Yellow Shoots – “Desert Rose”
I’m sure you hear the deep admiration to Prince in this one. The soulful and eclectic sound is the all-encompassing project of Greg Matthews, who finds inspiration from an impressive amount of genres. “I wanted to develop music that took all of these quirky UK rock bands I grew up on and combined them with American R&B,” he explains. “Over the years, it slowly started to come together more naturally one song at a time, so I decided to make an album that fused both of my passions. That’s the genesis of it.” “Desert Rose” has all the makings of a smooth psych soul rock hit and is sure to grab the Tame Impala crowd as well.
Ros Red – “Natural Fear” (feat. The Hearing)
This one has some intriguing elements. A minimal exploration of electro and downtempo sound, the Finland act has an underlying sense of hope we found encouraging throughout the otherwise dark tune. The strength of the artist is his restraint, knowing when to rely on vocals, and when to simply let the track haunt the listener. The impressive track can be found on the new EP The Flipside. If you like a sort of experimental, yet grounded sound, then give the soulful record a spin.
Easton – “Blue Love”
“This song is about drowning in love and the swelling of emotions. Holding your breath, sinking deeper and letting it wash over you until you’re drenched,” explains the LA artist who originally started as a photographer of various tastemakers. Now, the diverse artist has reignited a passion for crafting soulful and jazzy hits. “Blue Love” plays like a Chet Faker B-side and captures every bit of seduction as the Aussie artist. There is a lot to like about his new track. For starters it is the perfect late night chill track. It unfolds like a deliberate drive through the dark city roads. His ability to capture listeners with a dark allure is on point.
Samia – “21”
“I was worried during the year leading up to my 21st birthday because I’d always thought there was something I should have figured out by then.” says Samia. “It was really liberating to turn 21 without having figured that out; I was happy knowing that I had a lot of love in my life and was doing my very best.” The young songwriter has all the angst and musical clarity of some of the elite songwriters in the scene today. Like Lucy Dacus and Angel Olsen, Samia is able to cut right through the trappings of verse and chorus, and arrive right to her well written thesis. This level of clever songwriting is not only admirable, but in light of the current social climate of America, needed. Her confidence and depreciation is in equal measures and show a near perfect balance to her art.
