In this edition of LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks, we curate some heartwarming, emotive releases from artists Diane Arkenstone, Stell and the Comedown Club, Karina Kampe, Ash Dodd, and Ava Valianti.
Diane Arkenstone - When I Fall (Remastered)
California-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Diane Arkenstone, has long been known for the moving grace, inspiring vulnerability, and comforting honesty in her New Age, folk music. In her sublime soundscapes, Diane channels her belief that music is a powerful medicine—a source of emotional, physical, and spiritual healing—born from her own challenging life experience. The latest release, When I Fall (Remastered) is a reflection on vulnerability, trust, and the strength we find in loved ones. Gentle, reflective guitar strums, delicate percussion, and luminous chords cushion Diane’s mature, balmy, heartfelt vocal melodies. The music, in its stripped-back, soulful radiance envelops you in a warm, uplifting embrace, softly stirring the soul. Listen here!
Stell and the Comedown Club - Everything I Am Is Yours
Stell and the Comedown Club plunges into loneliness, unrequited love, and yearning in latest alt-pop-rock release, Everything I Am Is Yours. The heart-rending, haunting, and honest lyricism is paired with an equally affecting, melancholy-soaked soundscape that takes shape through somber guitar strums, dreamy synths, delicate rhythms, and richly-layered, affecting vocals. The compelling storytelling takes dark, desperate turns when it outlines the longing for love even at the cost of one’s own harm, and the soundscape, in a painful, ominous way brings out this feeling through its double-toned atmospherics, underlined by both luminous chords and wistful, foreboding melodies. Everything I Am Is Yours is a gripping, tragically beautiful release. Listen here!
Karina Kampe - There’s a Page Torn Out of a Book
Karina Kampe’s music echoes the wisdom of her past and the hope of what’s to come through sincere storytelling and deeply heartfelt performances. The singer-songwriter’s latest release, There’s a Page Torn Out of a Book, featuring Danielle Banks, is a touching ode to a loved one that only lives in the fading memories of the past that was once shared. The lyrical themes of reminiscence, nostalgia, and affection is imbued in the sonic atmosphere through warm, folksy, acoustic melodies, wispy harmonies, and the spaciousness in the production. The singer’s voice heaves with the weight of maturity and raw emotion, while also levitating elegantly with the lightness of optimism and wonder, ebbing and flowing through the higher and lower contours of melody with skill and precision. This song is a captivating journey through a deeply resonant and personal story. Listen here!
Ash Dodd - Memories
Indie-pop singer-songwriter Ash Dodd crafts heartfelt stories, cathartic melodies, and emotionally rich soundscapes that resonate across generations. Memories, featuring Hana Luiz, is a striking single from the recently released debut EP titled, Songs That Make My Friends Cry. The music opens with wistful, luminous, and tender guitar chords, set in an expansive atmosphere, each melody echoing with a soft fullness that illuminates the soundscape. Ash Dodd’s emotive, ruminative vocals glide along the gentle current of the music, pulling you deeper into the music. As the song unfolds, an affecting story is revealed that explores themes of heartbreak, longing, and feeling left behind while a loved one grows more distant and slips away into the realms of memory. Hana’s vocals are as mesmerizing and soaked with emotion as Ash’s and brings in a vividness and shine of its own that is equally absorbing. Memories compels you to feel–hurt and heal–alongside the storyteller in a compelling and moving way. Listen here!
Ava Valianti - Wishing Well
Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Ava Valianti pulls listeners into her immersive soundscapes with the sweeping waves of emotion that wash over you. Her indie pop sensibilities, infectious melodies, and lyrical depth have earned her comparisons to artists like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lana Del Rey. The latest release, Wishing Well, transports you to a gauzy, somber, emotionally-charged soundscape helmed by Ava’s arresting vocals. The blue, alluring depth, and hypnotic ebb and flow of the soundscape, like that of the ocean, is provided by contemplative acoustic strums, thumping drums and lush electric guitar melodies. Her voice, illuminating and hazy as moonlight, brings a sense of melancholy, anguish, and vulnerability that pierces the heart. Wishing Well is an unforgettable, all-consuming release. Listen here!
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