#Single Review: OMEARA Take It Back

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: OMEARA Shares Sleek and Anthemic "Take It Back"

New Audio: OMEARA Shares Sleek and Anthemic "Take It Back" @jasminOMEARA @heygroover @romainpalmieri @DorianPerron

Montréal-born, German-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jasmin O’Meara can trace the origins of her music career to when she was a teenager: A 14-year old O’Meara removed a guitar off of her uncle’s wall and declared it her own. The Canadian-born, German-based artist is an autodidact, who went on to join Montréal’s indie scene and collaborated with several different bands and…

[themusicenthusiast]

Single Review: “You Worry Me” by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats had a few whirlwind years after making their late-night television debut the better part of there years ago. It’s hard to believe it’s already been that long since they began attracting a mainstream crowd, selling out headline gigs and becoming a staple on the festival circuit as they toured in support of that self-titled record. A self-titled record that was released around two and a half years ago. That works out to at least a year and a half of fans patiently waiting, wondering when Rateliff & The Night Sweats would release new music. It’s taken a bit (which is understandable), and now a new release is on the horizon, Tearing at the Seams planned for a March 9th release (out via Bottleneck Music Limited / Stax Records), with “You Worry Me” serving as the first single and providing the first glimpse of what Rateliff and company have been working so diligently on. The question now is, “What will people make of it?”

There are various ways to look at “You Worry Me”. On one hand, it’s as solid a song as a musician could hope to create. Even by Rateliff’s standards the vocalist sounds in rare form, his rich voice teeming with emotion as he delivers the lyrics, a potent mix of soul and blues noticeable in his singing. The mix is enrapturing, drawing the listener in. Even if, for some strange reason, you’re uninterested in every other aspect of the single, his performance alone is more than enough to ensure one’s interest. That won’t be the case, though, as “You Worry Me” is a compelling blend of bluesy rock steeped in Americana. The guitar riffs are an instant classic, kind of heavy, reminiscent of the classic rock era but with a modern approach. In contrast, the piano is more rhythm centric, accenting the forceful, steadfast drumming quite well; and all together it creates something of a grand scope. The track clearly building to something, it takes on this sort of grand style as it ebbs and flows, moving towards a stunning crescendo, keeping the listener guessing as to when it will finally actually break loose. Within the final minute everything really coalesces, unleashing the full potential of “You Worry Me”; the horns, briefly used as they are, contributing greatly to the mix, the song coming to a thrilling and even epic end as it hits its climatic point. On that most superficial level, it’s great. However, it would be remiss of me to not say “You Worry Me” is utterly lacking in that magic, that “spark” that gripped people a few years back, making them so drawn to Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. In that regards it’s a rather bland single. It’s enjoyable to listen to and was pieced together exceptionally well, though it fails to invigorate the listener the way so much of their previous work did. It doesn’t grab you and demand your undivided attention, nor will it have any potential new fans desperately inquiring, “Who is THAT?!?” In the end, that leaves “You Worry Me” being rather mediocre. Hopefully it’s not setting a trend for Tearing at the Seams. Pre-order Tearing at the Seams on: iTunes | Google Play | Amazon MP3 Visit Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats’ websites: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube Current Shows: 2018 February 15--Omeara--London, United Kingdom March 2--One Big Holiday--Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 21--Muffathalle--Munich, Germany 22--X-Tra--Zurich, Switzerland 24--E-Werk--Cologne, Germany 25--Batschkapp--Frankfurt Am Main, Germany 27--Astra--Berlin, Germany 29--Parkteatret--Oslo, Norway 30--Berns--Stockholm, Sweden 31--Vega--Copenhagen, Denmark April 3--Grosse Freiheit--Hamburg, Germany 4--Paradiso--Amsterdam, Netherlands 5--Paradiso--Amsterdam, Netherlands 7--deRoma--Antwerp, Belgium 9--Trianon--Paris, France 11--O2 Shepherds Bush Empire--London, United Kingdom 12--O2 Shepherds Bush Empire--London, United Kingdom 13--O2 Shepherds Bush Empire--London, United Kingdom 14--Albert Hall--Manchester, United Kingdom 18--Olympia Theatre--Dublin, Ireland 19--Olympia Theatre--Dublin, Ireland 20--Ulster Hall--Belfast, United Kingdom 21--Usher Hall--Edinburgh, United Kingdom May 6--Shaky Knees Festival--Atlanta, GA

[underachievers-please-try-harder]

Live review // Beck - Electric Ballroom - 12 October 2017

Originally appeared on Loud and Quiet.

You’d imagine it takes some behind-the-scenes persuasion for established musicians to persevere playing fan favourites night after night when there’s fresher material to be explored. But if Beck does find wheeling out the classics a chore, he’s been hiding it brilliantly for years now.

Tonight’s gig was only announced three days ago – following Sunday’s surprise show at London’s Omeara – and the sense of spontaneity heightens the excitement of an already extremely enthusiastic audience. Resplendent in a white dinner jacket and black Stetson, and surrounded by a fantastic, seven-piece band, Beck bills the show “a celebration” of his 13th studio album, Colors, as well as a wake for the Grammy-winning Morning Phase. “We’re opening for ourselves tonight,” he explains at the end of opener ‘Blackbird Chain’, “So we’re gonna play a couple of songs from the last record, say goodbye to that and go into new territory.”

True to his word, the swooning, harmony-laden Americana of songs from Morning Phase and Sea Change is swiftly interrupted by a filthy, garage-rock rendition of ‘Devil’s Haircut’, drenched in red lighting. From there onwards, the energy levels scarcely dip. Though not summoning quite the same level of hysteria as room-shaking renditions of ‘Loser’, ‘E-pro’ and ‘The New Pollution’, ‘Nausea’ and ‘Think I’m In Love’ are particularly fine tonight, the latter segueing into ‘I Feel Love.’ During the encore, Beck interrupts a jubilant rendition of ‘Where It’s At’ – replete with body-popping – to allow his band to showcase their instruments with covers of songs by The Clash, Gary Numan and Talking Heads, plus a tribute to fellow Californian Tom Petty, whose music Beck credits as “capturing the place I came from.”

It’s a joy, too, to hear recent singles ‘Dreams’ and ‘Up All Night’ greeted as classics, and to see the entire room bounce during the live debut of Colors’ title track. And while it’s clear Beck needn’t rely on past glories, the fact he’s prepared to liberally dip into his back catalogue is emblematic of his generosity as a performer.

[themusicenthusiast]

Single Review: “Blood & Muscle” by Lissie

Nearly two years after the release of her most acclaimed work to date, Lissie is ready to follow-up My Wild West with Castles, which is set for release on March 23rd, 2018 and will be released via Lionboy Records. If My Wild West was Lissie lighting a spark to make certain that the world began to take notice of her talents, than Castles will be the record that finds the songstress adding kindling to what she built, now prepared to make a more striking statement than ever before. At least, that’s what the first single to be released from the forthcoming album suggests. “Blood & Muscle” feels like a natural progression in the evolutionary process for the songstress, who has further perfected her craft over the past couple of years. The songwriting behind it is more marvelous than ever, while Lissie’s delivery is nothing short of stunning. It aims to leave the listener in sheer awe, “Blood & Muscle” succeeding at that with absolute ease.

The purely piano-driven tune allows Lissie to pour her heart and soul into the track, something that is evident thanks to the impassioned vocal performance she gives. “Blood & Muscle” is the product of every fiber of her being; personal feelings laid bare for all to gaze at. She sounds desperate and anxious at times, while an overwhelming sense of hope permeates other moments of the track that examines love from an ever so slightly different perspective. There have been plenty of songs about wanting more in one’s love life, though this song just feels different from the vast majority of those. It’s due to the subtle differences in the perspective; and that is a hallmark that any great songwriter should possess: to be able to take something typical and find a way to breathe new life into it. “I want a love that's made of blood and muscle…” There’s an optimistic aura radiated by that line of the chorus (as well as the chorus in general). It acts as a unique way of saying you want something real. Something with substance; the rest of the chorus detailing what one hopes to get out of their ideal relationship. Much like the dating game can be, “Blood & Muscle” is fraught with perils, from the first verse, detailing what comes across as being time wasted on a person, to the second verse. “The crows fly higher and higher. Their cries sound like a choir in the sky. It’s like they’re taunting me.” That segment paints a dismal picture, conveying a sense of isolation and possibly perpetual loneliness, before a ray of hope breaks through. At its heart, “Blood & Muscle” is a bit of a defiant song, because it’s one about not settling. Its focus revolves around not compromising yourself in the least, even if that makes the road to love more arduous than it already is. It brilliantly captures the hardships that that can bring, Lissie using her exceptional voice to capture every conceivable emotion that could arise from being so resolute. Because of that, it’s overwhelmingly real and honest, as she bares the deepest part of her soul to the listeners. Truly, Lissie’s vocal performance is nothing short of ravishing, “Blood & Muscle” acting as vessel to showcase how superb her voice is. Flawless even, as she belts out some parts with authority, demanding one give the song their unwavering attention. The wide ranges she explores vocally allows her to make the track all the more emotive; while the backing vocals that are carefully layered on top create some gorgeous harmonies that finely punctuate it. “Blood & Muscle” is Lissie kicking things up a notch – or even two, pushing herself into territory where she is not just worthy of the masses knowing her name but deserving of it. And if this gem is an indicator of what is yet to come from Castles, then she will probably be taking the world by storm sooner rather than later. Pre-order Castles on: iTunes | Google Play | Amazon MP3 Visit Lissie’s websites: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube Current Shows: 2018 April 6--Oran Mor--Glasgow, United Kingdom 8—Gorilla—Manchester, United Kingdom 10--Omeara London, United Kingdom