The song sounds like an Irish folk song. It is definitely all about the lyrics – which are anti-Republican and anti-Democrat (for not standing up to the Republicans). An anti-capitalist system protest song. The song is ok, but not great. It reminds me a little of early 60s protest songs in the way it is structured and with the strong cadence of the vocals.

“An all American hate affair!” The message of the song can be captured in the repeating chorus: “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” Which is also how the song ends. The song is pleasant, but likely won’t get any radio spins. I do like the female backing vocals. However, I think the keyboards sound quite cheesy. I’d like to hear this song with just vocals and an acoustic guitar.

SCORE/Mediocre: While I like the lyrical direction of this protest song. I think the song’s simplistic chord and vocal arrangements set it back. The song has no really memorable musical or vocal hook. It’s a pleasant enough song, but likely won’t get any radio spins. But I could see it put on a compilation album of 60s like anti-war folk protest songs. Much love, Beth

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I’m sure you’re wondering: who releases a double album in this day and age? The last time I was aware of any kind of double album was Michael Jackson’s double album release with HIStory. Here’s a little scene to help illustrate their intent:

“Is it too late to talk you out of a double?” asked the owner of one of Castlemaine’s finest music venues, worried that in the age of digitally diminished attention spans…“Nobody has the brain space for a double”, to which Castlemaine resident, and Mighty Horse singer/songwriter Tony Jackson dusted down his velvet smoking jacket and proclaimed “we are the f#%king resistance!” True story, except for maybe the velvet smoking jacket.
Rewind to January 2020, Mighty Horse are about to enter the studio to record their 2nd LP when the big C virus shuts down the planet. Fast forward a few years and as the world is released bleary eyed from its prison cell Mighty Horse are faced with an existential crisis. Forced entrapment has produced another swag of songs and now they have two albums to record. “How many times in one lifetime will you have the chance to make a double LP?” questioned a wise voice from the sidelines… “Good point that, let’s get to it!”

Road Movie Dream was also recorded live at Soundpark Studios in Northcote Melbourne, with overdubs and production trickery added at the band’s own studio in Castlemaine. Much like their intimate and explosive live performances, the album is a diverse journey held together by distinctive energy and chutzpah.

Let’s get into the album!

Upon listening to the first half of the album, I can’t help but synthesize this release as the culmination of a lot of alternative rock acts from the early to mid 2000s. The mastering is extremely crisp, but the genres that float throughout this act do not necessarily deviate from musical genres that already exist, facing me with a slight crisis as I don’t think it has enough musical variability. However, I admit that’s just my personal bias. I think the excitability factor will definitely resonate with a lot of people who need music simply to let loose and catch a vibe with others.

There’s fragments of all known rock genres littered throughout the composition of all of these songs, with certain bass clips analogous to 80s rock, some melodic quirks will also remind you of the grungy-kinderwhore aesthetic, and in that sense, it gives the listener a bit of an exciting game to play while listening to this.

In the middle of the album, there’s a switch to dub, which is interesting, but to my ears, it isn’t that revolutionary. I think the gist and marketing arc of this release deals with the INTERSECTION of multiple genres, and I have to commend the artist(s) for executing this perfectly with no real offense, but I don’t particularly hear any compositional innovation to necessarily wow me. Perhaps my standards are a bit too picky, and I acknowledge that while still acknowledging the band’s competency.

If this band wants to stand out, I definitely do recommend employing different quirks that don’t make their music necessarily pigeonholed to a particular aesthetic or varying things like time signatures and grooves. It’s good music, but to my ears and relative to the scope of music out there, it doesn’t necessarily stick out.

However, if you’re simply looking for music that helps you to connect with a variety of stories and emotional troughs while retaining an essence of edge and folkish roots to it, I think this is definitely the album for you. It has tenderness and ferocity mixed into one, a great trait for alternative music acts to display. There is also a lot of competency within the individual instrumentalists, and you can hear that within the solos of each songs and how the instruments blend well with each other- that is the strength of this album.

SCORE/Excellent: Even though I’ve elaborated a lot on the predictability of this release, I still think that ROAD MOVIE DREAM is a wonderfully passionate album that strives to stand out with quality rather than its unique qualities. It has an appeal to people who are definitely looking for alternative/rock music with more safe yet eclectic qualities.

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So let’s have a listen …

The album kicks off with the song Between the Lines. An old 60s type guitar riff, reminds me of Garage Rock and a friend’s band, Widdershins. The lead guitar gets its break, would have liked more inventive lead lines. I do like the vocal lyric line about kangaroos.

A heavy riff, but without the heaviness of popular bands in this genre. This one reminds me of Rocky Horror Picture Show for some reason. Without the Meatloaf. The vocalist is ok, a sort of psychedelic 60s voice, but not a standout. The lead guitar lines are just ok, not feeling it.

Bittersweet starts off with a slow piano vamp then drops the piano in exchange for a psychedelic guitar vamp. I like this song so far. It has a nice flow and a revolving chord progression. I think the song should be titled “Easier”, again the lead guitar line is ok, but not brilliant. I keep wanting more out of this lead guitarist.

The fourth song How Wrong You Were starts off with a nice rhythm guitar riff. The rhythm guitar sounds good in this one. I’m getting used to the 60s psychedelic nature of the vocalist. The lead guitar even sounds good on this song. Best song on the album so far.

The fifth song Final Chance starts off with an atonal guitar riff, but the vocals kick in nicely. I don’t know why this band says they sound like the Deftones, they don’t. They should be pushing their psychedelic genre vibe. Anyway, this song is in the better camp. Very psychedelic lead guitar vibe, even if the playing is simple. I keep wanting more out of this lead guitarist.

The production on this album is sub-par, feels like it was recorded in a home studio. The guitar playing is ok, but clumsy in ways.

Last Memories starts with an Indian (the country) type guitar vibe, but soon gets back to a power alternative chord riff. I like the vocal effect in the bridge of the song. They should consider using that as the primary vocal effect in all the songs. 

The eighth track Hardest Goodbye starts off with a nice short guitar solo. Kira’s vocals sound good in this song. I like the chord progression. I’ve been aggravated by some of the arrangement choices on other songs. Still, this band is missing out on their identity by not taking advantage of their 60s psychedelic renaissance sound. It’s a popular genre currently.

Every band, like this band, claims that it’s “indie rock” and “alternative rock” nowadays, but those terms have become truly meaningless. Anyway, Hardest Goodbye is my second favorite song on this album. Love the slowed down ending.

Red to Black starts with drums, bass, and rhythm guitar. Power riff. Then the vocals kick in. I think the lyrics are interesting on most of these songs, although it’s hard to tell as the instruments sometimes overwhelm the vocals. Still, I hope this band starts advertising themselves as 60s psych.

They do not sound like Evanescence, Fleetwood Mac, or Foo Fighters. Nice lead guitar solo and tone in this song. Would prefer more vocals in the mix. I like the B3 keyboard that comes in later in this song.

Insomnia – “I’m doing anything to keep awake”. Feels like me listening to this record, LOL. The recording or mix of the guitars seems like they’re just missing some edge out of the amps, maybe need more mix compression. This band definitely has a 60s psychedelic vibe, it dominates their tonality. Really not digging the alarm clock that goes off at the end of this song.

The tenth track on the album Phobia starts off with a slow but interesting guitar riff, then the band joins in and simplifies the riff just when it was getting interesting. I’m getting used to Kira’s voice. Very psychedelic, have I mentioned that before? A heavily effected background voice in this song, which sounds good in the mix. The lead guitar sounds nice in this song.

Delphi Raven is the album’s title cut. Starts off with drums and a feedback-induced guitar. Simple rhythm riff. A repeating guitar solo. Very simple two chord riff, finally joined by the vocals 2 minutes into the song. I like the heavier reverb on the voice in this song. The song then gets into a heavier version, with a quicker cadence. I like the backing vocals in this song. Maybe my third favorite song on the album.

Justify, the twelfth track, starts off with a bass solo. The riff is old-style rock. I’m not digging this song/arrangement. It sounds like an old-late 50s rock song, keep wanting the song to do something more interesting.

The album’s final cut Take My Hand starts off with a really nice arpeggiated guitar riff and a slow wistful vocal, which feels like keyboard strings in the background. The drum fills, and then the song straightens out and becomes less interesting. The song gets more interesting with a string section at the end before finally resolving back into the initial arpeggiated guitar riff to end.

I think the band needs to work on their song arrangements. They could be making better choices. It’s like they have pieces of doing the right thing, mixed in with pieces of not making the right choice. Not sure if this is a limitation of skill or imagination. Almost there, but not quite. Like a cliche.

SCORE/Good: Good, but not great. The notes are all in their place, but the production on this album is sub-par. The band has a very 60s psychedelic genre sound, even if there’s a bit of crossover. The band should capitalize on this new genre classification in their marketing. The guitars could have been even heavier. This is a solid record, but needs better production and songwriting choices. Much love, Beth

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Empty Chair is an album that holds its story and basis on Alex’s lived experience with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), unfolding by telling the story from his diagnosis to his treatment. The album is only an extension of his genre-hopping habit, intending to open with an epic, sensational instrumental track, before switching between hip-hop, musical theatre, pop-rock and everything and anything in-between. Usually, musical acts with this amount of multivariable aspects tend to be extremely exciting and non-conforming, leading to a listening experience that will definitely stick with you. The album also features a choir, multiple session musicians and even The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

Alex has also been quietly brewing this album, as it has been in the works since 2020. It is launching alongside an accompanying stage show of the same name, co-produced by the Phoenix Ensemble on March 14th.

Here is the Pre-Save link

Honestly, listening to this album, I completely understand why it is launching with a stage show to complement it. The album generally has the tone of a Broadway production, not necessarily in the way one would think of. It is not predictably dramatic, but it has a way of completely sucking you into the individual stories within each song. Some of the songs bear a symphonic quality, some bear a more pop-rock approach, but one thing remains consistent: Alex Smith and the other musicians’ unwavering desire to produce the best piece of art they could with each composition.

It oozes dynamics, all within a bed of competent mastering and excellent sound quality. At times it can even be whimsical in its composition, with certain quirks and the way the vocalist delivers his words. Even though it is quirky, it still has an authentic, non-commercial feel about it. The stories are delivered straight from the pain of existence, and a lucid mind to comprehend all of this.

I really have to commend the use of multiple genres within a singular song, and an unconventional use of song structure formats. It definitely helps to take us away from the monotony of life in general, and helps us to understand the situation behind the body of work itself- it’s autobiographical, but also as if it were a virtual reality in an auditory format. It’s extremely engaging.

These aren’t just songs sandwiched within this release, it’s little pockets of storylines with the visual imagery peeking out at you at every listen. Some bear an orchestral motif, some have the banjo playing to elucidate the sheer wackiness of the situation. Either way, I don’t think words could be strong enough to adequately describe the vivid imagery tucked into each composition.

I think this album is definitely worth a listen. It’s well-mastered to the point of musical universality, a metric that quantifies ‘how likely a person is going to connect with your music regardless of their own personal genre biases’, and I do think the stories and execution will resonate with almost everyone, even if they are unaware that they’d potentially connect with it. In everyone’s struggle, is a reflection that shines upon our own mirror, and it’s up to us to acknowledge it.

Score/Outstanding: ‘Empty Chair’ is a wonderfully delightful and dynamic journey into an auditory interpretation of the artist’s journey with BPD. It is well-mastered, and presents itself almost like a score to a film that engages audiences without losing anyone in particular. It contains a little bit of everything for everyone, and has enough spontaneous energy to spark almost every emotion within you. I think this gives it an extremely fascinating quality.

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So let’s have a listen …

The EP kicks off with gentle strings accompanied by an arpeggiated bubbling piano that sounds very nice against the string section. Eventually, the drums kick in. Finally, the vocals come in, and I’m getting sort of a Middle Eastern vibe from the vocal melody over the song’s instrument bed. Not sure that was intended, but that’s what I’m hearing. This is a 7-minute song. At first, I was unsure if I liked the voice, but it really starts to fit together well with the song the farther you get into the track. The first track is strangely titled The End. Starting the album at “the end”. LOL

The second track Sometimes, has a nice drum beat, loving the groovy bass line. The voice soars in this track and sounds epic against the track. I like the harmonics on the electric guitar. This track should be a single. Very well crafted song. It makes you want to listen to more from the artist. Which I think, is the point. Sometimes. The digital keyboard waterfall riffs at the end of the song are a very nice twist! A very well constructed song.

Forbidden Fruit, the third track, starts off more somber and dark. The vocals are very heavily affected and remind me of the vocal sound in Pete Yorn’s single Life on a Chain. Fits the song composition. It’s not quite as catchy as Sometimes, but fits in the overall sound of the EP.

The next song Soon Be There starts off with a very nice acoustic guitar line and I’m really digging the mix of the vocals on this song. Very James Bay. This is my second favorite track on the EP.

Not Much Left in Me closes out the EP. Starts with a gentle, broken, piano melody followed by drums, and then enters a massive slow bass groove. Not really digging the vocals on this song. Sounds a bit like a church hymn, vocally and melody-wise. The lyrics tell a good story: “It is painful to believe.” I like the lead guitar that comes in later in the song. And the bass line on this song is really worth a listen. The song concludes with heavy orchestration fading into the vocal and a lone piano going back to the song’s beginning.

SCORE/Good: I’m ranking this EP as Good Plus. I think the song sometimes is truly excellent. And I also really like Soon Be There. I didn’t quite make the same connection to the other three songs on the album. The musicianship on the album really shines! And the mixing and mastering is top-flight. Check out the song Sometimes! Much love, Beth

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Tyler and Harlow are clearly writing from a place in their heart that appreciates being from where they are from as they like to mention the cold weather of Atlanta a lot throughout their songs, specifically starting this EP with Sick Dogs.

Sick Dogs emulates the panic of not knowing the right thing to say with the almost nervous and questioning lyrics which is generally spread through the whole EP. This song shows the anxieties of once being known by somebody who doesn’t know you anymore; you were once known wholly and now you don’t know whether it’s even okay to speak to them anymore. Once again with the idea of texting an ex and then regretting it; their band name perfectly captures the vibe of their music. It’s almost overwhelming in the way every lyric is framed as a question, you begin to question everything you’ve ever done mid-song. It’s a pretty upbeat song during the lyrical breaks, and yet the lyrics are depressing and pessimistic, until the end where there is a hopeful tone shift. 

Next up in the EP is a gem called Barn Nursery which is an authentic and truthful song that feels like we are getting a snippet of their souls woven through the melodies; they have problems with moving on. Then it goes on to If It’s Not, which brings the idea of how naivety comes with being young and how naivety can make you uncertain about everything. 

This is carried on through 33° which presents anxieties about not knowing what your future could hold but still being naive about it. Can the same problem happen twice? You would assume so if you were a pessimist and I simply have to assume that these artists are the peak of pessimism. But the fact that their lyrics imply that the ice can’t crack twice implies that they are naive and adolescent in their ways of thinking about bad things that could happen. However,  with Death Song, this EP ends on a pretty positive and hopeful note considering everything. 

The instruments feel nostalgic to me for a time and place that I didn’t experience; they take me back to the early 2000s and the rise of midwest emo music and drinking beer you took from your dads’ collection in the basement with your friends. 

Overall, this EP is filled with ideas of being stuck in time, not being able to travel back to return to how things were before but also waiting for the same person from your past which is preventing you from moving forward into the future. In their lyrics, there is a person who is willing to change themselves for someone, at least to some extent. They perhaps grew up too soon and are stuck in a horrible place between childhood and incapability of moving on from 

bad people and bad things that have happened. So, they are stuck at this metaphorical ‘red light’ that is brought up in multiple of the songs in this EP. This EP is not one to listen to if you want to feel happy; it is a sad and pessimistic collection of music with themes of anxiety and self-doubt. 

SCORE/ GOOD: If you’d like to feel like you are a delinquent teen boy in a dingy basement drinking with your friends, look no further than this album. It’s full of concepts of anxiety about being uncertain and being stuck in the same place, not able to go back, but also not being able to move on and move forward. Although, I will say that some of their songs can feel repetitive of each other, but in my opinion, that doesn’t take away their ability to make you feel.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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After a six-year hiatus from her studio album life, Twigs reincarnates and gives us a taste of something absolutely new—making a strong shot at electronic dance-pop as a whole.

So, without further ado, let’s see what this English artist has in store for us.

EUSEXUA is probably one of the most bizarre things I have heard in a long time, with its weirdness and delicacy forming an absolutely hypnotic experience. It could also be explained by Twigs’s tendency to produce the majority of the songs on this record herself as the main producer. You can clearly see that in “Drums of Death,” where the bridge features that lush yet glitchy loop from “Lights On.” I believe this is actually not the only reference to “Lights On,” as in one of the next tracks like “Sticky,” where Twigs says:

“I tried to f*ck you with the lights on

In the hope you’d think I’m open and have a conversation”

It is really nice to see such references woven throughout the record, disguised by a layered and expansive soundscape on EUSEXUA.

After a couple of listens—namely 12—I still find myself struggling to fully assign EUSEXUA to one exact genre, as in the example of “Keep It, Hold It,” where Twigs swiftly switches up the mysteriousness to a hazy, dreamy dancehall vibe. Essentially, this is what EUSEXUA continuously achieves on this record with its brooding and off-kilter moments that seem chaotic yet are in line with everything happening here.

Some people, after “Perfect Stranger,” began to suspect that Twigs might be playing it safe now that the record is fully out. I must say that it is nowhere near safe. Examples like “Childlike Things,” with its playful and whimsical delivery and a quite off-guard North West feature, are some of the strongest examples of Twigs having fun and not simply “playing safe” or fully committing to a “surrealistic” feel.

This record feels extremely tactile and euphoric in both sound and intent; Twigs opens it up so easily yet so impactfully. The pulsating tension of the production, along with unexpected turns like in “Sticky” or the brooding and mesmerizing “Eusexua,” forms an artistic experience that is deeply satisfying. Some of the cuts also add dark tones, like the punchy, snarling beat on “Drums of Death” or the distant, haunting aesthetic of “Girl Feels Good.” Twigs presents such a high variety of sounds that you could describe them endlessly in terms of their intricacies and palpability.

Regarding her execution, her singing is simply exceptional. The poignant notes of her voice transition into cold, surrealistic chaos, giving you a mix of euphoric and mysterious vibes. FKA always adds a certain complexity to her sound and albums, and while you may get what you expect on one level, you also find yourself weaving through ethereal and sympathetic storytelling.

I would say that this record feels like the most well-produced of her three studio albums. While LP1 gives you that distorted, psychedelic feel in a similar way to MAGDALENE, EUSEXUA reinvents her signature style and adds another layer of artistic expressionism.

Score/Outstanding: EUSEXUA is a beautiful record; it is something I don’t usually find in today’s music scene. The mixture of a crazy tactile soundscape puts Twigs among the most creative artists out there. I absolutely love every single part of this record, and the more I listen to it, the better it gets. At first, I was quite shocked by some of the twists throughout the album, but now I feel like I finally understand it. Awesome record.

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Glass in the Garden is a psychedelic rock album and more straight ahead 60’s psychedelic rock than the more modern psychedelic shoegaze sound of their Swiss namesakes. I love that this new album was mixed and mastered by Xeff Scolari and Spencer Kennedy to sound more like an original psychedelic rock album from the late 60s / early 70s. It is not overly compressed to max volume like most of today’s records.

The band’s new album “Glass in the Garden” is now available on Bandcamp:

The album’s first song “Is” reminds me a lot of 60s bands Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane. Christine Walden’s vocals are just made for this genre (60s psychedelic rock). I interviewed Christine for this article. She described her motivation behind the lyrics in this song as “no matter what has happened to us in the past, all we have is now.”

The second song “Please (Don’t Fall Asleep” is filled with the same trippy-ness with a swirling lead guitar solo underneath Christine’s period-perfect vocals. “We are all stuck in the illusion of death, there is no death, only transformation.” The third song This Is the City reminds us that this is a cruel world, where is the kindness? “I’m on the street now” and it’s a “cold, cold world”. Nice bridge in this song followed by a heavily wah-ed out guitar solo. Christine describes her intent in writing this song as “every city is the same, it’s all about the mighty dollar, we’ve lost our light and forgotten how to love each other.” Having been homeless myself, I can very much relate.

The fourth song Cab 23 floats wistfully. It’s “a love song, basically,” about the insanity of love.

49 Miles, the fifth song on the album, starts off with a driving bass riff by Lisa Sharry, and a nice psychedelic guitar. “I’ve lost a lot of friends, this song is an homage to a very dear poet friend who I recently lost,” Christine said about the song. With it’s memorable line “He’s talking to the angels, and I miss you …” this song is pure 49 Miles of psychedelic rock!

The next song is the album’s title cut “Glass in the Garden” which Christine describes as “how I feel about our earth. We have become slaves to the machine and we’ve forgotten where everything has come from and we’ve lost respect for the earth” The song starts with a quick psychedelic electric guitar riff followed immediately by a nice acoustic guitar progression. Christine’s vocals, with Lisa Sharry adding backing vocals, fit effortlessly into the song’s simple and elegant instrument bed. “Love is just a whisper distance away, can you hear?”

The seventh song Hand on the table has a really nice chorus guitars riff under catchy chorus “I put my hands on the table, I feel my heart beating.” The verse has a really nice bouncing bass riff. One thing I love about this band is that most all of their songs have catchy sing-along choruses. A definite songwriting coup. Christine describe this song as “a love song too.” The eighth song Same Sky, “we’re under the same sky” is “another love song to everyone.” You’ll be singing along with the chorus on this one. Very nice acoustic guitar solo in the middle.

The final song on the album Don’t Break Up, Don’t Break Down paints quite the picture and political statement: “War has been in the oceans and on earth since the beginning of time, and I hope that we can make it through this if we don’t break down. I’m an idealist, but I hope we can find a solution as a species.” Starting with a simple guitar riff this song reminds me most of Buffalo Springfield with its singalong chorus “Don’t Break Up, Don’t Break Down” and talking of bombs falling on the UK. This song is passionate plea for the world’s citizens to “Wake Up!” and “see, feel, be the future.”

SCORE/Excellent: If you’re looking for authentic new music that perfectly captures the original sound of a psychedelic rock album from the late 60s, this band fills that bill. Their new album “Glass in the Garden” is mixed and mastered to replicate the sound of band’s from that era. Their new album is filled with very catchy sing-along choruses punctuated by understated, but masterfully crafted instrument beds. Everything is in its place and nothing is out of order. If you’re into psychedelic rock as a modern genre, or just crave the old-school less compressed mixing/mastering of bygone eras,  then don’t pass up this new album by The Widdershins (US).

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In autumn 2019, BirdWorld released their debut UNDA on Focused Silence, followed in 2021 by reworks featuring artists including Qasim Naqvi, Francesca Ter-Berg, Olefonken, and Robert Ames. However, since then, BirdWorld started developing material for their second album, Nurture, remotely throughout the pandemic, a time when they also both became fathers. This experience shaped a new approach to their collaboration, resulting in an increasingly condensed and lyrical musical language.

With Nurture now here, let’s take a look at what we’ve got as a result of their sophisticated collaboration.

As soon as you dive into the record, you are instantly immersed in the sound of maturity and development, where the hard-sounding instrumental—what seems to be a violin—sorrowfully introduces you to the complexities of the sound the duo is presenting. The band easily uses and implements some of the most echoed instrumentals throughout the tracklist.

I feel as if Nurture should be treated as an album experience rather than a track-by-track performance. It presents a brooding atmosphere with intricate and frequently layered instrumentals that captivate the listener with a serene ambiance. It’s truly hard to describe what feelings the duo aims to evoke with such instrumental execution, but to me, it represented a contemplative yet minimalistic sound that immerses the listener in a mournful atmosphere.

With guitars that give bursts of raw energy and are almost haunting, they are bolstered by drums that feel occasionally punchy, gaining the necessary momentum for crescendos. During the album, you might certainly feel the Scandinavian sound influence—cold yet warm and ambiguous. This slow build-up feels almost hypnotic, especially on tracks like “Oisin Part 1,” which captures a sense of surreality with a slight touch of psychedelia. Another highlight is the band’s occasional use of shoegaze influences, which complexifies the sound even more with echoes and monumental textures.

The whole album is primarily instrument-driven, except for the final track, which may feel unpolished but is exceptionally sincere. It adds a touch of humanization to the record after the dominance of instrumental execution. These imperfections enhance the track’s rawness and minimalism, adding another layer to the album’s soundscape.

Nurture balances power and grace in direct yet minimalistic terms. With shimmering, cascading instrumentals, the atmosphere is immersive and introspective, even without words. Its wistful sound doesn’t feel subtle and instead represents a straightforward approach that mostly works.

Score/Good. To sum it up, Nurture provides a cinematic experience that may not resonate with everyone but is memorable for its steady, introspective atmosphere and illumination of maturity

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Sean Murphy-O’Neill’s voice definitely reminds me of male version of the voice of popular indie rock artist Courtney Barnett. Exit stage left from the compelling verse vocals and you’re into the punchy and driving chorus “I’ll see you around, I’ll always see you around.”
Listen here:

On the new album’s liner notes posted by the band on their Bandcamp page, the band writes that the new album “is centered around duality. The intention is to bring together everything Courting have created thus far into a succinct, direct, record. Each song on the album is ‘twinned’, with another, existing within the same type of world.”  I can’t wait to hear the album and discover the twin for “Pause at You”. Vocalist Sean Murphy recently told Stereogum in a recent interview “‘Pause At You’ is a culmination of everything we’ve been working on over the last few years — an observation on night time paranoia mixed about with night out ecstasy. Light outing, floor filling, tie undressing, rock.” (Stereogum, Courting-Pause at You, 11.20.24). Whatever that means, LOL. Don’t you just love a good mystery?

SCORE/Excellent: Courting returns to continue to drop hot singles on the UK music scene. Their new single “Pause at You” is particularly nicely mixed and mastered. It has a very catchy sing-talk along melody and I really enjoyed the funk guitar riff. It contains all of the excellent points of their recent releases, leaving you with a work full of passion, intensity and soul. This single literally breaks the sound barrier and should be a definite add on your personal music playlist.

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