Fresh new tunes found through Musosoup that your ears deserve to hear.
By Hugh Reilly-Smith
Filiah - In A Haunted House
Location: Austria, Vienna
Release date: 13/08/21
Opening with an intimate acoustic guitar, Filiah’s third single off of her upcoming concept album ‘For Someone’ graciously balances the line between an acoustic ballad and something darker; a carefully symphonic ode to dealing with past trauma. Subtly biting lyrics such as “I might give up, make this night an early morning…”, along with a gentle pulse set by a subtle string section creates the feeling of swaying drunkenly through a heartbreak - and I’m a huge fan. The album itself is self described as being telling a story of pain, and self discovery at the end of a toxic past relationship. Most impressively, Filiah’s whole album is produced by herself in her living room. Keep an eye out for what comes next for this exciting artist.
A.D. - CocoNutz
Location: United Kingdom, Hemel Hempstead
Release date: 27/08/21
Who doesn’t love an 808? This song will make you want to move. The next time you’re in a club and after a bit more swagger in your walk from the bar to the smoking area - just put your headphones in and play this on repeat. It’ll leave you with a feeling a few inches taller, confidently strutting on the outside; whilst on the inside you’ll be tentatively wondering if there are any ice cream shops open past 3am. Talking of playing it on repeat, you’ll definitely want to with this one. Clocking in at 2:04 minutes long, A.D plays the clever game of leaving you wanting more; whilst still giving you so much in such a short period of time. Based in Hemel Hempstead, ‘Coconutz’ lands as the rapper’s 3rd release of the year, and with previous singles being featured on BBC Introducing, there are high expectations for what comes next.
Sarah Carton - Lemon
Location: United Kingdom, London
Release date: 28/09/21
If you’re looking for a fresh 2021 Lily Allen/Kate Nash inspired new artist to latch onto, look no further than Sarah Carton. This song tastes as sweet as the title suggests, with confidently delivered lyrics detailing Carton getting a past relationship with help from the niche activity of bleaching their hair with lemon. Even that sentiment feels bittersweet, and it’s this bittersweet feeling that encapsulates the entire three minutes of music, featuring layers of repeating percussion and a fun marimba motif that dances along with Carton’s vocal throughout. All this is supported but a grooving rhythm section that holds the tune together whilst allowing breathing room for Carton’s infectious melody lines. Sarah Carton has only recently turned back to music production and songwriting off the back of an award winning one woman electonic music and spoken-word show touring Edinburgh Fringe and Latitude Festival. Huge things await this fresh new artist.
Kurt Gott - Deal Me In (From the album Last Call)
Location: United States, Coral Springs
Release date: 10/09/21
Straight off the bat ‘Deal Me In’ jumps into a head bobbing classic rock feel, with an acoustic guitar maintaining a steady groove for Kurt Gott’s vocal to soar above. As the album artwork suggests, this one feels like an all out road trip. It’d be easy for a relatively generic line up of guitar, bass, acoustic drums and keys to feel like a stale formula, however this tune feels far from it and it’s easy to sense that this a tune that would resonate extremely well when performed live - because live is how it feels on the record. There’s a huge amount of energy that comes across and it feels as if the band are literally playing in the room in front of you - and indeed they could well be as Kurt Gott has apparently been playing 4/5 shows every single week. If you’re based out near Coral Springs, Florida, be sure to check out his Spotify and catch him and the band live near you.
NRVS - I Like You
Location: United Kingdom, London
Release date: 18/08/21
How did they get that bass sound? Is it even a bass? It sounds out of this world. Those were my exact thoughts when hearing the intro to NRVS’ ‘I Like You’ for the first time. I remember hearing ‘National Anthem’ by Radiohead for the first time when I was a kid, and feeling absolutely blown away, and this one fits in the same sonic world that I absolutely love. A driving, almost monotonous bass line blares through almost the entirety of the song, with whirring synth lines and pounding drums encapsulating a vibe that wouldn’t be out of place on a soundtrack to a futuristic psychological thriller soundtrack. The repetition of the vocal line “I like you, do you like me?” fits perfectly into this world of slightly twitchy, head-banging, pulsating madness. Previous singles from the mysterious London-based band have been featured on Jack Saunders’ BBC Radio 1 show, and it’s easy to see why. Can’t wait to hear what’s next from this group.
Colour Shop - A Moment
Location: United Kingdom, London
Release date: 13/08/21
Starting off as an acoustic ballad, Colourshop’s ‘A Moment’ joyfully lifts off into a beautifully off-kilter love song, feeling sweet but never sickly. A walking baseline keeps momentum moving, with the acoustic guitar never drifting from working as a delicate accompaniment to the singer’s tender and moving lyrics. It takes me back to rainy days, walking home after a first date - feeling the last of dying butterflies in your stomach and walking on a cloud that’s slowly coming back to earth. It feels soft, honest and vulnerable. According to the band, recording of the song hit a sticky situation during lockdown as getting to the recording studio in Italy proved challenging; and the band ended up working remotely to finish it off - a fact that proves difficult to believe given the natural feeling of this beautiful piece of music.