably won’t appeal to everyone, I think it’s artistically brilliant, lyrically compelling, and thoroughly unique. I love that Johnny continues to expand his musical horizons through fearless experimentation and willingness to speak his mind on important issues of the day.

Connect with Johnny:  Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

Fnd his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp / YouTube

SIVAN LEVY Releases a Captivating Live Session of Her Song “Jacaranda”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews15 Comments
Photo still from video by Eric Raphael Mizrahi

Sivan Levy is a multi-faceted Israeli artist currently based in Tel Aviv, who’s not only a successful actress and filmmaker, but also a talented singer-songwriter and musician. She’s starred in several highly acclaimed films and television series, earning multiple awards for her exceptional work. Her latest film, My Daughter My Love, written and directed by Eitan Green, was screened last month at the prestigious Jerusalem Film Festival.

Photo by Alon Shastel

In June, Levy released a beautiful EP side:s, her first music release since her self-titled three-song EP in 2015. Featuring six captivating tracks written and sung by her, side:s was recorded and co-produced by Levy and Yoav Rosenthal, who also played guitar and bass, and sang backing vocals. Levy played piano and keyboards, Giori Politi played drums and programmed beats, and Maya Belsitzman played cello. Mixing was done by Nicolas Vernhes. One of the songs from the EP, “Swimming Backwards”, has already been streamed over 400,000 times on Spotify alone. Another track, “Jacaranda“, is now the subject of a special live performance filmed and recorded by Levy and her supporting musicians, released as a video premiering on August 4th.

One of the standout tracks on the EP, “Jacaranda”, is named for the Jacaranda mimosifolia, a type of tree that produces huge clusters of purplish-blue flowers in mid-to-late spring. Native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, they also thrive in Mediterranean climate regions like Spain, Portugal, Italy, Israel and Lebanon, northern Africa, Australia and California. They even grow in the hot desert climate of the Coachella Valley where I live.

The jacaranda tree has a special meaning for Levy, who says her song “‘Jacaranda’ is a love song for my childhood jacaranda tree. It was my favorite place to climb and sleep and hide. On my birthday, the 4th of June, I would wake up every year to a yard covered in a purple carpet. A gift from the tree.”

The live performance of the song, filmed by Eric Raphael Mizrahi, is an acoustic reimagining of the original studio version found on the EP, which features lush atmospheric synths, shimmery guitars and feathery percussion. Yet it still retains its enchanting vibe, with Levy’s lovely piano work, accompanied by Yoav Rosenthal on bass and Giori Politi on glockenspiel and gentle percussion, all of which create a stunning backdrop for Levy’s bewitching ethereal vocals, transporting us to a beautiful and dreamy world.

Connect with Sivan:  Facebook / Twitter/X / Instagram / TikTok

Find her music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Soundcloud / deezer

TREMENDOUS – Single Review: “Fingerprints”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

Hailing from Birmingham, England is TREMENDOUS, a musical act fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Dudzinski, who with a revolving roster of musicians, creates an exuberant and colorful brand of glam rock. They began dropping a series of singles in 2018, which culminated in the release of their excellent debut album Relentless in May 2020. (My reviews of the album and two of the singles can be read by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) Both the album and singles garnered widespread critical acclaim from numerous music writers, as well as significant airplay on several British and internet radio programs.

After a bit of a hiatus, due in part to the pandemic but also issues with unreliable musicians, TREMENDOUS is back and sounding better than ever with a great new single “Fingerprints“. The song starts off gently, with just Mark’s tender heartfelt vocals accompanied by a beautiful strummed electric guitar. At 45 seconds, the song abruptly transitions to a stirring power ballad beginning with the first chorus, fueled by a barrage of gnarly guitars, throbbing bass and thunderous percussion. As the track continues, the band lives up to its name, delivering a series of scorching guitar solos that can only be described as tremendous.

Mark has a distinctive and pleasing tenor singing voice that hovers just below a falsetto, which he uses to great effect here as he plaintively croons the lyrics that speak to the hurt and pain caused by a former lover who he’s having a very tough time getting over, with every word or memory only serving to reinforce those feelings of pain and loss: “Fingerprints all over my heart. All over the sad part baby, you break in daily. There’s only bad in goodbye.”

“Fingerprints”, which officially drops on all major music platforms on August 4th, is a superb track, and I’m happy to report that the three-year hiatus has not diminished Mark’s songwriting or musicianship in the least.

Connect with Tremendous on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find their music on Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / Amazon

Top 30 Songs for July 30-August 5, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments
Photo by Alex Finlay

I’ve been a fan of British alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory since early 2017, and love their intelligent songwriting and ace musicianship. Comprised of Max Sander on rhythm guitar and vocals, Chris Moore on lead guitar, Jacob Brookes on bass and Rohan Parrett on drums, they blend alternative and progressive rock, psychedelia, grunge, shoegaze and funk to create arresting songs characterized by complex melodies and arrangements, lavish instrumentation, and Max’s distinctive mesmerizing vocals. I’ve written about them and their outstanding music many times on this blog, and it’s been gratifying to see them mature and grow as artists. One of their singles “One and the Same”, from their 2022 debut album Future Theory, spent 18 weeks on my Weekly Top 30 and ranks #42 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. They began releasing a series of new singles this past April, the first of which, “Why”, is a dramatic and beautiful song about a dysfunctional relationship that’s breaking apart. They’ve since dropped two more great singles, “Rage” and “Too Bad”, but “Why” remains my favorite. Now, in its 14th week on my Top 30 chart, it reaches the top at last.

In other notable chart developments, the top 10 contains the same 10 songs for the third week in a row, albeit in different positions. Lana Del Rey‘s “Say Yes To Heaven” is the biggest upward mover, climbing five spots to #11. Two songs make their debut this week: Entering at #29 is the captivating “kisses” by longtime British dream rock band Slowdive, which I learned about from Andy Peterson, a superb writer with great music taste who writes his own blog The Voice Of Unreason. Bringing up the rear at #30 is “Dial Drunk” by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who’s also represented on this list by “We’re All Gonna Die”, a duet with American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun that sits at #14.

And now for a special rant about the Billboard Hot 100 and the questionable music tastes of the American public. Two weeks ago, Olivia Rodrigo’s “vampire” debuted at #1, which led me to believe she would enjoy a long run at the top. But I was terribly wrong, and her song has already fallen to #7. Meanwhile, the top songs on the chart are a catchy but throwaway pop song from Junk Kook, one of the members of South Korean K-pop boy band BTS, who sings about fucking his beloved seven days a week, accompanied by rapping by female rapper Latto. That is followed by three Country songs – Jason Aldean’s awful “Try That in a Small Town”, Morgan Wallen’s tiresome “Last Night” (which spent 12 weeks at #1), and Luke Combs’ remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”,  which I concede isn’t bad. The song at #6 is the horrific “fukumean” by American rapper Gunna. Whatever…

Here’s my far superior song list:

  1. WHY – Future Theory (5)
  2. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (1)
  3. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
  4. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (7)
  5. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (6)
  6. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (8)
  7. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (9)
  8. LEAVING – Au Gres (3)
  9. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (4)
  10. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (10)
  11. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (16)
  12. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (14)
  13. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (15)
  14. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (13)
  15. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (11)
  16. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (12)
  17. SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (20)
  18. BONES – HEALER (21)
  19. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (22)
  20. ORBIT – Gooseberry (23)
  21. OVERRATED – dwi (24)
  22. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (25)
  23. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (26)
  24. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (27)
  25. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (28)
  26. KID – The Revivalists (17) 20th week on chart
  27. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (18)
  28. I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU – Brian Lambert & Jr Moz Collective (30)
  29. KISSES – Slowdive (N)
  30. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (N)

WILD HORSE – Single Review: “Do You Wanna Talk”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments
Henry, Jack and Ed of Wild Horse

Wild Horse is a talented, hard-working and charismatic indie pop-rock trio based in East Sussex, England, and comprised of brothers Henry and Jack Baldwin and Ed Barnes, their long-time friend since primary school. Now in their early 20s, the guys are seasoned musicians who’ve been writing and recording songs since forming in 2013, when they were barely teenagers. Both Henry and Jack are multi-instrumentalists who play guitar, bass and keyboards, as well as sing vocals, while Ed plays drums and percussion, sings backing vocals and plays guitar on a few tracks.

The Baldwin brothers are also prolific songwriters who’ve penned hundreds of songs over the years, and since 2017, Wild Horse has released five albums, three EPs and scores of singles. On the strength of their music and energetic live performances across England, they’ve built an ever-expanding fan base and garnered praise by music writers (including yours truly) and broadcasters, with their songs being regularly played on numerous FM & internet stations around the world, as well as mainstream radio programs BBC Introducing and BBC Sussex, Surrey & Kent. In June, they were even mentioned during a hearing in the British Parliament on funding to support struggling music venues.

I’ve been following them for over five years, and it’s been a pleasure watching them mature and grow as both musicians and gentlemen. I’ve reviewed two of their albums, DANCE!! Like An Animal, in 2019, and When the Pool Is Occupied, in late 2021, as well as their singles “Bitter” (which spent two months on my weekly top 30 in the fall of 2021) and “Cougar” this past January. Those two songs have been among a string of singles they’ve been dropping at the rate of roughly one every two months beginning in June 2022. Their seventh and latest single is “Do You Wanna Talk“, a song they describe as “a summer anthem about an on-off relationship and all that comes with it.”

Released through Animal Farm Songs, “Do You Wanna Talk” was written by Jack and produced by Mat Leppanen. Over a bouncy, toe-tapping groove, courtesy of Jack’s warm bassline and Ed’s thumping drumbeats, Jack layers beautiful jangly guitars, accompanied by his and Mat’s sparkling keyboard synths. It all serves as a sunny backdrop for Jack’s endearing vocals as he earnestly sings to a romantic partner with whom he has a precarious hot and cold relationship, neither of them wanting to fully commit nor break things off: “I don’t wanna see you no more, but stay by my side. And ooh, I don’t think about you, but my head shines you in a spotlight. Do you wanna talk? Do you wanna talk about it?/ I don’t wanna know, but I can’t stop thinking of it. I think we’re both as bad, we’re going round in circles.”

“Do You Wanna Talk” is another strong link in an unbroken chain of wonderful songs from this talented young band.

Here’s the song on Bandcamp:

Connect with Wild Horse:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok
Stream their music:  Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / Reverbnation / YouTube
Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon

KIFFIE – Album Review: “The Product”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews18 Comments

British artist Kiffie (the music moniker of Daniel Paul Kiff) is a creative and fascinating singer-songwriter, composer and producer of electronic music based in Norwich, England. Drawing from a wide range of music genres including electronica, hip-hop, rock, folk and classical, his arresting songs are inspired by current events, as well as the oft-covered topics of love, lies and betrayal. Kiffie records and produces all his own music at home using hardware instruments, synthesizers and drum machines. In a space of less than three years, the incredibly prolific artist has released an astonishing 13 albums, six EPs, two compilation albums, two CDs, and numerous singles. His songs have received critical acclaim, and garnered airplay on BBC Radio 6 and other internet radio programs.

His latest album, The Product, which he released exclusively on Bandcamp last Friday, July 21st, really struck a chord with me. In his remarks about the album, Kiffie wrote: “Evil things happen when good people say nothing. This album asks a lot of questions…. it’s up to you to work out the answers.” Accordingly, the songs touch on such timely issues as creeping authoritarianism, income inequality, misinformation and fake news, anti-science/conspiracy mongering, and political corruption – all things of great concern to me. He originally wrote the songs for his participation in the Lights & Lines Album Writing Club, and the album represents the final updated version.

The album opens with “Thank You For The Hope“, a melancholy, yet almost cinematic track, with introspective keyboards and wobbly, atmospheric synths. The spare lyrics are directed to a loved one who’s support offers a glimmer of light in the darkness: “Although the sky looks dark, the future looks grey for us, and it no longer feels like home, it doesn’t mean there is no hope! You are with me!” “New Enemy” speaks of cynical, soulless politicians who seek to divide us by scapegoating others, making them into our enemies: “History, it teaches you to be a little wary, of men, who’ll say anything to convince you to vote for them. History, it teaches you to be a little wary, of them, who blame anyone to create a new enemy.” Kiffie’s ominous soundscapes nicely convey the sinister forces at work here.

On “Leadership“, he laments about those who only want to hear what they want to believe, whether it’s truthful or not: “I don’t think I can deceive you, the truth is on my side. And I won’t lie to try to save you, what is there to hide?” The songs starts off with a simple piano riff, but eventually builds into an unsettling track, accompanied by Kiffie’s somewhat disconcerting, echoed droning vocals. And on the melancholy “Small Boats“, he sings of refugees of political unrest making the hazardous journey across the sea (the Mediterranean, I assume), in search of a better life, encountering resentment and hate by some, but empathy and assistance by others: “You’re welcome to stay. I promise you wont be a burden on the state, but don’t read the headlines today.“

“Being Patriotic” touches on how some politicians use ‘patriotism’ as a cudgel to keep us in line while claiming that government cannot afford to provide public services, yet are eager to give tax breaks to the wealthy: “They don’t know how to speak the truth, they only need to mesmerise you. They don’t have a lot of money to look after you, but they’ll find it when their friends ask them to./ They cant keep a single promise if it means their shares go down in value. They count on you being apathetic. they count on you being patriotic.” Musically, the track has a rapid, skittering trip hop beat, overlain by a droning synth bass groove.

“Independent Examination” speaks to those who subscribe to fake news and conspiracy theories, refusing to accept scientific verification: “Truth is based on fact. It doesn’t rely on lies, I can assure you of that./ Science follows an enquiry process. Your ideals might not align with that. Facts aren’t open to interpretation, they stand up to independent examination.”

The title track “The Product” is a dark and unsettling instrumental piece, featuring ominous buzzing synths accompanied by a repetitive percussive beat, creating a palpable sense of impending doom. “Reparations” addresses income inequality, and how the rich and powerful strive to maintain the status quo: “How did you come to be so powerful? How did things come to be so unequal?/ Should you pay back the profits? Should you recompense? Should you give up the titles? And should you start again, With nothing, like we did, like we did?” The hauntingly beautiful track is dominated by contemplative piano keys and a mournful keyboard organ riff, punctuated by languid drumbeats, all of which create a kind of dirge-like atmosphere. Kiffee’s droning vocals are at once both soothing and accusatory.

On “What Was Promised“, Kiffee ponders about our purpose and role in this world, and whether our actions and efforts make a difference: “Why do we try to change our lives? Why do we want the world to be better after all? Could it be we don’t see what was promised anymore? Could it be it’s time for love to rule forevermore?” The minute-long instrumental piece “Resolution” closes the album on a rather portentous note, with droning, ominous-sounding synths.

While not always an easy listen, given its bleak subject matter and instrumentation, The Product is compelling nevertheless, offering us glimmers of hope and beauty throughout. Kiffie makes a bold and impactful statement with this album, and I for one am glad to see artists having the courage to speak out about these issues facing society today.


Connect with Kiffie on Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

The best place to find all his music is Bandcamp, but some of it is also available on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Top 30 Songs for July 23-29, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

I love synthpop songs with a good dance groove, and the collaborative single “Essence”, by young Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, fits the bill quite nicely. The mesmerizing song holds the #1 spot on my chart for a second week. The Foo Fighters‘ exhilarating “Rescued” remains at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Sliding into third place is the beautiful “Leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres (aka Joshua Kemp), and “Why” by supremely talented British alt-rock band Future Theory moves up to #5. Olivia Rodrigo‘s biting “Vampire” (pun fully intended) enters the top 10 at #9.

Two wonderful songs make their debut this week. Entering at #28 is the hauntingly beautiful “Daylight” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. A relative newcomer to the music business, in just a year and a half, his songs have already racked up more than 725 million streams on Spotify alone, thanks to some of them going viral on TikTok (a platform I rarely look at, but is far and away the most popular for young people). In an interview with webzine Paper, Kushner remarked “TikTok has played the biggest role in my music career. It started as a fun thing. I definitely had not planned to market my music. …after writing “Miserable Man”, I decided to just leak the song on the platform. I didn’t expect that the next day I’d wake up to a couple hundred thousand likes. Not even a few weeks later, “Mr. Forgettable” did the same thing. At that point, I knew that TikTok would be a powerful tool to be able to connect with new people.”  Released in April, the gospel-like “Daylight” has already been streamed over 387 million times on Spotify.

The second debut is “I Don’t Believe In You” by Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, entering at #30. The powerful song, which I reviewed a month ago today, is a reimagining of the original track written and performed by Jr Moz Collective (aka singer-songwriter Mike Mosley, who played guitar, bass and synths on the track, with drums by Paul Prater).

  1. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (1)
  2. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
  3. LEAVING – Au Gres (4)
  4. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (3)
  5. WHY – Future Theory (6)
  6. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (7)
  7. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (8)
  8. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (10)
  9. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
  10. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (5)
  11. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (9)
  12. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (12)
  13. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (15)
  14. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (16)
  15. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (17)
  16. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (21)
  17. KID – The Revivalists (13)
  18. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (14)
  19. EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (18)
  20. SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (23)
  21. BONES – HEALER (24)
  22. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (25)
  23. ORBIT – Gooseberry (26)
  24. OVERRATED – dwi (27)
  25. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (28)
  26. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (29)
  27. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (30)
  28. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (N)
  29. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (20)
  30. I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU – Brian Lambert & Jr Moz Collective (N)

ELEANOR COLLIDES – Single Review: “Daydreams and Algorithms”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Named after his childhood imaginary friend, Eleanor Collides is the solo music project of London-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick Ranga. The talented artist melds alternative, indie and dream rock with synth pop to create his distinctly melancholic, yet beautiful sound. I love how he’s described his influences: “I find inspiration in the cathartic vulnerability of Low, the poetic storytelling of R.E.M., the passionate anthems of Manic Street Preachers, the genre-defying artistry of Orville Peck, and the darkly captivating electronica of Depeche Mode. These influences, among many others, have shaped my artistic vision, allowing me to carve out a unique sonic identity.”

Though he’d been writing songs for many years, he finally started recording and releasing music in the summer of 2021, beginning with a four-track EP How to Make Friends. He followed up with a couple of singles, then in March 2022, he released his debut album People are Taller in Real Life. Since then, the prolific artist has dropped eight more singles, one of which, the hauntingly beautiful “Pantomime“, I featured in a Fresh New Tracks this past April. Today he’s back with his latest single “Daydreams and Algorithms“, another outstanding track. All eight singles will be included in his forthcoming second album, due for release later in the year.

For the recording of the song, Nick sang lead vocals and played guitars, bass, piano, drums and strings, and Charles Connolly, who mixed and mastered the track, played marimba and sang backing vocals. Though “Daydreams and Algorithms” starts off slowly, with just a simple, rather melancholic strummed guitar, it soon becomes clear that there’s a lot going on musically. As the song progresses, the instrumentation expands into a captivating soundscape, with added guitar, piano and warm strings, accompanied by Charles’ enchanting marimba and Nick’s steady drumbeats and moody bassline. Nick’s pleasing, low-key vocals have a comforting, almost sensuous quality, nicely complemented by his and Charles’ ethereal backing harmonies. It’s a stunning song.

As to the song’s meaning, Nick says it’s “about longing and obsession in the age of social media, about falling in love with someone through a screen who may or may not be real.” 

I can hear the sound of dreams
The cigarettes and faded blue jeans
The photographs and played back scenes
Never knowing what they mean

I can see your days collide
The indecision codified
The fantasies and rising tide
History happens in real time

ooh ooh ooh

You could be my daydream
My landslide, my slipstream
My devil chasing moonbeams
Intention lost to the mainstream

I could be your joyride
Your agent on the outside
Your lowest low and highest tide
Watch as I revert to type

ooh ooh ooh

Connect with Eleanor Collides:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Soundcloud

GLOOM IS OKAY – EP Review: “Gloom is Okay”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews10 Comments
Queenie, the cover girl pup

Describing his sound as “Happy/Sad music for Happy/Sad people”, Scottish alt-rock artist Gloom is Okay is spot on, in that his music takes listeners from euphoric highs to crushing lows and back again. Drawing from an array of elements ranging from alternative and dream rock to progressive and metal, and blending darker lyrical themes with complex melodies, gorgeous guitar riffs and grandiose synths, his unique sound is variously reminiscent of some of his favorite acts like Porcupine Tree, Thrice, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Anathema, to name but a few. He started the project in the early days of Covid lockdown as a kind of coping mechanism, and being an advocate for positive mental health, he wanted to put a positive spin on things through his music. He loves listening to sad music and embracing the myriad emotions it brings out, both good and bad.

Based in Glasgow, Gloom is Okay is the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Martin Walker. Involved with music from an early age, he was previously a member of award-winning Scottish progressive rock band Akord, who released an EP Carry the Sound in 2013 and an album Ethereality in 2016. In 2020, Gloom is Okay released his debut solo EP Loopholes, featuring five exquisite instrumental tracks so dramatic and beautiful, they literally take my breath away. After a two and a half year-long hiatus, he began dropping a series of new singles this past March, culminating in the release of his second self-titled EP Gloom is Okay on July 14th.

For the recording of the EP, Martin sang lead vocals and played guitars, bass, piano and programmed synths, Iain MacLeod played additional bass, Mark Norris played drums, and Scottish musician and singer Modern Sonder sang additional vocals on “Pine”. The EP was mixed and mastered by Tomekeeper Productions.

I loved Gloom is Okay at first listen, and though it sounds different from Loopholes, due in large part to the inclusion of lyrics and vocals, it’s every bit as dramatic and gorgeous. It opens with “Butcher“, a song about being stuck in a recurring cycle of counter-productive behavior, unable to change for the better: “Repetition, to fill the gap. It makes me wonder what I’ve never had. My inhibitions, thrown from the shade. It makes me wonder If I will ever stay.” The song is a progressive rock gem, with vibrant, edgy guitars, exuberant drums and soaring atmospheric synths. Martin’s somewhat echoed vocals have a haunting but warm quality that’s both pleasing and impactful.

“Gravity” speaks to Martin’s struggles with writing music, or as he so beautifully puts it, “it’s a song about the madness of musicians…for those moments where you just want to smack your head against a brick wall, hoping the ideas will fall out of your ear.” The song has a beautiful but mysterious vibe, with a haunting melody that alternates between moments of calm with delicate piano keys, airy synths and chiming guitars, to cinematic flourishes of grungy guitars, heavy bass and tumultuous drums. Martin’s vocals have an emphatic sense of urgency as he sings “We show fire. Madness like gravity. We grow but you’d rather conserve your energy. Feeling low but inspired to scrawl through this melody. From head to toe expired, but I’ll swim through this debris.” The official video shows a woman experiencing her own little bout of madness.

The darkly beautiful “Pine” is sort of like two different songs in one. The first three-quarters of the track consists of a lush, moody soundscape, punctuated by gorgeous shimmery guitars and sharp percussion and the stunning dual vocals of Martin and Modern Sonder (aks Jazz Dey), backed by their own harmonies. At 3:21, the music abruptly explodes with a furious riff played by Martin on his 8-string Strandberg guitar, accompanied by Mark Norris’ pummeling drums, for the final minute of the track.

About the song, Martin explains: “I wrote “Pine” when the whole world shut down and I felt like I was missing an important piece of a never ending puzzle. Although there was no end in sight at the time, I could see the positive effects of conversations and searching for the good in the little things. It’s a positive spin on what was probably one of the most difficult times for a lot of people.” This is expressed in the lyrics “We pine but we’re focussed, with no more time to readjust. We saw a stable flare to guide us through, to see us through. But we are breaking through with no tools in our hands. We are mending you.”

The rather mysterious video shows a young teenage boy and two young Asian women exploring a scary-looking derelict abandoned building.

A deep and grungy synth bass introduces us to “Phantom“, an intense, ominous-sounding track that seems to speak of people who are out of touch, and no longer dealing with reality: “Have you even considered at all that you’re missing time? You only project what you thought caused this to climb. Within the grey you don’t comply. But you’ve found the way and the phantom’s live.”

Martin calls the final track “Good Morning” the one love song on the EP. Though running nearly six minutes, it’s a real tour de force so compelling and beautiful that it seems over sooner than I want it to end. It starts off as a lovely piano ballad as Martin croons “I can’t wait for the echo as it follows you, so I can keep up. And I will stay for the moment it fades off of you, cause I’ll still see it.” At the one-minute mark, a sensuous Latin dance beat takes over, accompanied by finger snaps and melodic guitar notes lasting around 40 seconds. The music then slows back down to an enchanting interlude before the wonderful Latin beat returns at 2:20. At 3:40, heavier gnarly guitars ensue, along with crashing cymbals, bold percussion until finally a scorching guitar solo brings everything to an electrifying crescendo in the bridge. The grungy vibes then continue through to the end of the track.

Gloom is Okay is a glorious little EP, with lots of beauty and drama packed into its 23 minutes. As Gloom is Okay, Martin and company have done an masterful job creating this exquisite collection of songs, and they should be proud of what they’ve achieved here. He’s an insanely talented songwriter and musician, and I look forward to hearing more from him.

Connect with Gloom is Okay: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube / Amazon

BRAIN APE – Single Review: “mcmx. drawing room”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments
Photo by Nuri Moseinco

Brain Ape is a wildly imaginative and creative London-based rock band who skillfully fuse punk, stoner rock, grunge, noise rock and shoegaze to create their unique sound they call “Scratch Rock.” Originally formed at the beginning of 2012, like many a band, Brain Ape cycled through a series of drummers, and is now a duo consisting of Minky Très-vain on guitar & vocals and Sol Alex Albret on bass. They’ve released music rather intermittently since 2012, but their discography includes three albums (Dara O’ in 2014, Auslander and Ausländer, an all-acoustic album featuring five tracks from the original plus three new tracks, both in 2017) and several singles. I reviewed the full-length Auslander, which you can read here.

After a hiatus lasting a couple of years, Brain Ape returned in January 2021 with “clxxvi. veni vidi vici”, the first in a series of strangely-titled singles. They followed in 2022 with “cclxxv. theatrum serpentis”, then “mcmi. fenchurch king”, the second of which marked a new shift in the band’s sound. Whereas their earlier sound was strongly influenced by grunge acts like Nirvana, their newer music is now strongly influenced by contemporary pop and hip-hop acts like Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, and Denzel Curry.

Their latest single “mcmx. drawing room”, to be released on July 19th via London independent label Scratch Rock Records, is Brain Ape’s second single to reflect their change up in style and genre. According to the band’s press release, the song “references a drawing-room within the historic 10 Downing Street (the official London residence of the British prime minister), and continues where their previous single “mcmi. fenchurch king” left off, diving deeper into the story of Eric Tunglsson, son of the Auslander. Exploring rising nationalism in the West and the glorification of false icons, the song marks the second time the duo have made any kind of political statement.”

Musically, the song is unlike anything I’ve heard before, and is hard to categorize or describe. It’s also a brief track, lasting only 1:40 minutes. Starting with a simple, stuttering trip hop beat, Brain Ape layers mysterious psychedelic synths, sharp percussion, grungy scratching and otherworldly vocal sounds to create a decidedly unsettling soundscape that turns quite melodic in the final chorus. I’ve always liked Minky’s vocals, and though it’s sometimes difficult to understand the lyrics, they range from delicate falsetto to ethereal whisper to plaintive wail, all exuding a seductive, yet menacing vibe. A rather interesting feature of the song are the sudden skips occurring from 1:07-1:13, which I assume are intentional. An unusual song indeed, but also strangely beautiful and captivating. I like it!

The video, which was written, shot, produced, directed and edited by the band, features Minky as Eric Tunglsson, Sol as Wyn Pfaird, former bandmate Jacob Powell as Trin O’ Gealach, as well as Siubhan McGealach and The Shrewd.

Here’s the song on Spotify:

Connect with Brain Ape:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp / YouTube