We come to the midst of May, and with it, we are once again blessed with tonnes of amazing new music. We were immensely impressed with what we have discovered this week, and we are very excited to share our discoveries with you on this week’s playlist.
In particular, this week gave us quite the selection of impressive debut singles, and an abundance of emotive and atmospheric spirit-lifters. So without further ado, let’s jump in to our top ten music picks of the week.
Alannah Moar » Middle of the Night
There’s a true nocturnal beauty that Alannah Moor’s ‘Middle of the Night’ holds, which enchanted us as listeners from start to finish.
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Following her debut 2019 single ‘Lovesick’, Aberdeenshire singer-songwriter Alannah Moar arrives with her sophomore single ‘Middle of the Night’. With her lifting vocals and atmospheric folk sound certainly being present in her debut, ‘Middle of the Night’ presents that same feel in a marginally more sleek and immersive way. There’s a true nocturnal beauty that this track holds, which enchanted us as listeners from start to finish. But beneath the almost whimsical melody, is a deep and heartfelt narrative, which sees Alannah Moar wear her heart on her sleeve, singing about a revenge fantasy she holds against a cheating partner. We would love to see this amazing artist carry on creating such compelling pieces in the future.
Josh Savage » In Too Deep
‘In Too Deep’ offers a melancholy, soft, and progressive feel, which pairs beautifully with Josh Savage’s rich vocal style.
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Following on from his first 2021 release ‘Young Fools’, Berlin-based indie singer-songwriter Josh Savage continues to tease his upcoming album with his latest single ‘In Too Deep’. While its preceding single started Savage’s newest album cycle off with an upbeat and energetic atmosphere, ‘In Too Deep’ offers a more melancholy, soft, and progressive feel, which pairs beautifully with Savage’s rich vocal style. Telling of the uncertainties and self-doubt that potentially come with being in love, ‘In Too Deep’ gets its story across in a truly emotive way; so much so, that it was easy to familiarise ourselves with the kind of feelings that this song reflects. This track made it clear that Josh is a true champion of emotive songwriting.
Joshua Ryan » Graveyard
‘Graveyard’ proves that Joshua Ryan’s signature pop sound is swiftly evolving, thanks to its intricate yet dynamic feel.
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‘Graveyard’ is the first single release of 2021 from the pop artist from Austin, Texas, known as Joshua Ryan, who said himself that this track was made for those listeners who were “up in their feels, and wanted a vibe to help get them through it”. Thanks to the slow-burning, and atmospherically deep sound of this track, we feel that Joshua Ryan really does that sentiment justice with this new track. And despite being so intricate in its composition, ‘Graveyard’ doesn’t hold back from including those few dynamic elements that really seal the deal when it comes to creating an emotive and enjoyable tune. But most of all, ‘Graveyard’ proves that Joshua Ryan’s signature pop sound is swiftly evolving into something truly special.
kav. » dissolve
‘dissolve’ offers a bittersweet, and incredibly atmospheric melody, which really sucked us into kav’s newest soundscape.
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‘dissolve’ is the debut single release from the new musical brainchild of London songwriter Pierce Kavanagh, known as kav. After years of playing in other bands, and writing for other artists, kav uses ‘dissolve’ to mark a new beginning, one that taps into the sound that kav truly wants to pursue. And we must say that it is a very impressive one. ‘dissolve’ offers a bittersweet, and incredibly atmospheric melody, which really sucked us into its soundscape. Said sound also pairs perfectly with kav’s gravelly vocals, which feel reminiscent of Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol. Pair all of this together, and you have a track that gave us a great sense of how emotive kav can really make his music. ‘Dissolve’ is a fantastic debut to what we think will be a grand discography.
Liza Weald » Shape Of The Dunes
‘Shape Of The Dunes’ harnesses what Liza Weald is all about stylistically, and does so in purest and stripped-back way possible.
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This week saw Netherlands-based folk artist Liza Weald release her debut EP Shape Of The Dunes, which stood as the project that the artist had been building up towards, since building the foundations of her discography in 2020. As well as carrying all three of the singles she had previously released, Shape Of The Dunes brings us a brand new track; one that acts as the title track for the project. ‘Shape Of The Dunes’ harnesses what Liza Weald is all about stylistically, and does so in purest and stripped-back way possible. This track is gorgeously soft in its sound, and we felt that this allows ‘Shape Of The Dunes’ to be one of the strongest singles when it comes to tying this project together; a truly amazing quality for a title track to have.
ORIAN » Jewellery Box
‘Jewellery Box’ blends the atmospheric framework of ORIAN’s deep indie-folk sound into something that feels incredibly soothing.
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It was the year of 2019, that Berlin indie folk artist Joey Ryan decided to establish a new musical chapter for himself, with the birth of his cherished musical project ORIAN. And since the inception of his musical project, it didn’t take long for ORIAN to craft a deep and atmospheric brand of indie folk that felt unique to him. Fast-forward to this week, and we see the second single release of 2021 from ORIAN. Named ‘Jewellery Box’, this track blends the atmospheric framework of his music, into something that feels incredibly soothing. The kind of warmth that ORIAN’s vocal melody, which flows brilliantly with the instrumental of ‘Jewellery Box’ brings, definitely feels reminiscent of a true modern indie folk classic.
Pattern Pusher » Come Along
With Pattern Pusher’s lyrics begging the question of “are you feeling good?”, we most certainly were, thanks to the unashamedly fun sound of ‘Come Along’.
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The first single release of 2021 from Exeter band Pattern Pusher, ‘Come Along’ kicks the groups musical year off with an energetic and feel good bang. While Pattern Pusher have shown to not only be colourful, but also versatile and dynamic in their sound, a track as lively as ‘Come Along’ pairs remarkably well with the aforementioned qualities. The band created this track to be “an uplifting and elevating piece of music in a world crying out for positivity”, and we strongly believed that the band had achieved exactly this with ‘Come Along’. With it’s lyrics begging the question of “are you feeling good?”, we most certainly were, thanks to this unashamedly fun and colourful tune. We truly hope that Pattern Pusher keeps pushing those good vibes forward in the future.
Rodney Eldridge » The Weight
Rodney Eldridge creates an astoundingly deep and immersive soundscape, and pairs it perfectly with a deep self-reflection on ‘The Weight’.
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After making his first streamable appearance on the original motion picture soundtrack of The Ultimate Legacy with the track ‘Paralyzed’, the year of 2021 sees listeners receive the debut solo effort from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Rodney Eldridge. Titled ‘The Weight’ this debut single instantly brings us a deep, reflective, personable, and above all, compelling sound. Through this song, Eldridge reflects upon the heavy burdens that were placed upon his shoulders surrounding his twenties. We really felt the kind of struggle that the artist must have been going through, thanks to the astoundingly deep and immersive feel of the soundscape that ‘The Weight’ creates. ‘The Weight’ is an incredible debut single.
Sven Ross » Blue Birthday
‘Blue Birthday’ recounts the personal story of Sven Ross’ 22nd birthday, with a compellingly bittersweet feel in both melody and lyrics.
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After kicking his discography off with the debut single ‘Heart Against The Rocks’ earlier this year, Netherlands folk artist Sven Ross continues to tease his upcoming debut EP with his sophomore single, titled ‘Blue Birthday’. This new track takes a more melancholy approach than his debut single, and recounts the artist’s 22nd birthday, in which he waited in vain for a call from his Ex. As well as this, the composition of ‘Blue Birthday’ is marginally more stripped back, allowing it to add a homely layer to the bittersweet feel of the track. Sven Ross’ sophomore effort shines with both its connective narrative, and incredibly intimate feel. And the way that these two qualities come together and are delivered to us, is truly beautiful.
Zed, The Dreamer » Truth
The debut single from Zed, The Dreamer combines traditional folk elements with unique composition, to create something truly promising.
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‘Truth’ is the debut single release from Zed, The Dreamer, which is the solo musical project of Portuguese singer-songwriter Zé Pedro Vivieros. While this first track instantly gave us that folk feel, reminiscent of the artists that Zed, The Dreamer draws inspiration from, we were also really impressed with all the elements that give ‘Truth’ a unique feel. There’s definitely a level of ambience that this track brings to the table, and it spells nothing but promise for this exciting artist. Along with this, Vivieros’ vocals ride so well on the subtle melody of ‘Truth’, and truly shine as a result. We really felt the immense level of passion that went into this tune, and we honestly cannot wait to hear more. It feels safe to say that Zed is certainly one to watch.
New Music Sunday » 39 Best Songs Released This Week
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
