LISTEN: Georgia Chanel – ‘Realise’

Balmy and confessional, ‘Realise‘ is the second single from West Midlands born singer songwriter and producer Georgia Chanel.

Revelling in R&B and neo-soul influences, ‘Realise’ opens with mesmerising cinematic instrumentals over which Georgia’s voice glides like butter to warm toast. This is a heady, all-consuming song which not only shines a light on Georgia’s singing talents but her gift for storytelling too – the lyrics are confessional, introspective and intimate. Word by word Georgia takes us through a series of epiphanies about a past love before settling on the truth of the matter: “I never knew you, I never knew you, I never knew you”. It would be heartbreaking if it weren’t so delicately anthemic, cathartic even. 

Where this could easily be a track of defeat, Georgia lifts us towards empowerment instead. That precise interplay between the bitter and the sweet is what makes this such a perfect accompaniment for our capricious British summer time, whether it’s roof down in the heat or raindrops pelting against mismatched fences, this song will weather well. Somewhere in the background synths and saxophones chime like birds warbling into the wild, creating an other worldly atmosphere. There’s a rawness and a heart here: an authenticity – an artist to watch out for and a song to remember.

Tutku Barbaros
@tutkubarbaros

 

tutkubarbarosLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Koppies – ‘Hospital Song’

A gorgeous contemplation on passing through the motions of life, indie-folk band Koppies have released their new single ‘Hospital Song’. Koppies, the South African-British collective of five long-term friends and collaborators, all musicians with their own acclaim, are finally united on record and the result is utterly captivating.

There is a spaciousness in ‘Hospital Song’. Victoria Hume’s commanding vocal leads the piece, with soft and arpeggiated piano playing accompanying. The effect is beautifully stark, freeing space in both the higher and lower registers that other artists may feel they need to fill. The choice to keep this composition simple is a sign of confidence in the songwriters – an instinct to hold back and preserve the raw emotional core of the song. Later, minimal, droning, synthesizers appear as well as stuttering, driven drums. These later additions create a sense of urgency, pushing the tempo and pace of the music (perhaps reflecting the growing anxiety of hospital visits) – though that sense of space remains. The rhythm sections seem to become the heartbeat of the song, bringing a new sense of life to the music. 

Koppies blending of traditional folk instrumentation with synthesizers creates a unique ambiance which is both parts nostalgic and contemporary. This combination beautifully represents memories of the past fusing into present experiences, just like when Hume sings “I think of being twenty-one, we were all stoned, everything blows…” 

The vocals are hypnotic and convey a sense of detachment from the music and reality as Hume sings “… a storm broke on your house” with an eerie sense of calm. This creates a beautiful contrast. Though the lyrics are deeply personal, when Hume sings, you may hear your own stories and experiences reflected back at you, providing reassurance. 

Of the track, Hume explains: “It’s a pretty literal song about a period of time when my mother was unwell, and the strangeness of driving to and from the hospital along these beautiful Dorset roads that I’ve driven since I was a teenager, heading out to see friends.”



Once you give ‘Hospital Song‘ a listen and inevitably want to hear more, don’t worry – you won’t have to wait long! Koppies’ self-titled debut EP is set for release on 2nd July via Lost Map Records.

Jazmine Kelly
@surfjaz

Photo Credit: Jacqui van Staden

jazkellyLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Half Waif – ‘Sodium & Cigarettes’

‘Sodium & Cigarettes’ is the latest single from Half Waif’s forthcoming album Mythopoetics, set for release next month.

Half Waif is the creation of New York based artist Nandi Rose whose ethereal vocals sail somewhere in the gap between Phoebe Bridgers, Kate Bush, and Sinead O’Connor. Producer Zubin Hensler makes the most of her unique talent, stripping the production right back to its bare bones and allowing Rose’s voice to be the star of the show. Rose has commented that Mythopoetics is the album she has been trying to make for ten years: “My voice is changing, and my confidence has reached a point where I feel that I can sing however I want; I’ve finally come to a place where I don’t have to conform to what I think other people want it to sound like”. ‘Sodium & Cigarettes’ is an incredible showcase for her newfound confidence.

A simple solo piano accompanies Rose’s tenuous vocal through the opening verse as the lyrics ponder “Do I deserve what’s coming to me?”, but this is ultimately a song of hope. The vocal gathers in strength and resilience throughout as Rose declares in the chorus “okay, give it another day”, giving a sense of needing to take a breath before re-entering the fray – a sentiment which will no doubt be familiar to listeners exhausted by Trump-era politics, the pandemic, and an endlessly grim 24 hour news cycle. Rose implores the listener to keep looking to the future.

As the song progresses, gentle reverb-laden backing vocals swell in the background as if powering up to meet the challenge, sparse staccato synths pepper the final verses as if waking up, and the resonance of a church organ fills the delicate space beneath Rose’s vocal. The track ends with Rose challenging the listener – “Is it too late now to start running?” – her tenuous vocal taking on ever more strength and depth as she uses a vocal effect reminiscent of The Japanese House. 

‘Sodium & Cigarettes’ is a song of hope, a challenge to us all to re-energise and take up the fight, a subtle and gentle awakening in the face of exhaustion and malaise.

‘Sodium & Cigarettes’ is taken from Half Waif’s fourth album Mythopoetics, set for release on 9th July via ANTI-.

Kate Sullivan
@katesullo

Photo Credit:  Ali Cherkis

Get In Her Ears1 Comment

ALBUM: Lunatraktors – ‘The Missing Star’

Alt-folk duo Lunatraktors are a collaboration between choreographer and percussionist Carli Jefferson and non-binary vocalist and composer Clair Le Couteur. Lunatraktors re-imagine folk, mixing tonal percussion, tap-dance and harmonic singing with whistles, drones and analogue synth. Labelling what they do as ‘Broken Folk’, and set on working against the often misogynistic undercurrents of traditional folk music, they are now set to release their second album The Missing Star. Following acclaim from the likes of Mojo Magazine for 2019’s This Is Broken Folk, the latest release features thirteen tracks, poignantly drawing on eight hundred years of British and Irish traditional song.

Opener, ‘Rigs Of The Times’, reworks a traditional song with polemical lyrics about Brexit and Covid 19, as does ‘The Unquiet Grave’ – reflecting on the tragic consequences of government austerity on one woman’s life. Title track, ‘The Missing Star’ is a theatrical and satirical protest song on the subject of toxic nationalism.

However, the politics are personal as well as political. Woven throughout the album are quieter ballads, and unsettling instrumental pieces. The haunting ‘My Witch’, ‘The Keening’, and ‘The Blacksmith’ take poetry and song from the traditional, effectively rendering them through the power of voice alone. This is where you see Lunatraktors’ power in storytelling, with Clair’s voice taking on the different characters, allowing each to tell their unique story. A cover of ‘Lover, Lover, Lover’ (Leonard Cohen) featuring close harmonies and percussion, provides another direction on the album, as does the closing track ‘Ecclesiastes 1:1-18’, a prophetic reflection on life’s travails.

The Missing Star is an intriguing and innovative album. In its clever reworking of old and new, what endures still resonates – love, betrayal, loss, corruption. Stories of our common humanity beyond borders and time are told with a beautifully stirring musicality and striking emotion.

Watch the poignant new video for ‘Rigs Of The Times’ – which has featured on the new Electric Muse boxset – here:

The Missing Star is out on Monday, 21st June – fittingly for an album oozing such sparkling majesty, the Summer Solstice. Pre-order and find out more here.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

Photo Credit: Peter Campbell-Saunders

fionahaicLeave a comment