Manella – “Fairytale”
-The soaring vocal from Manella is worth the listen on its own. Just… calm yourself and enjoy this one. It’s special. But it’s more than just a nice voice — the lyrics are thoughtful and evocative in their own right. The line “in the greatest love affairs, they all end up alone” is a bit unsettling, but probably more true than we’d like to believe. This is an interesting track in that it conjures the conventional fairytale types of romance, but ultimately is about the gritty and grimy reality of broken relationships. As Manella says, “I like to feel the darkness on my own.” This is a thoughtful and engaging track, well worth your consideration.
Luna Keller – “Burn Out the Sun”
-This is not the first time we’ve featured Keller (and probably won’t be the last). It’s easy to hear what we like so much about her sound; it’s cathartic and moving. There’s a sincerity that comes through in the vocal that makes you believe everything she’s singing about here. The orchestral elements do a nice job of creating texture and depth to the sound. “What’s the point of it all? All we were before is expired.” It’s an existential lamentation. While tragic, there’s definitely some truth worth contemplating what new beginnings might look like.
Adam Kirkup – “A Heart of Stone Can Only Break”
-There’s a gentle sincerity in Kirkup’s vocal that caught my attention right from first listen. The acoustic guitar feels familiar and engaging (in a Rusty Clanton vein). I definitely appreciate the careful phrasing here as well. Each line feels like it stands on its own. The lyrics are descriptive and sweet, a love song directed to a specific person yet relatable for all of us as we listen. Whether you are the one with the heart of stone or you know someone like that, this song taps into the tenderness that can unlock that type of heart. The gentle empathy of the “I will carry you” refrain is inspiring and meaningful. This is a special piece of folk songwriting well worth further attention.
Image courtesy: Manella IG
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