I don’t know much about Fowler, but somehow that’s not that important, I don’t need to know the details of the artist when the song is this good.

‘Dressed In Black’ is kind of synth-pop, kind of electronica but it’s dark. Not dark dark but dark and moody. Washes of sound drift across it’s soundscape, a simple rhythm holds it together, and over this the aforementioned Fowler weaves the story of a woman who enthrals him, who he’d do anything for. And he does this with this compelling vocal, a vocal that’s simple and understated.

But wait, there’s something more to this track. It does the unexpected. Firstly it breaks down into this almost rave-y section, it’s all plinky keyboards. And then towards the end there is suddenly this absolutely gorgeous saxophone – a smoky moody saxophone over a reprise of the rave-y section.

The thing is that the first time I listened to this, I thought well that sounds a bit disjointed, there’s something ‘wrong’ with the rave-y section, and that saxophone doesn’t quite fit over that sound. But there was something that made me think – wait a minute perhaps I’m wrong, I need to go back and listen again, and this time listen to the words properly. And then it made sense – there’s something not quite right with this relationship, he’s under a spell, he’s controlled, he’s addicted. She doesn’t always treat him well. Those sections that jar (but not too much) reflect the ‘this isn’t right-ness’ of this relationship.

I absolutely adore this song, it isn’t usually my sort of thing but I’m under it’s spell. It’s gorgeous musically and fantastic lyrically. Let it work it’s magic on you.

The info

Fowler is an up and coming singer/songwriter, with a raw, natural tone to his music. He currently studies at Leeds College of Music on the songwriting course

https://www.facebook.com/fowlermusicpage/

Bad Love do indie-pop the way I like it – great tune, interestingly put together. It takes something special to get me hooked into this sort of stuff. Like indie-rock it’s not really my sort of thing, but sometimes something comes along that breaks through that barrier. This release from Bad Love does that.

‘A Place For Me’ is one of these somewhat anthem-like indie-pop songs – you know the sort of thing, keyboards that sparkle and soar, a beat that makes you want to throw shapes, But it has more than this. It has great vocals, really great vocals. It’s put together really well – there’s all sorts of stuff going on, but crucially this doesn’t detract from the song, it makes it better.

The other interesting and appealing thing is while it’s soaring and sparkling, it comes with a tinge of sadness in the feel. And this makes it stand out. And the words are great. The band explain “‘A Place For Me’ is a story about finding a new love with someone with trust and commitment issues after having their heart broken. It explores the idea that whilst new love can be intoxicating and seductive; heartbreaks of the past can put walls up between people”.

Frontman Andy Gannon adds “Everyone has been hurt, love is often tragedy and heartbreak isn’t like the movies. This song is about trying to move on and not carry your past with you. I’ve been on both sides, I’ve pushed people away and messed it all up because I wasn’t in the right place and I’ve been on the receiving end of someone else’s wrongs. Sometimes it’s about just not wanting to be seen through the lens of a previous love”.

I mentioned that the interesting musical stuff doesn’t detract from the song, and this is yet another thing that I really like about this song. You could strip it all down – as far as voice and acoustic or voice and a simple keyboard – and the song would still shine. Maybe this is just me, but you can add layers and layers of sounds to a track but if the song at the core of it isn’t good then they don’t make it any better.

Look when it comes down to it, it’s simple really, ‘A Place For Me’ is a great song – a song you can sit and listen to, and a song you can throw some shapes to. It’s great pop music, and sometimes that’s all we need.

The info

Bad Love make Sad-Boy Pop. Forming in 2019 near the rainy city of Manchester, they combine the cinematic allure of new-romantic icons like The Cure and Tears For Fears, with the heartfelt and anthemic pop-hooks of artists like LANY, MUNA and The 1975. For frontman Andy Gannon, Bad Love is about wearing your heart on your sleeve, and making art with sincerity in a digital age where it is scarce.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadLoveForReal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BadLoveForReal/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BadLoveForReal/

‘Holiday’ is the lead release from Sheffield based Archie’s upcoming EP – ‘Adult Fiasco’ – which is due out in December. I’ve had a sneaky preview – the perks of being a music reviewer – of the other EP tracks, and boy are they hot. Watch out for our review of the EP when it’s released.

‘Holiday is kind of a Nu-Soul/Neo-Soul (depending on your term of choice) track. In that, as if I really needed to tell you, it’s a mix of soul, funk, jazz and, just to mix it up and add something, a kind of Afrobeat/Latin thing going on.

It starts, as any song about a holiday should as far as I’m concerned, in a slow languid jazzy mode with Archie’s laid-back vocals before it builds into a blazing hot dance track. Sax solo, frantic beat, stabbing keyboards. The playing is great and there’s frankly gorgeous backing vocals.

It sounds like a holiday – the best holiday you’ve ever had. Lazy days and fun filled nights dancing until you collapse – in fact the lyrics indicate that it’s the kind of holiday where you sleep all day.. And it’s cool, way way cool.

This is a great introduction to Archie Baker, it’s a song for Summer, yes, even the Summer we’ve having right now. It’ll lift your spirits and get you dancing round the room or even the garden. Hot stuff. People.

The info

Archie Baker is a London-born, Sheffield-based alternative soul & blues musician.

Having moved to Sheffield in 2016, Archie joined a popular soul and blues function band as a guitarist. Whilst playing weddings, summer balls and parties Archie found his niche as a vocalist and began to write his own music. With help from talented musicians around the scene, he developed a style of music suitable for his distinctive vocal style.

Archie’s music can be characterised by a strong blues and rock foundation with flourishes of funk and soul dusted throughout the sound – creating an eclectic and fresh flavour of modern soul & blues.

Archie is also a member of the rock-fusion band ALSKA. The music in ALSKA differs from Archie’s own music in that it focuses on fusion and energy, but still features his distinctive guitar and vocal work scattered amongst the band’s vast soundscape.

‘Holiday’ is the first track from Archie’s upcoming EP, ‘Adult Fiasco’, set to be released in December 2020.

Necktr described themselves as a progressive neo-soul band in the email they sent me, so I knew I was going to get that mix-up of soul, jazz and hip-hop. And their bio describes them as a soul fusion band. So I guessed that the jazz element would be way up there, and it is. What I didn’t quite expect was the really strong Afrobeat influence in places.

‘Grow’ is a piece that takes you on an 8 minute journey – a journey through sounds, mood and feel. It’s a piece that you feel compelled to immerse yourself in.

It starts with a sparse Afrobeat introduction with twitchy and scratchy guitar, building to a more jazz section that is pure wonderful smooth horns. And as if the horns weren’t enough there is quite fabulous drumming going on.

And then there are the vocals, the only word I can think of to describe them is yummy – although if you can imagine it, the way I’m thinking this is ‘yummmmmyyyyyy’. Vocals that are soulful, over a soulful jazzy backing. That moment those vocals come in is one I have grown attached to.

And it builds, the horns blaring, until… it drops out to a dreamy quietness, warped delicious sounds, faint ghostly ab-lib vocals (provided by B-Ahwe), and spoken words, it builds with a slowed Afrobeat guitar, it builds again the vocal sounds are louder, horns build. It’s not a comparison the band would like, I’m guessing, but the dreamy part of this has the feel of Gong to me.

I could go on and on about how that instrument or this instrument provides these wonderful sounds but ultimately this is pointless, it’s the overall effect of the layers of sounds that weave together, over and under each other, that’s totally magical and mesmerising. The combined effect of those layers sometimes makes sounds that you can’t identify as being from a particular instrument. And I found that made me concentrate on the sound of the track. It almost goes without saying that the playing and arrangement is beyond words good.

There are things that the track comes back to – a particular horn riff, that Afrobeat guitar that pops up in varying forms through the piece. These help guide you through it, help you understand it, are the path you journey on.

This release is fabulous, it has a compelling beauty that draws you in. The twists and turns in sound and feel surprise and amaze, yet never jar. Yummmyyyy.

Included as part of this release, Necktr have also collaborated with some of Leeds’ finest producers to put together remixes of ‘Grow’, as well as their previous single ‘Cold Water’. This includes remixes by Sourpuss, Breaka, Adam Pits and Dubrunner, making the package a celebration of Leeds’ vibrant electronic and jazz/world music scenes.

The remixes take the track to a different, yet no less compelling place. They turn it into a dance track – The Breaka remix uses what I can only describe as a broken Afrobeat rhythm, using the vocal section, and the Sourpuss remix turns it into an electronica track. While I’m not usually a fan of music like this, both remixes of ‘Grow’ have become favourites in the time I’ve had access to them.

The info

Necktr are an 8 piece soul fusion band who formed in Leeds with a vision to bring together elements of hip-hop, afrobeat, soul and jazz to create compositions that provide an exciting twist on contemporary songwriting. Their sound explores a wealth of textures and soundscapes as they weave between captivating grooves and anthemic choruses.

After gaining a reputation in Leeds for their raucous and energetic live shows, the band took to the road and have played around the country alongside the likes of Gilles Peterson, Nubiyan Twist, Snazzback, Nubya Garcia, Afriquoi and K.O.G and The Zongo Brigade. This has included notable performances at The Jazz Café in London, as well as appearances at festivals such as The Great Escape, Mostly Funk & Soul and Boomtown in Summer 2019.

The band released their debut EP ‘Something’s Happening’ through Wormfood Records in 2018, as well as subsequent single ‘Cold Water’ in Autumn 2019