Ali Murray - Wilderness of Life (2022)

GENRE : alternative folk, dream pop, shoegaze, post-punk, Scotland

RECORD LABEL : Dead Forest Records

Ali Murray is a half-Scottish/half-Filipino songwriter/musician hailing from a cold little Scottish island - the Isle of Lewis, to be precise, and this is his first solo album since 2017. I've been highly anticipating this album for what seems like an eternity. Often when I build things up in my head over a long period of time, they inevitably disappoint...but this album was even better than I expected it to be.

This album is a dark lonely introspective journey through ambiguous dreamscapes. Musically, it's an interesting mixture of ethereal alt-folk and melancholy dream-pop, with some elements of shoegaze and gothic post-punk thrown in there for good measure. Lyrically, it tackles profound themes of mortality, love, loss, freedom and the fragility of our existence. 

It is not light shallow music for the masses. Murray constantly manages to tap into something deep, dark and uncomfortable... but somehow turns it all into wonderful dreamy pop music.

The atmospheres and soundscapes within the album are exactly how I imagine the Isle of Lewis to be - cold, barren and beautiful...

I would highly recommend this album. It's one of the best singer-songwriter albums I've heard in years. And while you're at it, you should definitely check out his older albums.

Stream/Download the album here...

https://alimurray.bandcamp.com/album/wilderness-of-life

Nadine Carina - Reverie (2019)

 

GENRE : folk pop, indie pop, bedroom pop, alternative folk, electronic, Switzerland

RECORD LABEL : Furious Hooves

Nadine Carina is a Swiss singer-songwriter that writes delicate dreamy songs that completely lull you with her beautiful breathy vocals and hazy guitar/piano playing. This album is one big soft pillow on which to (figuratively) rest your weary head. The songs are stripped down, organic and minimalistic - the sound of one person happily lost in their own little dream world. Such a lovely musical discovery during this horrible time.

Furious Hooves (tape label) have such an interesting roster of lo-fi bedroom pop, experimental folk, noise rock and quirky electronica artists. If you like this album, you should definately take a browse through their Bandcamp page.

Stream/Download the album here :

https://furioushooves.bandcamp.com/album/reverie

Furious Hooves :

https://www.furioushooves.com/

Amiga Herz - Adapting To Blurriness (2021)

 

GENRE : indie folk, bedroom pop, emo, alternative folk, acoustic, Germany

RECORD LABEL : Z Tapes

I was having a sad Sunday morning, casually browsing through the Z Tapes Bandcamp page, not knowing who or what I was going to click on. For some reason the artwork and the title of this particular release drew me in...

It's the second album by German singer-songwriter, Amiga Herz. Listening to it from start to finish, I was taken on a quiet introspective journey through a blurry landscape. Entering it alone, and emerging from it alone. It was a sad but gorgeous listening experience. Acoustic emo at its finest.

If you like this album, you should definitely look into the Z Tapes Bandcamp page. You won't regret it.

Stream/Download the album here :

https://amigaherz.bandcamp.com/album/adapting-to-blurriness

Z Tapes :

https://ztapes.bandcamp.com/

Scott Orr - Worried Mind (2018)

GENRE : alternative folk, electronica, soul, dream pop, ambient,

RECORD LABEL : Other Songs

Scott Orr is a songwriter, musician and podcaster from Ontario, Canada. He is also the founder/owner of Other Songs record label. 'Worried Mind' isn't his latest release, but it's the release I wanted to plug and promote on this particular occasion. It's a wonderful album. The central focus of the songs are his beautiful hushed vocals and delicate acoustic guitar picking...surrounded by shimmering ambience, glistening synthesizers, simple programmed beats, tinkly piano notes, glitchy electronics and dreamy backing vocals. A truly relaxing listening experience during these difficult times. Fans of Bon Iver and Radiohead will very likely dig this album.

Also check out his cool little record label Other Songs and his wonderful podcast Other Record Labels, available to listen to on Spotify.

Stream/Download the album here :

https://othersongs.bandcamp.com/album/worried-mind

Other Songs :

http://www.othersongsmusic.com/

Charlotte Carpenter - Blood Ties pt.2 (2018)

 

GENRE : alternative rock, alternative folk, singer-songwriter, indie rock, indie folk, alternative folk

RECORD LABEL : Babywoman Records

I first became aware of English songwriter/musician Charlotte Carpenter via the podcast appearance she did on The Subliminally Inevitable Show, where she discussed her record label Babywoman Records and her own personal story as a DIY songwriter, musician, and entrepreneur. I really enjoyed listening to what she had to say. She seemed like a cool, sweet, fiercely independent woman that's wise beyond her years, and works really damn hard to carve out her own little niche in the big bad world of music. I knew I had to check her music out, and her record label.

Her songs generally tend to fluctuate between raw powerful alt-rock and delicate acoustic indie folk. Regardless of what musical direction she chooses to explore, she always packs a hard punch.  

'Blood Ties pt.2' isn't one of her newer singles, but who cares. It's an unsettling yet beautiful reflection on the nature of loss and grief, and how these terrible but inevitable human experiences affect relationships.

Charlotte is currently working on her debut full-length album, which I'm looking forward to hearing.

Stream/Download here :

https://charlottecarpentermusic.bandcamp.com/

Babywoman Records :

https://babywomanrecords.bandcamp.com/

Old Amica - Constellations (2019)

 

GENRE : alternative folk, indie rock, ambient, dream pop, bedroom pop

RECORD LABEL : Fox Food Records

This album was my introduction to the fantastic Fox Food Records label. I randomly found it in the Bandcamp recommendations section and was sold in seconds. I don't know anything about this band other than they're a Swedish bedroom pop duo. I don't really need to know anything else, to be honest. All I know is that they write beautiful, sweeping, ethereal, sparkly bedroom pop that makes me think of snowy mountain peaks and cold rivers.

If you like this album, you should dive into the Fox Food Records label Bandcamp page and feast upon its glorious contents.

Stream/Download the album here :

https://foxfoodrecords.bandcamp.com/album/constellation

William Patrick Corgan - Cotillions (2019)

GENRE : acoustic, alternative folk, americana, country, roots, singer-songwriter,

RECORD LABEL : Martha's Music

William Patrick Corgan is Billy Corgan. Billy Corgan is William Patrick Corgan. This guy shouldn't need any introduction. He gets a lot of shit from the media, and people in general, but he's a truly incredible artist/musician, and his three solo works to date (TheFutureEmbrace, Ogilala & Cotillions) are among my favourite albums of his vast discgraphy, and easily rival/exceed anything he's done with The Smashing Pumpkins.

I really wanted to NOT like 'Cotillions'. I think it takes audacity to release a 17-track album, but it's so damn good if you let it play out. There's only maybe 1 or 2 songs that I could take or leave, which is pretty impressive. I do admit that there's an undoubted samey-ness to the songs on this album, but it's a beautiful album to take in in its entirety during long drives through barren country landscapes. The lyrics are mostly nonsensical (ridiculous) to me, but I accept them. They do resonate in some strange way that I'm unable to put my finger on. 

Overall I do love this album. One that gets better and better with subsequent listens. Available to buy from Amazon, iTunes, etc...