I know absolutely nothing about Harry Hanson beyond the blurb in the press release – you can read this below – but I was so taken with the track that I just had to review it.

You see it’s kinda quirky, but not in a ‘novelty song’ way, just that it has an individual approach to putting a song together. It has hints of British psychedelic pop in places – think The Beatles when they did that sort of thing – wobbly keyboards, almost dream-pop if you want a more up to date thing. But it also bursts into rocky mode. It has sounds on it that surprise and delight. It changes and changes constantly.

But it’s the way that these elements are fused into something seamless and wonderful that do it for me. Combine this with vocals to absolutely die for. Words that me compulsively playing it on repeat just to hear them. And what you have is something that is bloody brilliant. So brilliant I’ve been telling friends that they must listen to this when it’s released.

I know this is his third single but I feel like I did years ago when I came across something that makes me feel like I’ve come across an artist and it’s somebody I both want to keep to myself – because they’re so special – and tell everyone I know about them – because they’re so so good.

I’ve rather fallen in love with this song. It has a kind of quirky wonderful beauty. This is something you must hear, do it now.

The info

For numerous years Leeds based Harry has been collaborating in different bands in the UK touring scene and after being part of this for so long, he felt it was time to create a project with his own individual stamp of identity. After collating many different demos, he contacted musicians from around the city to help him recreate his records live and in the studio. Harry Hanson’s style can be described as ‘Garage Rock’ but it’s far beyond that. Harry’s music has absolute pop sensibilities, his emphasis on melody, song structure and sound creation has led him to create a new and unique approach to the ‘Indie’ genre.

‘Keys in a Bowl’ is Harry Hanson’s third single, he describes the track as:“A tongue-in-cheek diary entry of some of the quirky things I’ve learnt/heard about, over my 22 years on Earth”.

The new release from Leeds based Late Night Legacy – ‘Crystal Blue’ – has me trying to find a way of describing it. You see it’s alternative rock but it has this kind of AOR thing going on. It’s rocky but not raucous. The best I can come up with is sophisticated alternative rock that has a great great tune.

This sounds as though I’m almost at the point of saying it has something of a pop thing going on, but no, it’s far from that. It’s very definitely a rock track. With of all things a kinda Pat Benatar kind of sound (go Google people, this is one from my past, check out ‘Hell Is For Children’) in places. With vocals that drift towards Southern Rock based AOR at times.

But remember what I said before I went off on a tangent. This a sophisticated sounding rock track with a great tune. And it also has great vocals – I love the vocals on this – both the lead and backing vocals, some great playing. The guitar work on this is outstanding.

The problem is that this thing bloody bores its way into your head and sticks there, I found myself singing this at the oddest moments – my daily exercise for one. It’s a problem because I can’t get it out of my head, see I told you that this thing had a great tune.

This, people, is a great track. Go listen.

This is the third release from Cold Culprits I’ve reviewed – the first two being ‘We Will Bleed’ and ‘Candy Thief’ which I was really impressed by – and this is no different.

Again there’s an element of ‘I really really like this but for the life of me I don’t know why’. I admit that when this happens I find it irritating, I really dislike not being able to work out why I like a song.

The lyrics are somewhat sad. Andy of Cold Culprits says ‘’Setting Suns’ is the end of a relationship. Both lovers know it’s over. They’ve grown apart, but neither wants to leave. It’s a mutual and sorrowful understanding that the spark has died and the time has come to move on or resent each other forever’.

But these sometimes desolate words are sung over something that has a hint of New Wave, in a vocal which has a hint of punk. With warped and sometimes discordant synths and a guitar that is played on the edge of painful. So actually musically it suits the subject of the song perfectly.

I think I’m getting close to understanding why I like it as much as I do. It’s that the music suits the words and subject of the song. But there’s something else here. Bear with me. I have a guilty pleasure, I rather love art-rock, I like the way that art-rock songs (and I guess I’m talking old school art-rock here) are a performance of the song, that musically, vocally and lyrically the songs are taken as far as they will go, and then further. ‘Setting Suns’ has that. It has that theatrical thing going on.

Each Cold Culprits’ release is another step along a musical journey. Andy is very much treading his own path. This step – ‘Setting Suns’ – is yet another impressive song. Can’t wait for the next step.

‘Cafe Disco’ has been part of The Harriets’ live set for some time now, and seemingly for an equal period of time they seem to have announced that it’s going to be released as a single. And finally it’s here, and even better, it’s the lead single from the band’s upcoming debut album ‘Hopefuls’ which is due out on 24th July.

The album is something for the future – I, of course, will be reviewing it so keep ‘em peeled for that – let’s get back to ‘Cafe Disco’. As I said the song’s been a part of their set for a while, and in that time it’s become a firm favourite of mine.

It is, as the title might suggest, a bouncy boppy track, in that Harriets’ thing – big big pop with what I can only describe as umph. It has piano, it has organ, it has harmonies you could live on. It also has that other Harriets’ thing – great words.

There’s something in my head, which is admittedly strange at times, that says It has something of a Squeeze thing going on. It’s in that slightly New Wave approach. It’s in the way the vocals switch between semi-spoken, sang and harmonies. And the difference between this and the live version is that you get to hear Jess’s vocals better which are cool, way cool.

People, this is wonderful. It’s wonderful because it has a tune that’s so damn earwormy, because it makes you want to dance all of your troubles and worries away, and because it leaves you with a huge smile on your face, a spring in your step, and a chorus in your head that you just have to sing again and again. This is 3 ½ minutes of utter joy. It’s summer in a song.

Listen here – https://push.fm/fl/cafedisco

B-ahwe is one of those artists I’ve been aware of for quite some time but I’ve never managed to hear anything by her (yet again that old excuse I’m afraid). Having said that, having seen her picture, I have a vague idea that she was the featured singer with Narcle the first time I saw them. I may of course be wrong. Anyhow I realised in moments of hitting play on the first track that I’ve been missing out big time.

There is a story to the songs on the EP – there’s more on this below – both lyrically and musically. B-ahwe takes elements from influences and mixes them into something all of her own. I seem to have a real thing about music like this at the moment. It meets a need I have for being soothed and totally engrossed musically.

The EP opens with a short piece called ‘Finding Your Haven’. Lush strings. B-ahwe vocalises over the music. It’s a scene setter, a mood sound piece, an introduction. It is rather beautiful.

The EP’s opening song proper ‘Sweet’ starts off all dreamy, but this is only the start of a seamless journey through gentle jazzy hip-hop, jazy soul, and then it leaps into something more driving, more powerful. Jazzy horns. Dreamy almost psychedelic soulful sounds. You get the picture? Her music changes in the most unexpected ways. It’s complex and yet it all makes sense. It just travels through these sounds. If you just let it take you, it all makes complete sense. You are drawn into her world.

‘Sliding’ is more driven, insistent keyboards, And then it slides into sweet soulful sounds that mesmerise, that enchant. This is followed by ‘Closer’ a smooth gentle song that is sprinkled with the most wonderful keyboards.

‘Within’ – a short musical interlude – is followed by a hip-hop influenced track ‘Suspended’. There are layers and layers of vocals on this, indeed the vocals are mainly the music. But odd sounds and off-kilter rhythms flow through this song making it strangely disturbing.

‘Cruise’ is again hip-hop influenced but this time with a dose of soul. Her voice is compelling and hypnotic. In fact her voice is the thing that is so fantastic about this song. I’m not saying that the music isn’t but I found myself concentrating on her voice, her vocal twists and turns. ‘Waters New’ is a short interlude – it’s spoken word backed by music.

The EP closer ’Take It’ mixes jazz, hip-hop, soul into something magical. Something uplifting.Something that takes you through a musical journey. Unexpected sounds, backing vocals that weave into something complex but at the same having a groove, a slow groove, that I could live on if that’s all that was available.

I’m aware that there are three things I haven’t touched on in this review so far – the quality of the playing, the lyrics and B-ahwe’s vocals. I did this on purpose.

I have no information at all as to who played on this EP but whoever it was the quality of the instrumentation is exceptional. The way the songs are put together is inventive. There are always sounds that surprise (but don’t jar, that’s the key thing), sounds that are calculated to add to the songs not detract.

As I’ve said before the songs tell a story, individually and collectively. So the words need to be good. And they are good, better than good. These are words to study. This may take some time, but it’ll be worth it.

And finally to B-ahwe’s vocals. Her vocals astounded me. Her voice twists and turns and changes. She’s capable of vocally turning on the spot. And the range of sounds that she can produce is frankly amazing. In fact the first few times I listened to the whole EP (and that’s what you need to do to get the full effect) all I could concentrate on was her voice, but gradually the voice and music became one.

This EP is beautiful – it’s beautifully written, sung and played. It’s compelling, it makes you sink into the sound and her world. And within all of that beauty there’s an artist who isn’t afraid to dig deep into her own personal life to make these songs. And that too is a beautiful thing. Please, please please, do listen to all the songs in the order they are listed, the EP has its maximum impact if you do that.

The info

With a history of collaborations spanning Lo-fi Hip-hop to Jazz-prog (Lausse the Cat, Nix Northwest and Yaatri), and performances alongside Fatima and Yazmin Lacey under her belt, B-âhwe’s stylistic versatility takes centre stage on her debut EP.

The songs on the EP were written during months of mental and physical entrapment due to illness. The EP’s lyrical narrative is thoughtfully weaved through lush vocal textures, dreamy strings, jazzy chords, and ambient soundscapes. These elements are complemented by rap and Hip-hop influences and unsuspectingly driving musical interludes.

I loved the last release I reviewed from Luna Pines – ‘It Takes Time’ – I loved it in the opening seconds of the song. This was the same.

It starts sounding almost like a lullaby, a song for a child or a song by a child. And this is entirely appropriate when you know what the song is about. It’s about the inability to move on from the freedom and opportunity of childhood, band creator, writer and producer Lotte explains, ‘The House We Lived In’ became a song about not being able to move on mentally from the freedom of childhood. The line ‘don’t you ever think that I could have been anybody, in the house we lived in?’ sums up the song well – it’s about being disappointed with the person you became and wishing that you could go back and maybe do it right the second time’.

And after that opening it gradually builds. It remains gentle but there’s a harder beat. And then it builds again to something richer, fuller and many layered. And then during the outro it drops again to something softer and gentle.

It has that Luna Pines unexpected sounds thing going on. But it also has a simplicity, the individual sounds are not complex, but what they make when they are all added together is complex. It swirls, it moves. It beguiles and mesmerises. It’s a song that draws you in, and takes you on a journey. And the thing you hang onto is the vocals, the vocals are gentle, ethereal, mixed way back. But you find yourself striving to hear them. That’s part of what draws you into the track.

There is something about this song that is so moving, you can feel the emotion, the meaning. And musically it’s incredible. What this adds up to is something that is beautiful, incredibly beautiful. Sadly beautiful.

The info

Lotte says, ‘My co-writer on the tune was a good friend of mine called Davarious Jackson who at the end of 2018 after writing this song took his own life. Because of that it’s taken on so many more meanings and is very hard for me to listen to now’.

Yet another classy release from those lovely people over at Come Play With Me. In my case one band that I’m rather fond of – Van Houten – and another I’ve never even heard of before – In The Morning Lights. But this is good you see, it’s a great way of introducing you to new acts.

Van Houten’s track – ‘Better Than This’ – is a wonderful dream-pop thing. Full of gorgeous vocals, slightly warped guitar, and a tune to swoon over. And yet there’s something else there, it has this lovely hint of Aztec Camera-like sound. Given that I have more than a slight love for Aztec Camera this is no bad thing.

Van Houten make music that takes you to a wonderful place, this is no exemption. It’s music to drift away to, to be taken by that oh-so pretty tune. But you should take the time to focus on the words because the song is so much more than the music. Louis from the band explains “The song is about searching and working for a better life, and is hopeful in this respect. The song addresses how easy it can be for life to pass you by, especially when you’re always focusing on the next step, or bigger picture. I believe this to be a relatable and universal idea, as most people have the intention to seek something better, and change their life for the better”.

This is a beautiful thing, it’s a period of calm and peace in a busy world.

And so to In The Morning Lights. As I said before this is a band that I’ve never even heard of before. But as I pressed play on the track, I really liked it immediately. They mix hip-hop and alt-pop into something soulful and really really classy.

The other thing I love is the dual vocal thing they have going on. And that dual vocal is important. Frankie from the duo explains “The opening line says it all ‘Three lovers, one plays the fool’. Into Sunlight tells the story of a secret love affair, narrated by both of us from the perspective of two characters simultaneously. The script-like lyric follows the conflict between right and wrong and into desire. It calls to question love, morality and human nature.”

And taking those great voices, the clever, inventive and soulful sound and words that tell what is an unusual story for a pop track, make this something that really has depth.

The longer I’ve had access to the review stream the more often I find myself listening to this track. It has something that quietly creeps into your head.

The other thing I’ve been pondering since I decided to review this AA sided single is whether anything connects the two tracks. On a very broad scale they are both pop tracks, different kinds of pop obviously. But this isn’t really enough. Going deeper, both songs have a depth to them beyond the obvious musical classiness. They both have a lyrical goodness that raises them above the average.

As I said, another classy release from CPWM. If you listen to it for just one track that appeals to you or because you know the band, please please please listen to the other track.

The single is available for streaming and is released on 7” vinyl via Leeds based record label Come Play With Me. Limited signed copies of the vinyl can be ordered from http://cpwm.awesomedistro.com/.