- FLATLINE – Two Feet (3)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (1)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (2)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (9)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (6)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (7)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (8)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (11)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (12)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (4)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (5)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (19)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (10)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (13)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (17)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (18)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (21)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (22)
- SINNER – Young Decades (23)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (24)
- BETTER – Michigander (25)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (15)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (16)
- CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (26)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (20)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (14)
- ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (27)
- ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (29)
- HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (30)
- NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (N)
Tag: Philip Morgan Lewis
Top 30 Songs for June 13-19, 2021
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (1)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (3)
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (5)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (4)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (2)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (7)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (8)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (10)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (21)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (9)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (12)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (13)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (11)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (6)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (16)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (17)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (18)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (19)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (20)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (14)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (23)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (24)
- SINNER – Young Decades (25)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (26)
- BETTER – Michigander (27)
- CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (29)
- ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (30)
- ALL MY FAVORITE SONGS – Weezer (15)
- ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (N)
- HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (N)
Top 30 Songs for June 6-12, 2021
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (3)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (1)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (2)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (4)
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (11)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (6)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (8)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (9)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (12)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (13)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (14)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (15)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (16)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (7)
- ALL MY FAVORITE SONGS – Weezer (5)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (17)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (18)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (20)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (21)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (22)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (28)
- ENEMY MINE – Roadkeeper (10)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (24)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (25)
- SINNER – Young Decades (26)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (27)
- BETTER – Michigander (30)
- MY EX’S BEST FRIEND – Machine Gun Kelly featuring blackbear (19)
- CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (N)
- ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (N)
Top 30 Songs for May 30-June 5, 2021
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (2)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (1)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (3)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (7)
- ALL MY FAVORITE SONGS – Weezer (4)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (8)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (6)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (9)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (10)
- ENEMY MINE – Roadkeeper (5)
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (17)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (12)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (13)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (14)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (15)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (16)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (18)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (19)
- MY EX’S BEST FRIEND – Machine Gun Kelly featuring blackbear (11)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (22)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (23)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (24)
- PATCHWERK – Sub Urban & Two Feet (21)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (25)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (26)
- SINNER – Young Decades (27)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (29)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (30)
- ESTELLA – Kenny Hoopla featuring Travis Barker (19)
- BETTER – Michigander (N)
Top 30 Songs for May 23-29, 2021
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (1)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (3)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (6)
- ALL MY FAVORITE SONGS – Weezer (5)
- ENEMY MINE – Roadkeeper (2)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (4)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (8)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (9)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (10)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (11)
- MY EX’S BEST FRIEND – Machine Gun Kelly featuring blackbear (7)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (13)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (14)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (15)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (16)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (17)
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (20)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (19)
- ESTELLA – Kenny Hoopla featuring Travis Barker (12)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (22)
- PATCHWERK – Sub Urban & Two Feet (23)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (24)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (25)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (26)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (28)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (29)
- SINNER – Young Decades (30)
- THE BANDIT – Kings of Leon (21)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (N)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (N)
Top 30 Songs for May 16-22, 2021
- SHY AWAY – twenty one pilots (1)
- ENEMY MINE – Roadkeeper (3)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (4)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (2)
- ALL MY FAVORITE SONGS – Weezer (6)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (7)
- MY EX’S BEST FRIEND – Machine Gun Kelly featuring blackbear (5)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (10)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (11)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (12)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (13)
- ESTELLA – Kenny Hoopla featuring Travis Barker (9)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (15)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (16)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (17)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (18)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (19)
- SLEEP – The Frontier (8)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (21)
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (29)
- THE BANDIT – Kings of Leon (14)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (23)
- PATCHWERK – Sub Urban & Two Feet (24)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (25)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (26)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (28)
- PEACHES – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon (22)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (N)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (N)
- SINNER – Young Decades (N)
Philip Morgan Lewis – Single & Video Premier: “Come Find Me Back”
As I’ve noted numerous times on this blog, there’s a tremendous amount of music talent in the UK, and one of the more creative and imaginative artists among them all is singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Philip Morgan Lewis. The London East Ender boldly experiments with a wide array of genres and influences, ranging from alternative rock, blues, garage rock and folk to R&B and EDM, in the creation of his exciting and eclectic style of blues-soaked rock that nicely suits his distinctive raspy vocals. And he isn’t afraid to address the darker side of humanity and the emotional wreckage of failed relationships, love gone bad and our sometimes self-destructive ways, while also offering glimmers of hope and redemption. His unique sound is instantly identifiable, as he sounds like no one else I know of.
He’s released a fair amount of music over the past decade, including his debut EP Karma Comedown in 2016, followed a year later by his brilliant album Grief Harbour, which I reviewed. In the years since, he’s dropped a number of singles, two of which – “Blowtorched Dreams” and “Rock That City” – I also featured on this blog (you can read those reviews by clicking on the links under ‘Related’ at the end of this post). Now Philip returns with another great new single “Come Find Me Back“, along with a terrific video which I’m happy to premier. Released via label Tx2 Records, the single was written, produced, performed and mixed by Philip, and mastered by legendary mastering engineer Pete Maher. The backing vocals were sung by Annick.
“Come Find Me Back” is a heartfelt song that speaks to someone’s fall from grace and the break up of a family. Philip elaborates “The song is about the breaking up of families and single parenting in an era where it’s simply easier to separate than to fight for your love and try to do everything you can to mend relationships. And someone trying to find his grace back in the spiritual sense, in a way to become stronger, accept past errors, and try and reunite and fix things.”
Philip brings his poignant lyrics to life with mournful piano keys, intricate guitar work and gently soaring horns, all working together brilliantly to create a beautiful and haunting soundscape. A close listen reveals how he skillfully layers multiple guitar textures to create both nuance and depth of sound, with subtle bass and percussion nicely transitioning to bolder rhythms in the anthemic choruses. His plaintive, blues-soaked vocals are powerfully emotive, conveying his despair and pleas for forgiveness and acceptance back into the fold with a heart-wrenching rawness.
Love it's just just a couple of lines To let you know I miss you babe And it's just just a couple of bars To let you know I messed things up All that is left inside of me Is the thought of our crazy little family And it feels so warm But time keeps on passing us by And I wanna hold you both so tight Until that one fine day Until I find my way Hope is all I have Grace come find me back Until that one fine day Until I find my way I can't make you feel like I do Though I wish you could see me now Now I know that you couldn't love me Like the man that I used to be All that is left inside of me Is the wrong that I did and a mystery How to learn to forgive myself What a mess Time keeps on passing us by And I wanna hold you both so tight Until that one fine day Until I find my way Hope is all I have Grace come find me back Until that one fine day Until I find my way Hope is all I have Love don't count me out Until that one fine day Until I find my way back to you
The beautiful video, which Philip directed and edited, was filmed in London’s East End, and shows scenes of mostly empty streets, parks and playgrounds, as well him in what appears to be an empty house. All serve to represent his feelings of isolation and loneliness, both at home and within the larger context of a big city that should be teeming with life. The child’s drawing of a family of three, shown blowing around on the sidewalk, is a particularly touching element.
Connect with Philip: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / YouTube / Apple Music
Purchase: Amazon / Deezer / Bandcamp
PHILIP MORGAN LEWIS – Single Review: “Rock That City”
British singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Philip Morgan Lewis is one of the more creative and adventurous artists I know of. The London East Ender isn’t afraid to explore a wide range of genres and influences for the creation of his own eclectic sound. Drawing from alternative rock, blues, garage rock, folk, R&B and EDM, he crafts exciting blues-soaked rock that nicely complements his distinctive raspy vocal style. He’s one of those artists you immediately recognize upon hearing his songs.
He’s released a fair amount of music over the past decade, beginning with his 2013 EP Karma Comedown. He then released a number of singles, and in late 2017 dropped his brilliant album Grief Harbour, which I reviewed. In 2019, he took a stylistic departure from his usual comfort zone and released a fun album House Works, featuring eight House/EDM tracks. He then followed a few months later with a fantastic bluesy single “Blowtorched Dreams”. Now Philip is back with a great new single “Rock That City“, released on July 13th via label Tx2 Records.
Written and recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown, the song is an ode to many of the social things we’ve all been missing these past several months. Philip says it’s “all about release and freedom”, and the lyrics speak to breaking loose and having a fun night on the town: “Gonna rock that city where life’s so crazy / And I go make it right / Gonna rock that city tonight.” A talented multi-instrumentalist, he plays all the instruments himself, and does a fine job here delivering some bluesy rock’n’roll. With it’s strong, driving beat, buzzing bassline and grungy guitars, the song reminds me a bit of the great Black Keys song “Fever”. His unusual raspy vocals register in the higher octaves, resulting in a unique style and sound unlike any other singer I’ve heard.
The accompanying video was artfully filmed in black and white on the streets of London during the lockdown. A number of famous sites featured in the video that are normally filled with tourists were totally devoid of people. Philip is shown making his way through buildings, parking garages or the streets, completely alone.
Connect with Philip: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / YouTube / Apple Music
Purchase: Amazon / Deezer / Bandcamp / Google Play
PHILIP MORGAN LEWIS – Video Premier: “Blowtorched Dreams”
It’s hard to believe that nearly two years have passed since I featured British singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Philip Morgan Lewis on this blog in November 2017, when I reviewed his brilliant, meticulously-crafted album Grief Harbour. The London East Ender melds alternative rock, blues, garage rock and folk influences to create his exciting, bluesy rock sound that complements his unique, raspy vocal style. Following up on Grief Harbour, he released a fun album House Works that featured eight house/EDM tracks. Now Philip is back with a bold video for his new single “Blowtorched Dreams“, which I’m honored to premier today. The single will be officially released on the 28th of October as a digital download and 7-inch vinyl.
Philip wrote the lyrics and music, performed all the instruments and sang vocals on the track, as well as produced the song, which is being released via label TX2 Records. Backing vocals were sung by Vick E and his daughter Little A. For the recording of the track, Philip built a one-stringed instrument to play all the twangy slides, adding a rather dark country-folk vibe to his bluesy guitars and bass, all of which sound so damn good. He’s a remarkable musician and vocalist who manages to wring out every last drop of emotion with his deft, passionate guitar-playing and distinctive, raspy singing voice. When he sings of his pain, you believe every word, and the deep, almost tortured guitar work only serves to intensify those moods. It’s a brilliant track.
The dark lyrics speak to a sense of despair and hopelessness, of a life gone down the tubes as a result of having lived a self-destructive existence. Or, could it be the bitter realization of having expected too much from a cold, cruel city that eats up and discards you?
I wander night and day
Sidestepping all the way
No brighter light is gonna come
Is gonna come for me baby
Trapped in an altered state
With somebody else’s fate
No kingdom come no kingdom come
The road is done for me baby
When the chips finally fall on the ground
And the sod is just you hangin’ round
You know what’s it all about
Blowtorched dreams
Leaving blood on the pavement still
Blowtorched dreams
Leaving lives in the gutter still
I step into the dark
Draw from a crooked stack
The light is gone the light is gone
The light is gone and it ain’t coming back
No one but me to blame
I’d do it all the same
The time has come the time has come
The time has come and I don’t feel no shame
The fascinating video was directed, produced and edited by Philip and Vicky Crawley, and features black and white footage shot in and around Los Angeles, juxtaposed with scenes of Philip sitting in a darkened room singing the song. The video starts off with scenes of arriving by plane at LAX, followed by beautiful images of the sun-drenched city, evoking a sense of promise (we’re even shown a billboard with images spelling out ‘I love LA’). Suddenly, there’s a flash of light and a spacey synth chord, at which point the images become distorted with a kind of static effect that Philip refers to as “singularity distortion”, conveying a sense of tension and discord. Eventually, the scenes transition to the darkness of night, with images of raging wildfires and rather disturbing views of a long, dark tunnel leading down into the bowels of an old building, suggesting that the dreams have gone up in flames.
Connect with Philip: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / YouTube / Google Play
Purchase: iTunes / Amazon / Deezer / Bandcamp
PHILIP MORGAN LEWIS – Album Review: “Grief Harbour”
I’ve written about quite a few excellent albums in recent weeks, and I’m pleased to feature yet another outstanding one, this time from UK singer/songwriter and producer Philip Morgan Lewis. The London East Ender just released Grief Harbour, an ambitious undertaking with 13 stellar tracks. Melding alternative rock, blues, garage rock and folk influences, Lewis has created an exciting, bluesy rock sound that complements his unique, raspy vocal style.
Lewis released his debut EP Karma Comedown in 2013 to rave reviews, and received extensive radio support in the UK and US. With Grief Harbour he firmly establishes himself as an extraordinary musician with a lot to say. A talented multi-instrumentalist, he writes and produces his songs and plays most of the instruments, including guitars, banjitar, bass, piano, and percussion. For the album, which was released through Moonalizer Records, he received assistance from Vick E and Little A (his daughter), who supplied backing vocals, as well as Jon Harris on drums, Nick Miles (Neek) as drum session engineer, Rob Updegraff, Charles Slevin and Gavin Bowers (Elêphant) on additional guitar work, Clive Smart on slide guitar, and Ben Jones on bass.
The hard-hitting title track “Grief Harbour” kicks off the album in a big way, with an aggressive pounding drumbeat blasting through the airwaves, letting us know right away that we’re in for a wild sonic ride. A barrage of gritty guitars ensue, along with some down and dirty bass and Lewis’ emotionally-charged, gravelly vocals that grab hold and shake us out of our complacency. Mysterious backing vocals combine with a distorted riff, adding a hint of danger to the track.
Grief harbour population one is a spit on the map at the end of the line
Welcome to desolation lane take a walk down the pier to the Laidback hotel
Grief Harbour Six Feet avenue get a pint at the Fox and just settle your dues
I wanna burn like a thousand suns and set this town on fire if only for one night
I wanna rise like a dying star and set this world alight if only for one night
It’s a fantastic song, and the mesmerizing black and white video shows a shadowy image of Lewis dancing rather seductively in front of the album cover art (which was painted by his father). Not only is he an amazing musician and songwriter, he’s also a pretty good dancer!
And speaking of dance, you can’t help but move when listening to the sultry “Seven Deadly,” or “Six Foot Tambourine,” with its irresistibly catchy driving beat that aims straight for the hips. Layers of gritty guitars and a heavy buzzing bass line are driven by a thumping drumbeat as Lewis implores the lyrics that speak of a recurring nightmare:
A Six foot tambourine came down crashing on me
As I lay down in the tube somebody’s loading me
My feet are cold I can’t breathe but now I see
Though the nurse is kinky I’d rather she would let me be
Stay out of my head. I’d rather be dead
Stay out of my head, ain’t already dead
It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. Lewis has produced interesting and provocative videos for a number of songs on Grief Harbour, and posted them on YouTube just prior to the album’s release. Here’s the one for “Six Foot Tambourine”:
“Swing By Your House” is an emotional plea to a friend who’s thinking of killing themself, followed by the gorgeous and haunting “Foxes On Red Leaves,” a standout track and my absolute favorite on the album. The powerful, bluesy track soars with layers of jaw-dropping guitar work that goes from shredded to chiming to jangly to wailing, bringing chills from start to finish. Lewis captivates us with beautiful piano work and impassioned vocals about trying to hold it together and not lose your mind, seeking relief by self medicating with drugs:
Am I losing it babe. Just got a lot on my mind
Foxes on red leaves sink their jaws in my veins
As they go for the kill and I can feel no pain
Foxes on red leaves keep on calling for more
As I roll up my sleeve I shall fear them no more
A break from the heavy subject matter arrives with “Laidback Hotel, ” a delightful, bouncy track with honky tonk piano, lively guitars and snappy drums. Next up is the rousing ear worm “Karma Comedown 2.0,” a reworking of a track from the Karma Comedown EP. The blues-infused rock song has an infectious foot-stomping dance beat guaranteed to have you on your feet and swaying your hips.
“Phantom Pain” is a bluesy folk anthem with hard rock overtones. Buzzing bass and assertive percussion, replete with an abundance of crashing cymbals, provide a sturdy backdrop for layers of acoustic and electric guitar and some fine piano keys. Another favorite is “GYB (Got You Babe),” a sexy head-banger of a tune with a pulse-pounding beat and incredible bluesy guitar work that’s so good it brings goosebumps. I love songs like this with a powerful driving beat. The fantastic video features Lewis playing guitar and stomping his feet all over London, with his little daughter making a few appearances.
“Whistleblower” delivers more foot-stomping goodness and bluesy guitars, with powerful lyrics urging us to rise up and speak out against tyranny:
Would you talk would you tell it all
Would you face the nation and be the whistleblower
When dirt hits the fan there’s a place and a time for you to rise
There’s no rest for the wicked and the whistleblower
The bluesy gospel-sounding “Sinner” serves up some tasty distorted guitar work, while “Don’t Care if You Don’t Mind” is a pleasing, romantic folk ballad. Closing out the album is “Bring Down Heaven,” a powerful five-minute-long anthem. Lewis employs all kinds of instrumentation – piano, shredded and screaming guitars, heavy bass, synths, and aggressive percussion, not to mention the sound of a thundershower – creating a melodically complex hard rock song with a gospel vibe. That takes some skill, something he has in abundance.
Grief Harbour is a brilliant, meticulously-crafted album, and one that Lewis should be very proud of. His heavy, blues-infused style of rock is among the finest I’ve heard, and a testament to his incredible musicianship.
Connect with Philip: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / YouTube / Google Play
Purchase: iTunes / Amazon / Deezer
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 