Canadian indie psychedelic rock band Beams returns with their fourth album ‘Requiem for a Planet’ and continues to bring their unique genre-striding style. You can probably tell it is difficult for me to cram all the genres in a single sentence, but it is because Beams effortlessly weaves bits of folk, indie, psyche and traditional supergroup-styled rock together. I adored their 2021 album ‘Ego Death‘ and it seems their new album focuses on a wider death of our planet. In doing so, the band has tweaked its sound to become a little more rustic. There is a shift towards Americana and an element ..read more

What does Johanna Warren sound like? Bridging the gap between alternative rock and psychedelic folk. The review of Johanna Warren – The Rockfield Sessions Vol 1 Upon hearing the news that Johanna Warren was stepping back from the music business full-time, I was incredibly sad. Over the course of six albums, she’s moved effortlessly between faery folk, alt-rock, grungy anthems and emotionally wrenching acoustic ballads. Johanna has commanded them all and continued to be a unique voice in the music business. To round off this last decade, Warren recorded 28 songs at Rockfield in Wales. This firs ..read more

What does Zarco sound like? When a prog rock funk band takes on folk music from around the world. The review of Zarco – N​ã​o Lembra Ao Diabo Portuguese quintet Zarco has previously released two albums where they mix up funk and prog rock into something that sounds like it was recorded in an era gone by. For their new album, ‘N​ã​o Lembra Ao Diabo’ (roughly translated to ‘Don’t Remember the Devil’) Zarco totally changed their sound. Out go all the funk and plugged elements of their music and in comes an entirely acoustic arrangement. Zarco I’ve no idea if this new sound will stay with Zarco be ..read more

What does TEKE::TEKE sound like? A mixture of Japanese folk rock called Eleki, Brazilian surf rock and psychedelia. The review of TEKE::TEKE – Hagata In order to understand the music of TEKE::TEKE , I first need to explain Eleki. Eleki is a type of Japanese surf rock that, whilst similar to Western surf rock, uses traditional instruments and the pentatonic scale. It popped up in the 1960s and has become a niche over the decades. It wasn’t something I’d come across until I discovered TEKE::TEKE and now I want to discover more. TEKE::TEKE It’s worth noting that TEKE::TEKE are not strictly an Ele ..read more

What does Pássaro sound like? Warm Brazilian electronica mixed with acoustic guitars and folk instrumentation. The review of Pássaro – Antes de Existir o Mundo Following on from Pássaro’s superb debut album Pássaro Encantado, the Brazilian trio continues their exploration into Brazilian electronica. ‘Antes de Existir o Mundo’ is an exploration of how jungle rhythms and sounds can merge into electronica and transform it into something psychedelic. Put simply, there are few artists out there doing quite what Pássaro does. Their new album is one that I found rich in depth and ..read more

Pitou’s new single ‘Dancer’ is one of the most hypnotic and intriguing singles I’ve heard in 2022. Lacing together harp and guitar melodies and backing it up with distant faded vocals and muted and muffled percussion, Pitou has a simple message. Push yourself into the light. She says that sometimes pulling yourself from darkness to light and back again can feel quite violent. With her single ‘Dancer’, Pitoh would like that transition to be more graceful – like a sweet surrender. Pitoh is based in Amsterdam and found a love for classical music at a young age. She was privileged to be able to tr ..read more

What does Johanna Warren sound like? Psych-folk for the MTV generation of disillusion. The review of Johanna Warren – Lessons for Mutants It has been a pleasure to have discovered Johanna Warren’s music early in her career because each album she creates has a different flavour. After starting out firmly in the mystical folk side of rock, Warren has progressively moved towards a more band approach. ‘Lessons for Mutants’ sees this culminate as a band effort that was recorded and tracked to tape. Johanna Warren It was a new way of working for Johanna. Speaking on it she said “Tape forces you to c ..read more