Not Another Music Blog.

Tuesday, 7 August 2018

Track Review: Johnny Payne - 'Lazy Love'

Vancouver-based singer/songwriter Johnny Payne has shared his first solo effort 'Lazy Love'. Recorded in Denver with Pat Riley and Alaina Moore of Tennis and James Barone of Beach House, 'Lazy Love' is the first track to be released off his upcoming debut EP 'Johnny'.

A piano led ballad, 'Lazy Love' has all the throwback tropes harking back to John Lennon and the schmaltzy production of current Father John Misty hits. Opening with simple piano chords, Payne's vocal takes centre-stage throughout the initial sparsity of the instrumentation. It's here where Payne sounds at his most vulnerable and endearing.

Johnny says, "There is nothing wrong with being lazy. Especially in love it is a virtue." The song echo's this sentiment with lazily played beats and a sometimes simple vocal melody. The tune is a slow builder, but when it finally kicks off it really slaps. The production here is fantastic. The dreamy string sections, rhythmic acoustic guitars and sparse drum beats build throughout to a wonderful climax with an infectious guitar solo and beautiful female led backing vocals.

On 'Lazy Love' Johnny Payne has released a song jam-packed with beautiful moments. The overall sound of the piece is breathtaking and with the new EP slated for release on September the 28th, we're already incredibly excited to hear more.

'Lazy Love' is out now on all good streaming sites, or you can listen below.

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Monday, 6 August 2018

Track Review: Ed The Dog - 'Shame'

Former Fish Tank front man Ed Wetenhall has reinvented himself as Ed The Dog, having spent a considerable period of time in his High Wycombe attic writing music with whatever instruments he could get his hands on. 'Shame' is the third single from his debut album of the same name, released at the end of July, and it has all the characteristics of a classic indie hit.

Straight away you are hit by the anarchic production and metronomic percussion. The introductory guitar riff is simple, lo-fi rock but it's effective at building up to Ed's opening line, "I've never felt more ashamed of myself than right now", which sets the tone of the track somewhere in between humiliation, frustration and exhaustion. As the song progresses, the guitar manages to channel both an alt-rock grit and a quirky jangle pop timbre which ensures its distinctive sound.

Drawing on a session with a psychotherapist, Ed examines the overwhelming complexities of being a human being in the twenty-first century and a desire for the lucidity brought by childhood innocence. Far from downbeat, he is able to transform his experiences into a concentrated chaos - laden with memorable hooks and clever lyricism - contorting his voice in the process.

In just under four minutes, Ed The Dog has crafted a tune that is familiar in style but fresh in its witty reflections on the world. Given the tumultuous modern society we live in, the necessity of music that encourages us to reflect on ourselves and our experiences is clear. With 'Shame', Ed has done so in a charming and lively way.

Listen to 'Shame' below.

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Wednesday, 1 August 2018

Track Review: LANNDS - 'you + drugs'

LANNDS is the Memphis-born artist Rania Woodward and producer/songwriter Brian Squillace. Now based in Jacksonville, the duo have racked up over two-million streams to date on the strength of their coming of age anthems. 'you + drugs' is the final single to be released off their eagerly awaited second EP 'Legends'.

Drawing from Woodward's soulful blues background and Squillace's electro-pop musing, the track opens with a pulsing sample before Woodward's beautiful vocal is introduced. The production of 'you + drugs' is initially elegantly simplistic and the way the way the song builds over the first minute is fantastic.

LANNDS certainly know how to work with dynamics. The duo introduce all sorts of textures and musical elements to ensure the track never gets dull. The introduction of the electric guitar after the first chorus is a touch of class. The tone, melody and overall sound of this section is fantastic. It's at this moment where you can really hear the duo's influences. Drawing from Daughter, The Japanese House and Lapsley, the atmospheric instrumentation coupled with Woodward's distant, layered vocals takes this tune to another dimension.

Thematically, 'you + drugs' is about addictive relationships where thoughts and relationships spiral out of control. These themes are incredibly relatable for a lot of people and they run deep throughout LANNDS' dense and highly emotive songwriting.

On 'you + drugs', LANNDS have created a piece of music that transcends many types of emotion. The dark themes, atmospheric instrumental and well-oiled performances make this slice of dream-pop one to remember.

Listen to LANNDS below.

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Thursday, 19 July 2018

Track Review: Olivver The Kid - 'Overreacting'

'Overreacting' is the new tune from ex-The Neighbourhood drummer Bryan Sammis. After a year-long hiatus, LA-based Sammis is back with his solo project Olivver The Kid and a new EP to boot.

The disco-influenced, super electronic track is a short but sweet slice of 80s infused, sun-drenched pop. The track pulses at an upbeat pace throughout with tambourine driven percussion and synth arpeggios that add to the driving nostalgia of 'Overreacting'.

Sammis says, "the song is about realising the normalisation of art around you. Knowing that artists and peers are capable of showing so much more emotion if they just let themselves go, rather than what they are supposed to do".

The vocals on 'Overreacting' are brilliant, especially on the verses where Sammis shows his knack for a fantastic melody that is as infectious as any other. The control he shows when transitioning from falsetto to full voice is incredible.

On 'Overreacting', Sammis cranks the nostalgia up to the max and the impeccably produced track benefits so much from this. It's short running time ensures people will go back time and time again. This is definitely one for summer, especially with those amazing guitar leads towards the end.

'Overreacting' is out now on the new 'Ego Surfin' EP.

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Track Review: Honey Moon - '(Why Do You Think You're So) Special?'

We've been on to Honey Moon for a while here at Not Another Music Blog. Their jangly croon influenced indie-pop is the stuff of brilliance and the perfect accompaniment to this never-ending British heatwave we seem to have found ourselves in. '(Why Do You Think You're So) Special?' is the London-based bands latest single after a two-year break from the airwaves and first through indie label Heist or Hit.

Honey Moon's 50s and 60s pop influences shine brightly in the opening stages of the song. Walking basslines, surf-tinged guitars, wistful backing vocals and skittish drums all combine to create a throwback sound harking back to the doo-wop era's of early American and British pop.

The introduction of Jack Slater Chandler's dreamy and incredibly controlled falsetto adds another element of finesse before the band crank up the intensity in the chorus. Melodically this track is up there with some of the best indie music we've heard all year. The "I don't know if I could ever stop loving you" refrain is so catchy and sweet that it'll have you singing it all day long.

The craftsmanship of the song is a wonder with each musical element perfectly formed to build a sound that is not only timeless, it's also incredibly refreshing. Produced by Alex Greaves at The Nave in Leeds, the way 'Special?' builds to the final brass filled stages is a joy and the dynamic grandiosity of the outro makes us want to return time after time.

Have love songs ever sounded better? We think not.

On '(Why Do You Think You're So) Special?', Honey Moon has returned with a perfect slice of doo-wop indie-pop perfection. With songs like this, Honey Moon is reaching for the stars and it won't be long before the four-piece really make a name for themselves. Time to take note.

Upcoming Live Dates
20th July – Truck Festival, Oxfordshire

'(Why Do You Think You're So) Special?' is out on all good streaming services now or you can listen below.

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Wednesday, 18 July 2018

Track Review: Taylor Janzen - 'Stations'

'Stations' is the new hauntingly beautiful single from 19-year-old Winnipeg singer-songwriter Taylor Janzen. Taking influence from Not Another Music Blog. favourites Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Snail Mail, Janzen fuses highly emotive lyrics with sparse guitar-driven instrumentals.

The song opens with a minimalistic finger picked guitar part before Janzen's evocative and dulcet vocals are introduced. The lyrics are incredibly personal as the Canadian based artist aims to break the silence about abuse.

Turning to songwriting as an outlet to express her feelings instead of religion, Janzen says "'Stations' is about the isolating and complicated feelings when one experiences psychological abuse from a loved one regardless of the nature of their relationship".

Janzen's voice is incredibly endearing. Her use of melodies and dynamics makes ensure 'Stations' sounds fresh and interesting throughout. On this new single, Taylor Janzen has released a stunning effort that is both lyrically and musically fantastic. The slow build guitars and layered backing vocals, as well as the lyrical content, ensure this is one of the most heartbreaking tracks we've heard this year so far.

'Stations' is out now and Janzen's debut EP 'Interpersonal' is released on the 10th of August 2018.

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Tuesday, 17 July 2018

Track Review: Jerskin Fendrix - 'Swamp'

It's fair to say, this is one of the best songs of 2018 so far. It's incredibly bonkers and beautifully composed. Born in Birmingham, Fendrix has been playing a fair number of solo shows at the iconic Windmill in South London's Brixton. Supporting everyone from Jerkcurb and Black Midi to Goat Girl, Fendrix has made quite the name for himself with his unique live performances. Fendrix is also a member of the incredible London band Famous who we featured a few months back.

Fendrix's third single 'Swamp' opens with an industrial influenced, hard-hitting electronic beat that drives the track throughout. Fendrix's thick baritone vocal contrasts perfectly with the sparse hi-hats in the verse before the distorted bass notes warp into euphoric trance-like synths hits.

Fendrix's incredibly unique sound does borrow elements of current pop music, whether it be lyrically ('No one man should have all that power', taken from Kanye West's 'Power') or musically where influences are taken from Grimes and commercial pop legend Carly Rae Jepsen. These moments give 'Swamp' a brilliant sense of familiarity which is bound to resonate with a wide audience despite the songs insane production.

The highlight of the track comes when Fendrix really shows his vocal emotions. The way the song builds to this moment is near perfection with the euphoric synths returning and the beat dropping out before the real pop magic is introduced. One slight criticism is that this section is far too short, or that it doesn't return. It's so good it just keeps us wanting to come back for more. The song then trails off into a subdued section that slowly pitches down and down before reaching a brilliantly dense finale.

This track is incredibly ambitious whilst also keeping itself grounded in accessible pop roots. It's jam-packed full of surprises and musical moments of real perfection. With tracks like this, Jerskin Fendrix is really throwing down a marker. We can't wait to hear what's still to come.

Watch the amazing video for 'Swamp' directed by Peter Price below.

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