We now arrive at the very first Sunday of May 2021, and with what seems to be more hopeful days even closer, we recognise the importance of sharing all of the amazing music we find with you guys.
This week sees a lot of artists looking to leave their mark on 2021, and truly grab the year by the horns with their untempered productivity. We hope to inspire you with our top 9 picks of the week.
Am.i » a party
Taking an introspective look at Am.i’s vices and virtues, ‘a party’ is a great start to this artist’s musical 2021.
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Following on from the debut EP (titled Product of Procrastination) from alternative pop artist Am.i, ‘a party’ is the artist’s first single release of 2021. Am.i continues to champion the kind of quality that her debut EP possessed so well, in which she draws listeners in with her familiar pop-style vocals, while the ambience of the tracks production works to give ‘a party’ a unique edge. We could also sense a far more sleek feel with this track, as ‘a party’ continues to push the artist’s evolution forward and upward. The flowing and atmospheric feel of this tracks instrumental pairs perfectly with the narrative focus of “a party’, which takes an introspective look at the artist’s vices and virtues. A great start to Am.i’s musical 2021.
Cecilia James » My Name Is To Call
Everything about ‘My Name Is To Call’, from Cecilia’s beautiful vocals, to the soothing guitar strings, carry a resonant feel that will undoubtedly soak the soul of the listener.
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With her debut single ‘Sonic Baby’ Californian singer-songwriter Cecila James established her highly dreamy and soft style of indie rock. But after a hiatus of sorts, 2021 is shaping up to be the year where Cecilia James ventures forward full steam ahead. In the lead-up to her upcoming debut EP, named Different Ground, this week saw Cecilia James release her gorgeous sophomore single. ‘My Name Is To Call’ carries a noticeable increase in both atmosphere and depth. Everything about this track’s melody, from Cecilia’s beautiful vocals, to the soothing guitar strings, carry a very resonant feel; one that will undoubtedly soak the soul of the listener. We were deeply drawn into the beauty of this new single, and we cannot wait to hear more.
Bethany Ferrie » Bones
‘Bones’ carries a great sense of depth and atmosphere, thanks to the immersive mellowness of its melody and deep lyrical reflection.
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‘Bones’ is the first single release of 2021 from Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Bethany Ferrie, and follows on from her previous three releases. After her discography burst into life with her energetic debut single ‘Say Say Say’, Ferrie has gone further and further into exploring her own style, and this indeed continues with ‘Bones’. This brand new track easily carries the greatest sense of depth and atmosphere, thanks to Ferrie’s gorgeously cavernous vocals and the immersive mellowness of its instrumental. We believe that these qualities perfectly reflect the deep focus this track has on the feeling of letting go while holding on to the things that make you who you are. ‘Bones’ is a brilliant start to 2021 for this exciting artist.
Brendan Cope » Nothing I Have
The spiritual vibe that ‘Nothing I Have’ emanates is perfectly wrapped up in Brendan Cope’s fantastic vocals.
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Serving as the start of a brand new direction for electronic artist Brendan Cope, ‘Nothing I Have’ is one of two debut efforts to showcase this fresh chapter. Following the artists hiatus from social media, and overall personal growth in 2020, we can genuinely feel that this brand new track perfectly reflects everything that Brendan Cope had been premeditating up to this point. We absolutely love the immensely deep and ambient feel that ‘Nothing I Have’ carries, along with its dynamic and flowing pace. There’s a certain kind of spiritual vibe that this track emanates, and it is perfectly wrapped up in Brendan’s fantastic vocals. We are well and truly excited to see what other masterful compositions this exciting artist will bring in the future.
Britton Buchanan » Better
Britton Buchanan’s retro influences are definitely easy to notice, thanks to the colourful and funky sound of ‘Better’.
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Los Angeles singer-songwriter Britton Buchanan kick-started his discography last year, with his first triad of singles. From the very get-go, this artist has managed to establish his own unique blend of pop, rock, and folk sounds, all with a retro quality to them. It was definitely easy for us to notice that Buchanan had been influenced by 70’s and 80’s music, the latter of which can especially be seen in his newest single. Reflecting just how eager Buchanan is to get the musical ball rolling in 2021, ‘Better’ is already the fourth single he has released this year. Perfectly blending luminous 80’s style synths with that modern sense of accessibility, this brand new banger is a perfect fusion of old influences, and modern musical innovation.
Gefahrgeist » Parasites
‘Parasites’ is arguably the most luminous and cosmic-sounding of all of the tracks Gefahrgeist have put out so far.
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Kicking off their discography last year with their first two tracks, the collaboration between Edinburgh-based electronic artists Fiona Liddell and Niall Rae, known as Gefahrgeist, certainly seemed out to impress. In particular, the duo really wowed us with their previous single ‘Nukular’. However, with a new year, comes their third single. ‘Parasites’ is arguably the most luminous and cosmic-sounding of all of the tracks Gefahrgeist have put out so far, and it truly allows the duo to start their 2021 off in a deeply immersive way. While this track carries a more upbeat and accessible quality, it doesn’t fail to keep all of the emotive delivery that the duo are loved for. ‘Parasites’ is an amazing next step in the duo’s musical journey.
Maisyn » Better Being Heartless
Maisyn’s raw and upbeat sophomore single begs an important question in its lyrics, which allows it to really connect with its listeners.
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Bursting onto the scene earlier this year with her debut single ‘Cool Girl’, up and coming L.A pop-rocker Maisyn follows through with her sophomore release, titled ‘Better Being Heartless’. While this track differentiates itself from Maisyn’s debut in a musical sense, thanks to its more raw and upbeat sound, this track manages to keep the introspective and engaging songwriting that Maisyn seems to be incredibly good at. ‘Better Being heartless’ begs the question; “would life be easier for us if we could care less?”, and this is a sentiment that we imagine many people have asked themselves at one point or another. That being said, ‘Better being Heartless’ does brilliantly at being a track that really connects with its listeners.
MAYA LUCIA » ur ruining it!
‘ur ruining it!’ perfectly justifies MAYA LUCIA’s much loved stylistic fusion, with a simultaneously angsty and warm feel.
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After taking a small hiatus in 2020, Boston-based singer and musician MAYA LUCIA had already shown that she intends for 2021 to be her year. Following the release of her previous single ‘luvverboy’, which arrived earlier this month, she wastes no time in following up with her second release of 2021. ‘ur ruining it!’ perfectly reflects MAYA LUCIA’s stylistic uniqueness, through a melody that somehow manages to feel incredibly upbeat, and incredibly intimate, at the same time. Furthermore, it does very well to justify the artist’s fusion of punk, pop, and indie-rock that she is known for, fusing both angsty and warm summer beach vibes under one track, which is frankly a delight to listen to.
Nightly Gatherings » Affirmations
Created by Nightly Gatherings as a musical representation of the little bits of joy we find during this unusual time, ‘Affirmations’ achieves this in spade-loads.
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mageIt is definitely safe to say that the American producer known as Nightly Gatherings had impressed us already, since kicking off their discography earlier this year. Particularly with their sophomore single ‘Up All Night’, we were able to easily get a sense of the kind of aesthetic and overall feel that Nightly Gatherings was striving for. This week saw the producer release their third single ‘Affirmations’; a track which presents a notably more warm and energetic feel, while losing none of the wholesome sentiment that Nightly Gatherings has shown to absolutely champion. Created as a musical representation of the little bits of joy we find during this unusual time, ‘Affirmations’ achieves this in spade-loads.
39 Best Songs Released This Week
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
