An alluring sort of sound that is for sure, from the slow grandeur of the playing to a chanteuse (Jordan Reynolds) who expresses the words like each of them means the world to her. But that was not the half of it because ‘Fruit Tree’ goes off on one as if haunted by the ghosts of a past life. On its sways, tempo not in any linear but still feeling as if it moves with a clear thought process. This is fresh thinking, this is romance but most of all this is just a lovely piece of escapism to rustle through our otherwise unsubstantial day. KH A Pawn Surrender by rose hotel mp3hugger’s best new mu ..read more

A great choice for an opener for Justin Sconza new LP ‘Campfire’ (out today May 3rd) because it takes us by the hand ever so tenderly, while all the while being very suggestive of a Brendan Benson explosive quality. So it is clear that ‘Been So Long’ has its head set on these minutes becoming the kind of anthem that is made for enlivening idle days. The track really comes alive at the instrumental break, a sparkling chord exchange that is crisp and chiming to a degree that there might be slight pogoing where it is played. Though it is loud this is a sweet and cosy work for indie-rock romantic ..read more

When we asked for something big to shake our old frame from its slumber we had no expectation for a song so bedecked in the grunge formula it felt like we were smack bang in the middle of 1992. Hard to sidestep the Nirvana influence (a bit of Sugar too) but ‘Glazed Over’ is so stacked with vitality you can almost smell the teen spirit oozing from its every pore. We can’t turn Baltimore’s Dosser down because they’ve already broken down the door and ran away with our long lost sense of rebellion. With this at our back we’ll be able to summon the strength to throw two fingers at modern conventio ..read more

There won’t be many more pastoral pieces of music in 2024, haunting, innocent and childlike lullabying from Switzerland’s Meimuna (Cyrielle Formaz) that has hints of Nick Drake but really operates in its own world. And it is terrain that is good for the mind and soul because we all need a shuffle that takes us to a nice way of being every now and then. You could imagine those of a Kate Bush leaning will be completely absorbed and pretty much everyone else because the classically tinged tapestry is a lesson in soothing. KH Meimuna · sous la nef mp3hugger’s best new music in our Fresh Indie pl ..read more

You can tell that London’s Human Interest have rustled around their innermost sanctum for this, the shape of a tune that makes for a lovely kind of listen because we need shelter from the ugly vagaries of the world. Once settled and comforted we were able to take that change of tact on ‘Shapeshifting’ and in fact it turned out to be thing of beauty as we were in the safe hands of a duo (Cat Harrison and Tyler Damara Kelly) who comfortably bounce off each other. Human Interest are likeable because they are real people, our kind of people and that is why ‘Shapeshifting’ resonates to such a degr ..read more

Seems like we’ve wandered right into mid funereal such is the laboured but impressive waltz that is ‘777’. A singer who is completely in time with all that horizontalism and if anything screamed a lazy day it is this track from Joyer. Not only that but it allows us to think on the spot, a quasi piece of contemplation but done with an increasing regard to arrangement building. And that for me is the most pleasing aspect, tells me that that there is great things on the way from the Sullivan’s siblings and as the third minute came round we heard it in a big rampaging spree of slowcore evangelism ..read more

Seeing Heavenly in the list of influences really made me happy for we need that indie pop sound creeping through on 21st Century efforts to give us some hope that all things indie and pop can be saved before that ingenious twee is lost forever. And the great news is that Oakland’s Christina’s Trip could well be the types to take the imitative because ‘My Friend’ is noisy and tangled and ramshackle but so conversant in the ways of the underground. I like them for that reason and quite a few more too. KH Forever After by Christina's Trip mp3hugger’s best new music in our Fresh Indie playlist! M ..read more

There is a warmth to ‘How Time Flies’ to a degree that it leaves us in a better place than it found us. None The Younger have a boundless folk charm about their approach, this is a waltz that is flush with romance and all steered by a singer (Michael LeFevre) who will take care of every detail so all we got to do is ride the warm sirocco aural flow. Yes, this is music designed to sweep us off our feet and it succeeds because the melodic intent is so pure, the playing arriving at our door like it has come back from a tropical isle and the general feel of how it is to be in love and getting the ..read more

The cooing and the aawhing are one thing but it is in that singer that we get to the heart of Babe Rainbow’s melodic intent and it reminded me of the Apples in Stereo and the Beach Boys for the most part. A little bit of twee but mostly a celebration of the results of fine songwriting and a performance that will have us all feeling better about ourselves come the end of ‘Retrograde’. Lo-fi production but hi-fi summery effects from Byron Bays finest means this is a call to a summer way of being even if the reality is characterised by constant downpours. KH Babe Rainbow · Retrograde mp3hugger ..read more

In terms of putting engine in our route to the stars and beyond ‘Flood The Harbour’ does not hold back and in a manner that has more than a grain of the Cocteau Twins about it but on a scale that certainly has more thrust. We are peering back into the last century for sure though, dreamy vocals amid the thick plume of guitar feedback and suddenly it dawned on me that we could have Toni Holiday and Curve to thank for the mystery plumes of noise. Now that is reassuring, most of all because rather than reinventing the wheel this LA combo just build on it so that we’re again feeling the lift that ..read more