WOLF ALICE - BEAUTIFULLY UNCONVENTIONAL

In the lead up to the North London four piece’s second album ‘Visions Of A Life’ released on September 29th, Wolf Alice have progressively been releasing singles from the new record. Their first release ‘Yuk Foo’ packs a punch and gives us a taste of the more heavy punk rock sound the band can perfectly produce. Contrastingly their second single ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ featured the more laid back, delicate indie sound the band have mastered since breaking out into the industry in 2013 with their official debut single ‘Fluffy’. One of the main things I really love about Wolf Alice is their dedication to experimentation. The band never gets comfortable sticking with just one genre. They truly are musical shape-shifters. They create music that is wonderfully diverse, from indie folk to punk rock and these two new singles brilliantly represent that broad range. The most recent single, released a week ago on the 14th of August is an upbeat 2 minute track that once again shows just how changeable the bands musical style can be. Comparing just these three new singles exemplifies the ever expanding sound of the band. 

This song titled ‘Beautifully Unconventional’ in particular leans more towards the band’s indie rock/alternative rock stylings. Through the lyrics, lead singer Ellie Rowsell’s vocals paint a picture of a ‘partners in crime’ kind of friendship. Referencing the popular 1988 film ‘Heathers’, she describes their relationship as being two outsiders joining together in a world full of popular girls and high school cliques. Sharp and bluesy guitar riffs drive the song forward along with Rowsell’s distinct gritty vocals, creating a very compelling and snappy 2 minute record. Wolf Alice’s second full length LP ‘Visions Of A Life’ is released on September 29th. Announcing the release of their second album on Twitter the band shared they are ‘immensely proud of this album’ and I personally cannot wait to hear more. 

NATALIYA - HONEST

First impressions are important for any artist, and this debut single from fresh new songstress Nataliya is a perfect example of how to enter into the industry properly. Her first track titled ‘Honest’ is an impactful and soulful pop record that will leave you wanting more. A catchy chorus wrapped up with smooth and mellow r&b rhythms layered over Nataliya’s soft vocal tones creates a song that is widely accessible and sure to be popular with many. It’s always great when you hear a new artist and immediately see a lot of promise and potential. For me this LA based singer is one of those special cases and although little is known about her right now, I cannot wait to hear more material from her in the future.  

SKOTT - MERMAID

I have been a huge fan of SKOTT ever since she debuted with her single Porcelain in 2016, a beautiful and fragile indie folk song that highlighted SKOTT’s now notorious vocal range. Since her debut and after releasing a handful of other songs throughout last year and earlier this year, SKOTT has had a permanent place on my one’s to watch list. She has remained extremely consistent in producing delightfully dark and mystical indie folk songs with a pop edge. For me, it is always an extra special treat when the Norwegian songstress releases a new single into the world and with her new track ‘Mermaid’ once again SKOTT surpasses expectations and continues to show off her vocal capabilities. The track features very atmospheric production and is arranged in a familiar way with explosive choruses and brooding verses layered over minimal electronic beats. The track also incorporates a recurring piano hook that is extremely catchy and adds yet another dimension to the song. 

The choruses within the song are where you find SKOTT’s voice truly shines as she showcases her ability to reach damn near inhuman falsetto notes. The track features less of a dark alternative/indie folk vibe than past releases and instead leans more towards an indie pop type sound. Overall, the mystical and dreamy musical style that SKOTT has mastered and become known for is well represented in this song and adds to her already very consistent and impressive discography. Her distinct and unconventional indie folk sound is growing in popularity and if you’re not a fan of SKOTT already, you should be after listening to this. 

RATIONALE - LOVING LIFE

Rationale is one act that has remained consistently impressive with his releases and his distinct  vocal abilities. I first discovered his stunning vocal talent in 2015 after hearing his song ‘Fast Lane’ which is a paradoxically slow burning gem with understated guitar twangs and soothing synthesisers. After a string of releases in the past two years he is back with another remarkable song. His unique voice is always a treat to hear and much like his previous releases this new single titled ‘Loving Life’ does not disappoint. The song, like many of his past releases, perfectly showcases Rationale’s powerful voice. Since his debut in 2015, he has proven his voice is extremely versatile and can fit into multiple genres from soulful R&B and Synth Pop to creating house oriented records like this new track. Ever since his debut, Rationale’s musical style always carries a heady synth pop rhythm with booming vocals layered on top. With this new track his vocal abilities continue to impress as his voice rises and falls into falsetto highs and soulful lows. 

The new track has an addictive summery vibe and a catchy chorus that will remain stuck in your head for days. For too long Rationale’s talent has been underrated but with a debut album just around the corner I’m certain he will not be kept under the radar for much longer. You can expect his self titled debut album to be released on the 6th of October this year and to celebrate you can catch him touring the biggest cities in the UK throughout October. 

BILLIE EILISH - COPYCAT

Billie Eilish is a young singer songwriter who is constantly growing in popularity and confidence. After hearing her first two singles Ocean Eyes and Six Feet Under last year I was not only amazed by her creative songwriting and distinct vocals but also shocked to learn that she is only 15 years old. This year she’s back with a handful of new songs that hint towards a first album in the near future and is a taster of her soon to be released EP ‘don’t smile at me’. After releasing the extremely catching and dark ‘Bellyache’ in March she has subsequently released singles ‘Bored’ and ‘Watch’ in June, all three perfectly being used to illustrate the musical style of the young Billie Eilish. For someone so young, Billie Eilish’s music oozes maturity and confidence, she already knows her place in the music industry and is already secure in the type of music she wants to continue producing. 

The newest addition to her growing collection of releases is called ‘copycat’ and was released on the 13th of this month. Once again, the menacing and twisted quality of her music shines through. The distorted bass and heavy percussion coupled with Billie’s clever songwriting and brooding melancholic voice (that has become her trademark at this point) creates a song that is dark and satisfying. The song gives us a glimpse of the music style and brand Billie is attempting to carve out for herself. Within the space of one year Billie Eilish has gone from promising singer songwriter to rising pop power house, there is no doubt that pretty soon she’s going to be big. I’ll be eagerly awaiting more new material from this talented young artist in the run up to the release of her ‘don’t smile at me’ EP. 

LUCY ROSE - FLORAL DRESSES

I've been following Lucy rose's music for a long time and I would go so far as to say I have been quite obsessed with not only her music but her live performances since 2011. Her debut album 'Like I Used To' really put her on the map as one of the newest and most exciting singer/songwriters in modern music. Released in 2012, her debut album was a brilliant introduction to her soft and tender style of indie/folk music. At her core, Lucy Rose is a singer/songwriter who finds creativity and inspiration to write music in some of the most personal and private moments of her life. Her mastery over the singer/songwriter genre is shown through her ability to bare her heart and tell stories through her music. More often than not her songs are inspired by personal experiences and her lyrics are brutally honest, coming from a place of real emotion and vulnerability. This combined with her outlook towards the music industry, her kindness to her fans and her pure and fragile vocals are what truly makes Lucy Rose special to me as a person and as an artist. Although Lucy's first album was very acoustically driven, her second album 'Work It Out' released in 2015 saw her take a slightly different path as the album consists of songs that are more electronic in their composition. Her two albums so far show an evolution from making acoustic folk music that is slower paced and fragile to making new sounds that conform more to the alternative/indie genres with an abundance of electric guitars, energetic and purposeful drum beats and synths. However, what remains the same are Lucy's open hearted and honest lyrics as well as her pure and sweet vocals. These elements are what really draw you in when listening to her music. 

Her long awaited third album is soon to be released this July and here we have the first single from the album ‘Floral Dresses’. The song features backing vocals from fellow British folk band The Staves, three sisters from Watford who are also one of my favourite folk artists to date. Additionally the song, and the album for that matter, marks Lucy Rose’s departure from the Columbia Records music label and onto the small independent label Communion records. Speaking on the new single Lucy noted how this song: “really reminded me about who I was, and I always think that some of the best songs are the ones which can stand on their own with just one instrument. The message is pretty clear and I hope other people will find comfort in it, and realise they are different but also the same as many people.” It feels like Lucy is going back more to the style seen in her first album, stripped back fragile and leaning more towards the singer songwriter genre. Intricate folk music and thoughtful delicate singer songwriting is at the core of Lucy’s music and this is really well reflected in this new song. The track is composed of everything Lucy does best, within the lyrics she tells a story and the minimal acoustic guitar strums and fragile vocals drive the song forward. Through the lyrics, the message of the song is extremely clear 'I don’t want your diamond necklace, your disapproval cuts through’ the song is about staying true to who you are and remaining unique even if others disapprove of it. 

The motivation for the song and the very direct and openhearted lyrics are clearly based on a personal experience from Lucy herself. Throughout her music, Lucy has always used her songwriting as a vehicle and a channel to process and deal with very personal experiences throughout her life and this element to her music is still present here in this new record. The way she is so forward and open to express her vulnerability within her songwriting is one of the reasons why her music is not only relatable but also incredibly endearing and engaging to listen to. With this new track, her songwriting remains incredibly self aware and gives us an open window into the life and mind of Lucy Rose. Lucy's voice is always such a pleasure to listen to. Her sweet, natural vocals combined with these very honest and emotive songwriting is what makes this song and her music in general work so well. 

Overall, the song is a strong reentrance back into the music world after being away touring and songwriting for a while. This new record suggests a revisit to the very melancholic and stripped back acoustic songwriting that fans of Lucy first fell in love with on her first album, the style of music Lucy herself truly adores the most. The signature fragile and pure vocals coupled with Lucy’s always honest and self aware song writing is a combination Lucy has mastered over the course of two albums and is a skill she still uses to success throughout her music today. This new single is the first sign of what’s to come from Lucy’s new album ‘Something’s Changing’ and is the first clue in understanding which direction Lucy will be taking her musical adventures next. I eagerly await to hear more from her. The album is out in the UK on July 14th. 

LORDE - GREEN LIGHT

It’s been a long time coming for Lorde to return with new music. After shooting to fame in 2013 with her debut album Pure Heroine in 2013, the now 20 year old New Zealand singer songwriter has finally released the first glimpse of what she’s been up to for the past few years. The new single Green Light is the first completely new and original material we’ve heard from her in a while. Rising to global Fame in 2013, Ella Yelich-O' Connor (aka Lorde) turned a lot of people’s heads in the music world for her incredible songwriting abilities that showed a maturity beyond anything you would’ve expected from a 16 year old. Lorde also caught people's attention due to her refreshing, droll vocal tones and her dark and twisted blend of pop music and electronica. In 2013, the then 16 year old provided a breath of fresh air to the mainstream music industry that appeared to be throughly saturated with formulaic and unoriginal pop records. Each record from the singer songwriter has consistently shown a mixture of hard hitting, self aware and personal songwriting, dark electronic rhythms and punchy bass lines. Yet this new single highlights a new direction for Lorde in a lot of ways. As Ella tweeted herself in preparation for releasing the song: ‘I am so proud of this song. It's very different, and kinda unexpected. It's complex and funny and sad and joyous and it'll make you DANCE’.

The track is noticeably different from her previous works, her voice is not only a touch deeper but the tone of her voice seems a lot more direct and angry. You can tell the lyrics come from a place of personal heartbreak, the conviction and force in which she sings these lyrics albeit to a relatively lighthearted electronic beat further enforces this idea. Listening to the lyrics it becomes increasingly clear Lorde’s music both from the past and now looking into the future will always be used as a vehicle to express her real feelings and personal experiences and that’s something that is rarely seen so openly in the music industry today. In many ways, this new record sees an experimentation and an evolution of Lorde’s well established style she already carved out for herself in her first album. The steady piano chords that form the main hook of the song is something we haven’t heard before much in Lorde’s music. These prominent piano chords mixed with Lorde’s signature cool, quirky vocals rest on rousing electronic beats that rumble underneath the track and provide something different while still remaining recognisably ‘Lorde’. Her decision to include such drastic shifts in tempo within this new single gives further evidence to a consistent theme of difference and unpredictability in Lorde's music. Producing a song with such an offbeat, changeable tempo signals Ella’s continual commitment to offer up something new with every piece of music she creates. Her unique and edgy style of music is what made her entrance into the music industry back in 2013 so innovative and refreshing and it’s good to know that four years down the line with this first sample of her second album ‘Melodrama’ (coming out June this year), her music remains just as bold and original.  

Green Light comes from a place of  loss and heartbreak but at the same time it’s about the overwhelming sense of freedom that comes with these changes in a person’s life and the rush of possibilities that follow an ending relationship. The track is driven by a jaunty piano riff and soon builds up into a  euphoric and cathartic dance driven tune. The chorus itself sounds like something you would hear on a drunken post beak-up girls night out with spectral backing vocals reminiscent of the choirs accompanying Lorde on earlier songs such as Team. The song is a lot more upbeat and poppy which is something we don’t usually hear a lot in Lorde’s music, however the track still features Lorde’s iconic contralto and features the now familiar dark and heavy electronic beats that defined her debut. A follow up tweet from the 20 year old singer songwriter goes on to say: ’It's the first chapter of a story I'm gonna tell you, the story of the last 2 wild, fluorescent years of my life. This is where we begin’. Within the song the lyrics themselves not only tell the personal story of a broken relationship but it also exemplifies Ella’s mastery over the songwriting genre and her ability to incorporate open hearted and often brutally honest lyrics into her music (‘I know about what you did and I wanna scream the truth / She thinks you love the beach, you're such a damn liar’). With a bouncy chorus and slower paced verses that move forward the story of  a relationship breaking down, the outro brings us back to everything that we always loved about Lorde as the music fades out with boisterous and grungy synths. 

With Lorde lined up for some big festival dates this year, it only makes sense for her new music to head towards a more full bodied, theatrical sound. Based on this first taste of the new record, Lorde has managed to somehow stay true to her roots, giving us a new song to go crazy over that features all the crowd pleasing elements that Lorde is now known for while also giving us something new to chew on. Green Light suggests her music is taking a turn towards the brighter, more mainstream dance genre yet still offers up that dynamic, offbeat edge that we all love her for.