Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From The Velveteins
Canadian trio The Velveteins have released their new track ‘Midnight Surf’ which is taken off their upcoming debut full length ‘Slow Wave’ which will be released this May 12th. ‘Midnight Surf’ is a glazed over crooning slow jam that has a simple approach but cuts deep. Like a wave the track swooshes in and out with gentle delicacy. Soft instrumentation with cushioned beats accompanies the emotionally raw expressive vocals as the beautiful sway-like honey coated melody floats by in soothing clouds and tugs hard on the heart strings. The sharp sting on guitar freshens the track up adding slashes to the soft bouncy sombre song. Smothered in melancholic tones and hazy daydream vibes The Velveteins give us a track that oozes bleeding emotion while lulling you into a daze.
Stream ‘Midnight Surf’ below
London-based duo Ten Fé have released their much anticipated debut album ‘Hit The Light’.Recorded in Berlin, Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan’s stunning debut is an album to get lost in. The duo effortlessly blend blissful soft rock with psychedelic electronic rock ’n’ roll creating an album where each track warrants its place and has its own identity on the album while gliding fluidly into the next track. ‘Overflow’ kicks the album off with sweet nostalgia. Moorhouse’s warm mellow baritone soothes and cushions the listener from the bittersweet sentimental drenched track. It becomes instantly obvious these guys have a knack for irresistible melodies that lull in the back of your mind portraying perhaps harsh sombre tones but with a grace and a delicacy that is just beautiful. With longing tapping synths, lush harmonies and rich layered echo textures Ten Fé begin to introduce us to their enthralling sound that will transport you to a mind numbing journey into a swirling world of emotions. ‘Turn’ follows dripping in sonic 80’s infused soft rock, Duncan mourns a strained relationship.Its wistful with an afflicted tone but by no means doleful. Psychedelic “wah wah” on guitar ripples through the track like a wobbly warping mirage while the soft beat peps the track up adding a lively bouncy effect. Lush harmonies are what these guy do effortlessly and it adds such a rich elegance to the track especially when teamed with a mind melting melody.
Moorhouse takes on lead vocals on the dreamy ‘Elodie’. I must confess my favourite track on the album, ‘Elodie’ is the kind of track that you fall in love with. It reduces you to a liquid substance and really shows off the duos fine musicianship. The rich, daydream tone on vocals coo and lull with lavish qualities. Its heart on your sleeve raw emotion, tender and sweet yet radiating bright vibes. With yearning lyrics and lamenting “sigh-like” backing vocals, it swoons you into a bubble of nostalgic dreaminess. The rolling piano refrain creates a swan-like elegance while the steady tempo, warm feelings and heavenly melody make this track a perfect treasure. ‘Twist Your Arm’ flurries with loose floaty ecstasy featuring a propulsive strong beat and elastic bass teamed with a stinging slide guitar. The swirling electronics chilled with breezy natural tones add a psychedelic feel. The track builds into a massive full bodied chorus with hand clapping, swaying and almost Gospel- like crescendo. With smooth vocals reaching to a dynamic falsetto this track is dynamite. ‘Another Way’ is summer in a bottle. Open roads sunshine relax and chill. Limber dainty guitar adds to the bright luminous vibe while the washed-out keys flood the track with cool relaxed tones. Its mind easing bliss with falsetto vocals and rich harmonies creating the perfect backdrop to just let everything go. ‘In The Air’ jogs along again displaying Ten Fé’s knack for ear-worm indie pop. Zesty bright guitars interplay with a steady consistent beat while Moorhouse and Duncan’s vocal harmonies intertwine. Its effortless cool melody and vocals give the track a mellow bright free vibe. ‘Don’t Forget’ brings us a beat driven track with a darker tone. Flashes of sharp guitar add piercing scintillation to the track while soft backing vocals echo. The track becomes more electronically heavy as it progresses building to almost an 80’s rock balled classic. Its all fist pumping vibes by the shredding guitar solo. ‘Follow’ another delightful melodic banger. Smothered in uplifting vibes with nostalgic undertones and gentle vocals. With wistful synth swirls, its tear jerking stuff that still makes you feel good. ‘Make Me Better’ blast us with strings, sticky snappy beats and a The Verve vibe mixed with Roy Orbison-esque elements. Its dark dramatic and fantastically sharp.Its a rush of blood churning with bubbling emotions and flashes of blazing synths.Epic orchestral peaks create an anthemic explosion while a calm steady bassline grounds the track adding depth. Its larger than life and immense yet majestic. You will have stuck song syndrome with that hook on strings it will be in your head all day. ‘Burst’ bops with hopeful vitality. The use of reverb changes the track that would perhaps have been more country into a fusion with psychedelic trippy electronics. Its catchy fun and lively and twangs in all the right places.
Our journey with Ten Fé comes to and end with the tender emotional ‘July Rain’. Rich percussion perfectly placed throbs and kicks with a stomping beat.Light pitter patter adds a rain like quality while a beautiful piano feature adds grace and elegance to this emotional track. This duo are not afraid to wear their heart on their sleeve and its beautiful aching tracks like ‘July Rain’ that come to fruition because of this. Delicate backing vocals heighten the emotional vocals and raw lyrics. This stunning track brings the album to a heart wrenching yet satisfying end.
Ten Fé compiled a combination of impeccable songs that are a treasure. Each track flows perfectly into the next. Its an emotional journey that the band take you on with them. Giving a personal experience to every listener that makes you hold the album close to your heart. As expected Ten Fé knocked it out of the park with catchy melodies and well crafted musicianship, ‘Hit The Light’ is what we expected and more, majestic personal and larger than life.
Stream ‘Hit The Light’ below
Ivory Wave are a 5 piece band hailing from Birmingham. This unique indie band caught our attention earlier this week. Their recent single ‘Paradise’ is a floaty track that creates a bubbling fizzing world of its own. With sprinkles of psychedelia in swirling synths and sweet lush backing vocals its a fluffy trippy cloud of narcotic ecstasy. Bliss and euphoria ooze from every pulse of the track. With perky indie beats adding a gritty sandy pull to the track and infectious groove its effortlessly cool and chic with a dreamland anaesthetic thrown in. Raspy attitude soaked vocals tie the track up nicely relaying authentic lyrics. These guys have a strong steady impressive sound creating their own little Utopian hypnotic pocket in the indie scene. Once you hear this track you will be addicted.
Indie quartet RINSE have released their new track ‘With You’ . The Stoke-on-Trent lads have been featured on stations such as BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing and Kerrang they have supported bands such as Jaws, DMA’s and Palma Violets on their UK tours and are creating a buzz amongst a growing network of fans. ‘With You’ is dream rock at its best. RINSE masterfully pull off wild gritty rock coated and smoothed off by blissful dreamy melodies creating a brilliantly polished track with just enough raw edge and bite to sink your teeth into. Raspy crisp vocals add grit to the chorus while smooth almost haunting vocals coo for the verse with a soothing eerie quality. Reverb guitars have a sweet tone and add a hazy nostalgic atmosphere that you can loose yourself in. The track explodes with a massive chilling hair-raising bridge that is swoon worthy yet mosh ready, its noisy but perfectly delicately blusterous. Pounding drums and vigorous strident guitars bring the track home as the mellow honey tone on guitar plays throughout sweetening the piercing track. Its an ear-popping infectious track that mixes and blends candied melodies with kick-ass ruckus causing rock.
Stream ‘With You’ below
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
