6. Leah Rich – Honeybee
Carried by an infectiously bouncy bassline, Leah Rich’s latest track ‘Honeybee’ is a blanket of warmth on a gloomy day. The soulful summer song uses spacey and breezy synths atop Leah’s wonderful vocal performance to come up with a melody that just oozes summertime. It’s got such a spark to it, one that’s just guaranteed to leave you happier after you hear it through.
Leah’s ‘I’m a little honeybee’ opening starts the track on the perfect note, gliding over the quirky bassline behind it. When the chorus hits, the synths start to take over, creating an almost luminous air to the tune. You can just feel yourself stepping into a massive field populated with hundreds of pretty flowers all around while the sun shines on you as you run through it. A perfect tune for the moment.
5. Society of Beggars – Dance The Evil
Dance The Evil is a song from a different era. Melbourne based Society of Beggars are reclaiming a form of rock music that rarely gets time in the sun today. Their latest single is brooding, dark, and unafraid in how heavy it sounds. The pounding drums and scintillating electric guitar mask the more heartfelt lyrics with an aggressive and heavy exterior. Put simply, they’re bringing classic grunge back in a big way. ‘Dance The Evil’ is a journey of a track, pulsating and progressive with an infectious chorus and growling vocals.
The group, who actually originated in Adelaide, are bonafide rock scene veterans, especially so in the continent. Having played multiple national tours and now creating an ever-expanding international fan base, Society of Beggars are pushing the boundaries of a modern rock outfit. Their journey promises excitement to all fans of storied, classic, rock n roll.
4. Missingno. – Light (Radio Edit)
Light is an immensely relatable track. It’s about feeling small, feeling like you haven’t been able to really make a mark for yourself. But it’s not rooted in a nihilistic sense of pessimism. Rather, ‘Light’ is about the frustration of not realising your ambition. And for that, it turns itself into a track about perseverance and dedication, about taking your anger, frustration, or disappointment in your current state and transforming that into realised ambition.
Sonically, ‘Light’ is a unique mix of pop, hip-hop, and a lot of electronic. Heavily incorporating autotune and synths, Missingno. is able to create an anthemic and rising sonic progression where each next verse gets you more engrossed in the song as a whole. The constant ‘tired of feeling so small’ starts to sound more and more like a battle cry the more you hear it. If you needed a pick me up that’s going to rally you, look no further. Alternatively, if you just wanted to vent your frustration, ‘Light’ is still an ideal listen.
3. Dragaan – Hindsight
If you’ve ever wondered what a mix of alternative rock and latin swing would sound like, Dragaan’s latest piece somehow fuses the two styles into a tune that is insanely high paced and stuffed with energy. ‘Hindsight’ begins with a more light hearted indie bop energy before shifting gears into a more full fledged head banger of a chorus.
The songs is carried by an infectious acoustic riff that sits behind Dragaan’s swinging vocal delivery. The singer-songwriter is responsible for every aspect of his works creation, a remarkable feat considered how structured, seamless, and intricate the track’s production is. The to and fro between the more light-hearted joyous verse and the hard, pulsing chorus is incredibly well set up. Content wise, ‘Hindsight’, is what the name would suggest; but, put to the introspection of a very toxic relationship and its effects.
2. Glasi – Never Stop Believing
Pure, unapologetic house music forms some of my favourite go to tracks. The energy that EDM has is so universal and unifying, it’s able to bring together an entire room to an arena to sing and dance together. On his latest piece, Glasi has been able to recapture some of the fantastic eurodance/EDM energy and emotion that was so dominant in the late 00s and early 10s. ‘Never Stop Believing’ is as optimistic and wholesome as you’d expect, backed by an incredibly catchy and emotive vocal performance and chorus.
But, as with most commercial EDM tunes, it’s the production and progression of the beats that make it what it is. And Glasi has that art on lock. It’s melodically atmospheric carrying with it an air of positivity that just beacons down onto you with each second passing .The fat basses and the persistent teetering of suspense masterfully offer a backdrop to the musical playfulness. It’s something you’d love to hear in the club, and while alone in your bedroom. Especially now, with spaces opening up, this kind of positive coming together tune is the perfect anthem.
1. Ivon Roberts – Solo
Solo is a collaborative track that’s magically composed with wonderful vocal interloping, playful beats, and a nigh pitch perfect commercial pop backdrop. The song is socially-distant collaboration between Ivon Roberts and A.M.K (her debut single) recorded through GarageBand in different counties of Ireland (Cork & Kerry) and produced by JCKO in The Netherlands.
I absolutely adored the vocal playing between both singers on this project, the way they bounce off each other is just exuberantly energetic and so inherently joyful. You feel like they’ve had a ball just making this track, and that same passion carries on onto the listener. It’s a fantastic piece of commercial pop, one that inspires self-love and confidence while being a perfect summer tune. Say no more if you want to have a ball of a time while enjoying luscious soundscapes, beautiful vocal harmonies, and uplifting lyrics.
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