The best new artists in my inbox
Discovering great new artists is one of the most exciting things about music for me. If you don’t champion the stuff you love, you can’t complain when you only hear the shit you hate on the radio.
There is an endless and thrilling sea of music out there, but it can be vast and not without peril. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet an artist formerly known as Prince. I will be highlighting some of my favourite recent releases by new and unsigned artists, along with occasional treats from the box of obscure, forgotten or underrated gems of the past that still occupy my headspace. Wading through the audio slush pile so you don’t have to.
Eyre Llew – Bloom
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sunnan – Blue
Cinematic soul outfit Sunnan return with Blue, an atmospheric track that mixes hazy trip-hop rhythms and vintage-leaning psychedelia. With nods towards the dreamlike textures of Massive Attack, and the studio-woven warmth of The Beatles, arpeggiated guitars, sweeping strings and subtle Western-tinged flourishes drift through it, creating an ethereal, emotionally reflective sound that’s perfect for your Spring-time soundtrack.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Polyvinyl – Bad Dreams
Described as detailing “the desperate need to reclaim one’s own headspace by turning a living trauma into a manageable, distant shadow” this is one of those seemingly perky, indie-pop tracks that masks it’s darker corners in it’s hook-filled chorus and infectious guitars. A fabulous blast of radio-friendly catchiness that also delivers sharp lyrics and a deeper emotional core for those inclined to dig a little further.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Adam Stafford – Slept With The Lights On
Slept With The Lights On is taken from the upcoming album Prilitex, a collection that is bursting at the seams with truly great music. Co-produced with Neil Pennycook and Robbie Lesiuk at Geist Studio in Edinburgh, the album is “sequenced to be experienced as a continuous journey with various left-turns down unexpected tunnels and alleyways and deliberately recorded with an anti-AI, anti-Spotify-playlist-
Choosing to include mistakes, quirks and improvisations within the recording of the album as part of the above ethos, there is a gratifying sense of humanity to the music, but that is not to be mistaken for sloppiness or taken as a get-out-clause for ineptitude. Many of these songs could and should be huge indie hits (surely it’s time that a song titled ‘Youth Disorder Tillicoultry’ or ‘In The Mauve Abyss’ made it big) not despite their rougher edges, but at least in part because of them.
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Twinnie – Midnight Company
Twinnie’s Midnight Company sits comfortably in the current wave of female-centred country-pop, bringing to mind the slick but cheeky emotional honesty of Sabrina Carpenter. Built on a smooth, danceable groove the track evokes late-night longing and bad decision-making with a light and playful touch. It’s catchy, self-aware, and a little bittersweet – the perfect midnight cocktail.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Single of the Month
Sadspacelord – From Time to Time
Built on dreamy melodic vocals, gentle electronics, soft synth textures, and more than a dash of Ace of Base style euro-dance – From Time to Time has lodged itself in my brain and won’t let go. There’s a quiet emotional pull running through this track, melancholy and warmth blurring together in “the spaces between light and shadow, moments of loneliness, nostalgia, and quiet reflection”. Sadspacelord has a three tracks on Spotify right now and I urge you to check out the other two along with this as they are all wonderful – my personal favourite being the enigmatic Candy Had a Ball. An artist I will be excited to follow in the future, and exactly the kind of gem this column was designed to uncover.
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
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Video of the Month
Gintsugi – Stranger
Moving beyond Gintsugi’s earlier piano-led style to a more textural palette, Stranger combines subtle electronics with an organic warmth. Something of a departure from her previous work, the track has a surprisingly playful, almost cabaret lilt accompanied by snappy, intriguing lyrics and undoubtedly her most hook-driven chorus yet. Stranger feels slick but understated, and is a wonderful example of combining dark, thoughtful introspection with a strong pop sensibility. As a standalone single, and a taster for the equally wonderful upcoming EP of the same name, you couldn’t hope for more.
rating stars=”4.5″]
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Pick of the Past
Courtney Love – Uncool
Courtney is having a bit of a Gen-Z fuelled pop-culture resurgence at the moment, so it feels like the perfect time to drag out a largely forgotten track from an album (unfairly) disowned by everyone involved including Love herself. Released in 2004 America’s Sweetheart was co-produced by Linda Perry and features former Hole member Patty Schemel on drums. Promotion for the album circled the drain in a mess of unfortunate tv appearances, and even more unfortunate paparazzi appearances, before terminating ultimately with Love’s arrest and a stint in rehab.
A cynically romantic slice of pop-rock drama, not dis-similar to some of it’s more well-regarded predecessor Celebrity Skin, Uncool is knowingly unashamed of it’s mainstream leanings, even as it eviscerates itself with snarling vocals and biting lyrics, cutting through the glossy sheen as only Courtney knows how.
One day this album will get it’s flowers, but for now it sadly remains Uncool.
Follow Courtney Love on Spotify
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A playlist of songs featured here, and in previous months, can be found on Spotify and YouTube.
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All words by Susan Sloan. More of her work for Louder Than War is available on her archive. Find her on Instagram as @thesmureviews and view Susan’s website here.
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