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July 29, 2016  

Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart

For those unfamiliar with Michael Kiwanuka, strap yourself in for a 10 minute journey that simultaneously radiates pain and promise. “Cold Little Heart” is the first track off Kiwanuka’s recent LP Love & Hate, the follow up to his first studio album Home Again released in 2012.

Right off the bat, Kiwanuka slowly pulls us in and immediately hijacks listeners’ attention with tantalizing strings and soft drama-laden piano hits. A ghostly bayou choral background crafts a feeling of unease that is carried until an acid rock electric guitar tosses a splash of color in the already mesmerizing heartache concoction. Don’t get comfortable – Kiwanuka’s raspy blues vocals rock the boat yet again around 5 minutes after the drums are introduced.

I love this song because time simply dissolves; the epic morphs repeatedly, forcing my vain efforts to classify its style to succumb to the song’s timelessness resulting from Kiwanuka fusing modern and historic themes. “Cold Little Heart” is just one example from Love & Hate that together make Kiwanuka’s latest album one of my favorites from 2016 thus far.

Check out Michael Kiwanuka here.

October 26, 2015  

Running Touch – This Is Just To Say

Here’s another Australian young gun: Melbourne’s Running Touch has garnered his best reception yet with This Is Just To Say. Soulful, smooth, but bristling with attitude, it’s a minimal arrangement of mostly voice, driven electric keys, and fm bass that nevertheless packs a powerful punch. With support from Lavish, a promotional outlet of edm.com, I’m expecting to see a lot more of his work catch fire soon.

Check out Running Touch here.

March 3, 2015  

Matt Woods – In The Dark

Matt Woods grew up classically trained in Cornwall, on the southwestern tip of England. Leaving his home behind, he packed up and moved to London three years ago to pursue a completely new musical direction. With the help of Sticky Management, the now soulful singer-songwriter has made an astonishingly strong declaration of talent with In The Dark. Co-written by The Confect and recorded in the booths at Sticky Studios, it’s a stunning introduction to Woods’ raspy timbre and soaring falsetto, and an undeniably well-written piece.

Check out Matt Woods here.