With this week over, we also finally reach the end of January 2021. But with lockdowns still present for us in the UK, many of the feelings we bore in 2020 are sticking around for a little while longer. This is why we are thrilled that we are able to offer our community an especially uplifting and romantic set of singles from independent artists.
Our top 9 picks include a lot of tracks that are paving the way for upcoming EP’s. We also have a lot of songs with compelling stories, so let’s get straight into them through this week’s New Music Sunday.
Track Of The Week
Jessie Monk » Lonesome Winter Blues
The simmering melody of Jessie Monk’s ‘Lonesome Winter Blues’, goes perfectly with the story of the space created between two lovers.
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We have loved what the Australian folk singer/songwriter Jessie Monk had dished out in 2020 and equally adored how she masterfully uses the people she meets, as her main source of inspiration. With tracks like ‘Maybe in Another Life’ and ‘Turn’s Out I’m Someone Else’ especially serving as some of our 2020 musical highlights, her first 2021 release, ‘Lonesome Winter Blues’ fairs no different. The simmering melody of this track perfectly represents its narrative, which highlights the space that is made between two lovers. And during a time where many listeners may be unable to physically meet their special someone, ‘Lonesome Winter Blues’ carries a great deal of sentiment and connection; something that has us even more excited than we already were for her upcoming EP.
Eddie Cohn » VS.
Channeling a highly electronic sound on ‘VS.’, this new track from Eddie Cohn’s immediately had us immersed.
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‘VS.’ is the first single release of 2021, from the producer, DJ and singer/songwriter Eddie Cohn; an artist who has been exploring a diverse range of sounds ever since their 2005 debut album If I’m Happy It Ends. In the case of this brand new tune, Cohn channels a highly electronic sound, which immediately helps it stand out from a lot of what can be found in his discography. The well-oiled pace of the electronic beat found on ‘VS.’ allows the track to feel effortlessly immersive, and we clearly felt ourselves getting sucked into this tune very easily. Furthermore, the trance-like feel that ‘VS.’ brings, successfully hits its intended mark, in which it has us longing for the hot summer nightlife, where we can once again get lost in the music.
Elena » Build a Ship
Oozing with atmospheric bittersweetness, Elena’s ‘Build a Ship’ takes the listener on an empowering journey from uncertainty to self-love.
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The dreamy new single from Canada-born, London-based bedroom pop artist Elena, ‘Build a Ship’ absolutely oozes with atmospheric bittersweetness, that perfectly compliments the context of the song. The story behind the single highlights the aftermath of a one night stand, where Elena questions whether the guy she was with truly loved her, ultimately deciding she would rather put herself first. The straightforward, accessible, and incredibly warm melody of this track, perfectly reflects every step of its compelling story. ‘Build a Ship’ is a wonderful musical representative of self-love, and those listening to this beautiful tune are sure to feel the same way.
Gefahrgeist » Nukular
Gefahrgeist’s second single release takes a more stripped back, intricate, and artful approach than their debut, further showing their versatility.
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The sophomore single release from Scottish electronic pop duo Gefahrgeist, ‘Nukular’ follows on from their vibrant debut single ‘Graceless’, and starts the duo’s musical 2021off with a remarkably compelling and atmospheric ballad. ‘Nukular’ reflects the duo’s sense of versatility, and desire to explore different musical moods, by taking a more intricate approach, compared to the fantastical dream-pop sound of ‘Graceless’. With this new track telling a story through the eyes of someone pushing the button of a nuclear bomb, the sense of artistry that this track’s sound carries does well to reflect the said story. With thanks to this brilliant track, we are very excited to see where this duo ventures next.
Minnie Wilde » Adored
Minnie Wild kicks off her discography beautifully, with the dreamy, Kate Bush inspired sound of her debut single.
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‘Adored’ is the debut single release from dream-pop artist Minnie Wilde, who has taken it upon herself to roll the musical ball forward in 2021. Right off the bat, we could notice a Kate Bush influence, both in terms of Wilde’s dynamic vocal range, and the smooth, dreamy feel that this track’s sound offers. But on the flipside, ‘Adored’ also carries a very current and accessible quality. Lyrically, this track tells of Minnie Wilde’s desire to be adored through her musical artistry, and we are already beginning to feel that way. Apparently being the first of her singles to tease an upcoming EP, we are excited to find out just how much more of Minnie Wilde’s dreamy and indulgent approach will transpire on that project.
Olec Mün » Ima
‘Ima’ wonderfully honours Olec Mün’s mother, in a heart-warming, empowering, and deep composition.
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Following the start of Olec Mün’s musical journey, in which he moved from Argentina to Spain, to later discover and embrace his Jewish roots, the composer and pianist released his brilliant debut album, Reconciliation, in 2020. Continuing his musical legacy into 2021, his brand new track ‘Ima’ honours Mün’s own mother, who he praises as the person who helped him realise this ‘invisible legacy’. The composition of ‘Ima’ is, in equal measure, soft, warm, and homely. This truly helps to create that familial feel, that will likely touch the hearts of listeners through melodic merit alone. On a more artistic level, this track also reflects the nurturing, mother-like energy in all of us, which feels like the icing on this emotive musical cake.
Palace Cats » Don’t Call Me Calm
Place Cats’ vibrant indie pop feel, and gorgeous vocal harmonies, feel more refined than ever on their third single.
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‘Don’t Call Me Calm’ is the third single release from Palace Cats, a collaborative project shared between singers, musicians, and close friends Joe Doris and James Bowden. The two both share an affinity for implementing gorgeous vocal harmonies into their music, and said quality definitely felt present in their two previous singles, which equally displayed a vibrant indie-pop feel. If anything, this only feels more apparent in the sunny and ambient sound of their first 2021 release. While keeping such a strong artistic vision, despite the numerous hardships the two have faced, this track also carries a compelling story of distance between two lovers, which definitely connected with us, and is sure to connect with many other listeners.
Sacropolis » The Sinner
Sacropolis offer listeners a warm and festival ready sound, along with a very sentimental message of love and confession on ‘The Sinner’.
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‘The Sinner’ is the third single release from Frankfurt-based indie four-piece Sacropolis, who use this track to further pave the way towards their debut EP. While stylisticall following suit from the previous two releases, in regards to their indie/pop/rock formula, ‘The Sinner’ simultaneously stands as a carrier of one of their warmest, and most festival-ready sounds so far. With said sound also carrying that romantic feel you would otherwise expect from a stripped-back slow burner, ‘The Sinner’ depicts the confessions of someone in need of forgiveness, following a romantic breach of trust. This, in turn, validates the hopeful yet bittersweet warmth that the track’s powerful melody carries.
Sugarmoon » Autumn Leaves
Sugarmoon remarkably reflects the hardships of lockdown, through the soothing yet somber sound of ‘Autumn Leaves’.
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After the Welsh indie-folk outfit Sugarmoon released their debut EP The Only One last year, ‘Autumn Leaves’ serves as the band’s follow-up single and marks the new chapter of their musical journey in 2021. We were instantly confident that this track, in an atmospheric sense, perfectly does its title justice; with a soothing yet somber feel that we were able to immerse ourselves into right away. With the entirety of the track being recorded during the lockdown, the melancholy yet wholesome sound of ‘Autumn Leaves’ feels like a track that does remarkably well to reflect the thought and feeling of last year, all of the losses and mental strains, in a musical light.
Dov’s Pick » David Ost » Gamblers Of Romance » Acoustic Version
As of this week we are introducing something new – Dov’s Pick. Our founder Dov will pick one song each week and share his thoughts. Choosing David Ost was a no brainer as those who follow our blog already know that we named him as one of the best discoveries of 2020 and the studio version of GOR was titled as #3 best single of 2020. We are thrilled to start the year with such an awesome live version.
New Music Sunday » Best Songs Released This Week
