VINOK – Holy Fool
Front and centre are Nathalie’s awesomely vital harmonies; in the calmer moments, she alluringly draws you in, forcing you to scoot closer and focus, then when the dial switches to the high energy sequences – namely the supreme choruses – she unleashes into a wild, contagious fury.
A significant factor are the fantastic lyrics, diving into subjects like the feeling of being an outcast, combating mental health, but most prominently of all, the desire to stand proudly alone, independently without hinderance from others.
Dusted off by latching hooks, dynamically hard-hitting riffs and beats, and a big size in general, the Ukrainian-American alt rock outfit deliver a flat-out blinding album.
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KATEE KROSS – The Old House Session
One of Scotland’s premier country acts is back following up on her highly-rated Show Your Hand album with a short but equally satisfying EP.
It starts off gently with the beautiful Bluebird, highlighted by Katie’s pure and wonderful voice, then Game Of Life elevates the buzz a touch with some sweet electric chords, a calm yet catchy beat and memorable lyrics, then a little more of the same positive qualities return in the melodic and heartfelt Memphis.
A new release and a proposal on the same weekend? Not too shabby. (ps. CONGRATULATIONS!)
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STEVE GROZIER – All That’s Been Lost
A stalwart of the Glasgow scene for several years now, Steve finally brings us his long-awaited debut album.
A key element making this particularly strong is the emphasis on variety. Every single song is different in its own way, not only making for a more diverse and interesting listen but they each make a more noteworthy impact and leave you remembering them.
There’s a solid mixture of various sounds here; most prominently country; the harmonies are on excellent form, the acoustic melodies are quite pleasing, and the lyrics are real fixating.
Undoubtedly, this is Steve’s greatest triumph to date, a sentimentally compelling and magnetic record that grabs you from the offset and refuses to let go.
AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY 7TH MAY!
One of England’s most overlooked pop outfits present a sensational album that is simply delightful, bringing nothing but positive vibes that remain well and truly alive throughout the record’s entire course.
Spotlighted are wonderful guitar-driven melodies and light bopping beats with an infectious pep in their step that in turn get you joining in, plus there are pleasing dash of keys here and there.
The multitude of harmonies mix well together, with the lead singing in particular being especially nice and featuring personality in the delivery of the likewise entertaining lyrics.
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FELIX AND THE SUNSETS – This Will Change
Felix is very efficient in translating his political activeness into the music, resulting in really strong and potent lyrics that come off as sincere and thought-provoking as opposed to aggressive and preachy, which many would find off-putting; he finds that perfect middle ground.
Sonically, the record has its diverse range of styles, incorporating elements of freaking everything imaginable: pop, folk, blues, indie rock, Britpop, hippy grooves and much more. There are nice guitar displays, cool bass tones, fluent beats, slick harmonies, and on the whole the songs are just catchy and memorable.
An excellent EP that is just as academic and informative as it is entertaining.
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TERMINALIST – The Great Acceleration
The Danish-American thrash combo charge through the quintet of mighty numbers at an explosive velocity, discharging mean, animalistic growls, intense riffs and shaking rhythm sections in their wake.
There’s an epic energy constantly running full steam ahead without any signs of ever slowing down. From end to end, it’s a hair-raising flight from the intercontinental ensemble.
AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY 7TH MAY!
THE ROMANAS – Hanging On A Wire
So this is a unique mesh, indeed. Rhianna starts off with sublime country style harmonies, but then Rory implements his hip hop background to uphold his end of the bargain with strong rapping, and the pair switch between the two styles at regular intervals, but both equally radiate with a firm personal touch; likewise with the lyrics.
Thick bass chords and sweet drums carry the great, smooth-flowing rhythms, but are also often swapped for these radical electronic beats that are quite catchy, with an effective concoction of acoustic notes, electric licks, banjos and strings melded in throughout.
Creative in concept and successful in execution, this is a brilliant, odds-surpassing EP that can’t afford to be missed.
AVAILABLE IN FRIDAY 7TH MAY!
A cool batch of solid rocking numbers with the addition of engaging slow-tempo pieces. While not the most complex of records, consistently good performances and decent lyrical depth make the Midlands group’s debut full-length effort worth a check.
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Shevils are loud and brash, and very upfront about the fact, translating that into an infectious endless barrage of noise that completely consumes you.
An amplified raw vitality pumps through the rugged rhythms, personality (and profanity) are more than plentiful here, and the choruses are just plain great.
A stonking good time to be had here with the Norwegian post-hardcore group’s 4th album, but you wouldn’t expect less from them by this point, surely.
AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY 7TH MAY!
What we have here are a pair of smooth-flowing rock numbers that neatly blend this dreamy aura meshed in with a continuous rhythmic buzz, interestingly being both loose and lively all at once.
The guitar work is noticeably slick, the drumming brings us nice, steady beats, and the harmonies have a real absorbing quality to them.
All in all, a short but certainly sweet EP from the long-running Tokyo group.
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SMALL MUSIC SCENE 