Presenting musical ideas, even complex ones can be done relatively quickly. Or not. It just depends on how songwriters approach it. Swedish chamber pop singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanängen, who works as Loney Dear seems to rely on his instincts and can come up with intricate vocal and instrumental details, with a slow build-up and ending it with everything including a fuzz bass (instead of a kitchen sink). All in three and half minutes, as he does here with ‘I Am John’.
American all-rounder Peter Broderick, who can present everything from neo-classical and ambient to pop-rock, on the other hand often goes the ‘classical,’ more detailed route, as he does here with ‘And It’s All Right,’ (all by himself, too).
The key though, is that either concept can work, as both of these artists prove. All you need is ‘just’ a good idea and the right approach. Just that.
Civic - Blood Rushes
The surfer image that goes along with ‘Blood Rushes’ from these Australians should be a giveaway, yet these five guys actually go the power pop route taking cues from their New Zealand neighbors like The Clean.
Ambient Monkeys - Tango Tranquillo
Michael Moryc & Denny Jiosa who work as ambient monkeys are definitely musical craftsmen who don’t give a damn if their music is tagged as musical wallpaper. And they shouldn’t, as long as it sounds this well-crafted.
The Pat Petrillo Big Rhythm Band - 48th Street
You don’t just go under the banner that includes a big rhythm band’ if you don’t want things a bit more complex, and at the same time enlist a legend like Nile Rogers to play with you. High-class instrumental rhythm and blues.
Ruston Kelly - The Weakness
It is hard times for singer-songwriters, you have to grab the attention of so many others who are labeled as such. Yet Ruston Kelly should definitely get some with this quite diverse and layered song.
Wilderado - Surefire
These three guys from Tulsa, Oklahoma ride on the edge of rock and Americana, and they do it as something quite natural, definitely the reason it sounds quite good.
Nat Myers - Yellow Peril
Blues was always a way to tackle injustices of all shapes and kinds, and Nate Myers tackles racial prejudices here, and admirably at that, both musically and lyrically.
dePresno - Emotional Punching Bag
Singer-songwriters are known for expressing their personal emotions but can go too self-centered sometimes, which this Norwegian artist skillfully escapes here.
Roxy Gordon - I Used to Know an Assiniboine Girl
A blast from the past of sorts, if you actually had a chance to catch it the first time around, back in the seventies. Some excellent guitar picking and storytelling to match.
Me Lost Me - Eyewitness
Jayne Dent from Newcastle, England is the mastermind of Me Lost Mind and seems to be one of those artists who don’t care what sound belongs to what genre, as long as it sounds good, and here it definitely does.
Chain of Flowers - Serving Purpose
Jangle pop, and dream pop are categories that were given a brief life span by many critics, yet both, often in combination seem to live on, like here from these Welsh guys, who also like their post-punk too.