To my knowledge, apart from perhaps Mura Masa the Channel Isles haven’t produced that many pop or rock stars. But Rich Allo who grew up in Jersey might be the one to change that. His new single “You” is a phenomenal track. It has a soft heartbeat pace and some cinematic ambition. All of this is overlaid and wonderfully finished with Rich’s ethereal, soulful, impassioned vocal. The song reminded me of George Michael and Bruce Hornsby.
Rich says that some of his key influences are Freddie Mercury, Keane, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and U2. If he gets the airplay that I believe he deserves then maybe he and his music could stand alongside some of these artists one day. “You” has a cut glass clearness in its production which gives the song a glorious soundtrack sheen. The track encompasses fragility, strength, positivity and melancholy in equal measures. It is a song that inspires and makes you consider life and where you might fit in to the overall scheme of things. I love it!
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A new collaborative single between long friends and musical partners Gregory Darling and Julian Lennon have just released a new single “A New Dream”. The song was written with their friend Anthony Caligagan. It first appeared on Gregory Darling’s album ‘Shell’ in 2006 in its original form. This re-imagining has a majestic magical feel as it builds from simple musical forms into a gorgeous and emotional crescendo. The voices carry emotion, sincerity and belief. At times the vocal reminded me of Roger Waters but without all the ex Pink Floyd mans pent up anger. Lyrically the song is inspirational. “I’m helplessly waiting, clocking the days of my innocent youth, oh I’m hopelessly romanticizing everything black and white, all the colors seem dark in the night, I need a new dream to get by on“. This couplet made me feel quite emotional. The video is rather beautiful too.
Lennon and Darling have known each other for many years and have collaborated before. Lennon said of the new release “Working with Greg is like working with your brother/best friend… And “A New Dream” is something we both aspire to. The message of “A New Dream” resonates with universal themes that connect all of us- our dreams, fears and insecurities- and it serves as a beacon of hope, reminding listeners that even the impossible can be achieved.” The song holds a greater significance given Lennon’s role as the founder of the White Feather Foundation and Darling’s position as the head of artist outreach for Reluvotion, founded by Professor Nicholas Dungey and founding partner JR Smith, as well as the Gift Of Love Foundation, founded by Jody Folz. Both organizations are committed to global change and supporting human potential, making this song an ideal embodiment of their shared values.
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Flyght Club is the musical project of Los Angeles-based Shauvik Sharan and the new single “Nobody Else Knows” is a marvellous showcase of Shauvik’s musical talent. It opens with some disco-style percussion that suggests a four-to-the-floor banger. But then it evolves quickly into some hook-filled bluesy synth-pop of which George Michael would have been proud. Then just when you think the song has given you all it is going to give the searing guitar solo kicks in after 3 and a bit minutes and takes the track to yet another level. It took a few plays, but now I can’t get this tune out of my head. Take a flight with Flyght Club, you will not be disappointed it is one hell of a smooth ride!
Originally from Pune, India, Shauvik moved to Los Angeles nine years ago. He grew up on classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Pink Floyd. I think that shows in his music. Shauvik said this of the song “The goal with this song was to make honest music, going back to my roots with giving importance to the electric guitar, both in terms of production and songwriting, while still making something groovy and fun that people can dance and sing along to“. Well, it is definitely groovy and danceable and I sang along to it too. “Nobody Else Knows” tells the story of a girl, who on the surface appeared to be sweet and innocent, but behind closed doors was the complete opposite. Shauvik shared this about the song, “There was a side to her that only I knew and it was so unexpected but fun to experience this.”
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NOANNE has launched a spellbinding rocker of a single. It is called “Everything I Hate About You” It has a mesmerising guitar riff that seems to conceal an inner darkness. It has emotion and passion, and the sound haunts you long after the song is over. The song is about a woman who has taken drastic measures against a deceitful lover. The lyrics are full of anger, bitter resentment and strangely love too. NOANNE is from Prague and this is what she had to say about the song. “I wanted to create a track that not only captured the visceral energy of rock ‘n’ roll but also conveyed a deep, emotional narrative and reflect the intense feelings I was experiencing at the time of writing the single—anger, frustration, and a touch of ironic humor. The result is a track that is raw and dynamic, yet filled with lyrical depth. It’s a sonic journey that mirrors the tumultuous relationship described in the song, taking listeners from the peak of rage to the depths of introspection. This blend of high-energy rock with thoughtful storytelling is something I hope resonates deeply with my audience.” The video is a magnificent slice of film noir that fits the tune perfectly. NOANNE takes some of her inspiration from Led Zeppelin and David Bowie. There is nothing not to love about “Everything I Hate About You”!
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Lily Lane is a supremely talented pop and alternative artist from the USA. She initially recorded as Lily M Halpern, her given name, until becoming Lily Lane in 2014. She is a wonderfully outspoken advocate for body positivity, women, and LGBTQ. I totally commend her for that. But I also want to commend her and praise her for her new single “I Do”. The song is a gorgeous, languid, laid-back, soulful, soft blues, and sometimes ethereal love song. She wrote the song the day after she was proposed to and had this to say about the track “I was anxious about the idea of speaking in front of people at the wedding, I’m much better at singing and performing than I am at public speaking”. The lyrics are heartfelt and perhaps show Lane baring her soul and offering her heart. She sings “They say winners stand alone so I guess that we lose, we left behind our selfish pride found our way to the truth, I told myself I’d never love nobody again, now you’re my lover and my best friend, we did it our way and now it’s my chance to say, I do”. I can see this becoming many newlyweds’ first choice song for their first dance. It deserves to be a huge hit.
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Occasionally I love a bit of honky tonk, bluegrass country music, and Austin, Texas-based and Louisiana-born Ellis Bullard has delivered a great album of just that! Full of authentic country songs that tell stories of life. The obvious influences are probably Merle Haggard and Conway Twitty, but Bullard is most definitely his own man! His voice is warm and you feel like he is singing those songs directly to you. The album came out a few days ago and is called ‘Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution’ and his take on honky tonk is most definitely not pollution. Speaking about the album Ellis said “This album is everything to me. It’s over 10 years of winning and losing along the way. This record is blood sweat and tears. No bullshit. All the players on this record are like brothers to me and the energy we create on stage and in the studio is incredible. We’re thrilled that we were able to capture it all and put it on a record for you,” and “It’s country as cornbread but totally has some rock n roll in there. We’re calling it a “Honk n Roll” record. We’re in the clubs, dance halls, and theatres alike and folks are really digging our sound and what we bring to a stage. This record was so much fun to make, we know y’all are gonna enjoy it.” Damned right we will, this is a stunningly good album. There is not a bad track in the whole collection of ten great songs. Initially, my favourite is probably “What’s A Man To Do” which is where I felt the biggest Conway Twitty influence. I can imagine listening to “It Ain’t Easy Needing Green” and “Young, Wild And Free” while sipping a cold beer in the back garden this summer as the Barbecue heats up. Meanwhile, the title track has a fabulous Joe Walsh feel in the guitar work. As a kid, I could not listen to country music, because my Mum and Dad loved it, so to my ill-informed teenage self that meant it was not cool. But now, well I love me a good slice of country and this is a proper tasty slice. A lot of classic country tropes are here; money, booze, drugs, lost (or not yet gained) love, and prison to name just a few and that is what makes Bullard’s stories so captivating.
Bullard and his ensemble of seasoned Austin A-listers have graced prestigious stages, opening for Texas County and Americana luminaries including Paul Cauthen, Whiskey Myers, Mark Chessnut, Moe Bandy, and Gary P Nunn. Bullard has performed at ACL23 and is slated to play at both Jackalope Jamboree and SXSW this 2024. Bullard’s music has earned accolades and even captured the attention of the renowned Joe Rogan, who applauded Bullard’s electrifying performances at the legendary White Horse.
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Massachusetts-born, Los Angeles-based artist Mandi Crimmins has just released a very heavy, hard, dark, deep single called “Lose Control”. Apparently, it is about a traumatic time for her, where she was groomed and trafficked by someone she thought was her friend. Which explains the stygian darkness in the music and the subconscious underlying menace. The bass drives into your brain like some kind of heavy metal maggot with the tenacity of a robot woodpecker. I love everything about this track. Mandi’s lyrics are brutally honest and very raw. She suffers from her own mental health issues but uses her experiences to talk to and connect with her listeners. Describing “Lose Control,” she says ““I was groomed and trafficked by someone older who I thought was my friend. It took me nearly 7 years and a lot of therapy to accept that it happened. Because accepting it happened meant accepting that I was never in control and that I was a pawn. I wanted to tell my story publicly without shame, in hopes that it might bring peace, validation, and community to someone who might be struggling with the same thing.” She has also said that some of the lyrics in “Lose Control” are drawn directly from her diaries. I need to listen to more from Mandi Crimmins she has a supreme musical talent!
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