Reading Time: 7 minutes

Me again! Does anyone read these? I’m not sure but I love writing and sharing them.

Here’s another rundown of what I’ve been listening to over the past month.

Short on time? My Essential 5 are featured at the top!

As always, I really appreciate every read, scan or visit and hope you find some new music you love.

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The Essential 5

Sabrina Carpenter – Tornado Warnings
Dreamy, en-vogue ‘I shouldn’t be hanging out with my ex but I am’ pop with murmured vocals over unstable drums and a driving bass line.

Young Gun Silver Fox – Rolling Back
Throwing it back to late 70’s yacht rock with a disco vibe and heavenly harmonies.

Dua Lipa – End of an Era
Quirky, exuberant pop with a euphoric chorus, courtesy of Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker.

Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Eerie-as-always Billie edges closer to mainstream pop, murmuring, then belting on this warm pop song which aches with sincerity.

Jess Glynne – What Do You Do
An exquistely produced 90’s-inspired house banger, courtesy of legendary electronic producer Stuart Price.

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The Long List

Sabrina Carpenter – Tornado Warnings
Like most of the world right now, I’ve fallen in love with Sabrina Carpenter. During a delve into her discography, I instantly fell head-over-heels in love with this introspective pop ballad. Over gentle guitar strums, a marching beat and a pulsating bass line, Sabrina murmurs about lying to her therapist in a clever co-write with the brilliant Julia Michaels (and others). The track stems from a real life expereince of Sabrina being in a park with someone she shouldn’t have been, receiving a tornado warning and this acting as a moment of realisation for her. Simply beautiful and I adore it.

Young Gun Silver Fox – Rolling Back
Young Gun Silver Fox is a fantastic yacht rock duo comprised of British singer-songwriter Andy Platts and American multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee. I came across them due to them co-writing the brilliant Take That track ‘This Life’ and haven’t looked back since! This brilliant yacht rock/disco crossover feels part Hall & Oates, part Doobie Brothers and is absolute perfection with it’s heavenly harmonies, smooth vocals and slick production.

Dua Lipa – End of an Era
I love Dua’s latest quirky, spiritual and uplifting album ‘Radical Optimism’. This exuberant track opens the album perfectly with it’s summery vibes, bouncy percussion and pulsating bass lines. Sprinkled with the psychadelic influence of Tame Impala, due to Kevin Parker himself co-writing and producing it, this is fun, dreamy and utter pop perfection.

Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Billie’s new album is great and really shows her growth as an artist. Whilst her music can be a little hit and miss for me, this is my favourite song of hers since ‘My Future’. Packed with pop sensibilities, warm chords and an irresistable synth-guitar riff, the verses feature Billie’s trademark almost-whispered vocals before she wows with belting on the chorus. She’s never sounded better.

Jess Glynne – What Do You Do
Honestly? I can take or leave Jess Glynne. There are songs of hers I love. There are songs of hers that I don’t. This is a winner, however and I’m sad this hasn’t been a bigger hit. Co-produced by legendary electronic producer Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers, Kylie, Take That), this thumping house banger is immaculately produced and has a killer chorus!

Mk.gee – DNM
DNM apparently stands for “Dijon & Mike”, perhaps due to the fact that the song was co-produced between the two of them (Mk.gee and Dijon). I absolutely adore Mk.gee’s moody, rugged album ‘Two Star and the Dream Police’ and this is a highlight with it’s warm chords, recorded-in-the-kitchen-sounding beats and piano and it’s weird, off-kilter, Prince-like groove. Divine.

Will Heard – What Do You Do
Will Heard has been long underrated as an artist. A prolific songwriter and vocalist on various pop smashes over the past ten years, his solo music really holds its own. This smooth, soulful slow-jam feels a little Prince and D’Angelo in nature and I’m here for it!

David Archuleta & Willy Beaman – Afraid To Love (Euphoric Alternative Mix)
David Archuleta was of course a runner up contestant on American Idol many moons ago. He always had an angelic voice and has some great songs in his discography. This remix doesn’t stray too far from the original but adds some extra ‘oomph’ into the beat and elevates it to a new, euphoric level. Really love this!

Young Gun Silver Fox – Chances Are
This was relegated to a bonus track on Young Gun Silver Fox’s last album ‘Ticket to Shangri-La’ and I want to know why! Almost certainly borrowing songwriting and production elements from 10CC’s ‘I’m Not In Love’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Just The Way You Are’ with it’s soft-rock/bossa nova style, soft guitar strums and dreamy synths, it’s a stunning, romantic song with a beautiful laidback vibe.

Medium Build – Knowing You Exist
Nicholas Carpenter, aka Medium Build, is an American singer-songwriter. This beautiful, unfussy folk/country love song with it’s soft guitar strums and subtle strings is simply lovely.

Sabrina Carpenter – Already Over
Once again, the Sabrina Carpenter-Julia Michaels combination wins! Over a slick, bouncy backing track comprised of hand clap percussion and relaxing acoustic guitars, Sabrina’s gentle vocals sing of a relationship with someone where they know they should have stayed friends but haven’t fallen out of the routine of being lovers.

Len Blake – Like That
Vibey, chilled-house with murmered vocals and warm synths. Really love this!

Great Good Fine Ok – Breathing
I’ve long loved American synthpop duo Great Good Fine Ok. This chilled synthpop track feels very late 70’s/early 80’s with it’s organic percussion, moody chord progression, fun synth riffs and disco vibes.

Amelia – Time Alone
I really love this nu-disco banger! Irresistable pop melodies and Amelia’s gorgeous vocal tone glide efffortlessly over fun instrumentation with a funky bass line, glorious harmonies and giggling synthesisers. Perfection!

Justin Timberlake and Fireboy DML – Liar
Another highlight from JT’s new album which has received a mixed reception to say the least. Chilled vibes and syrupy sweet vocals on this R&B/Afrobeat crossover.

Beyoncé – Bodyguard
Really love this cheeky, flirty surf-rock/90’s country revival track from Beyoncé’s brilliant latest album. Produced by R&B king Raphael Saadiq, it’s country but still feels very Beyonce.

Shygirl and SG Lewis – mr useless
Euphoric, dizzying club smash Shygirl’s trademark sweet vocals over SG Lewis’s thumping electro beats and shimmering synthesisers. A winning combination!

Dua Lipa – These Walls
As is the case with most of ‘Radical Optimism’, ‘These Walls’ deals with realising a relationship is near the end. Over indiepop instrumentation with disorted bass, dizzy piano arpeggios, Dua perectly captures the energy of walking into a room and realising two people have been arguing.

Everything Everything – Enter The Mirror
Over tropical pop synths and a driving beat, ‘Enter The Mirror’ is an uplifting, affirmative track which serves as a personal pep talk. Really love the production and melodies on this.

Ojerime – I Know Now (2003)
This weird, chilled and moody downtempo track feels heavily inspired by late 90’s R&B and early 00’s Garage music. Late night vibes and I love it.

Yori – Jumping Jack Flash
This feels like The 1975 but drenched with a Pop-Country layer. Irresistably catchy and a great song.

Zayn – What I Am
Zayn has gone all Paolo Nutini on his latest album. I thought I’d be here for it and in many ways, it works but I do also miss his moody alt-R&B vibes. Still, kudos for having the guts to try something new. This organic, adult-comtemporary track is lovely with it’s warm guitar tones, low-in-the-mix strings and Zayn’s wonderful, at-times-raspy vocals.

Dua Lipa – Happy For You
Dua again, this time with a huge, anthemic stadium-pop track about moving on from a relationship. Opening with heavenly vocal samples and birds tweeting, it sets the scene perfectly before 90’s indie drum samples and defined piano chords launch in, eventually giving into a HUGE chorus. Really, really love this!

Leslie Odom Jr. – The Morning
A gorgeous, soulful acoustic-guitar driven track with smooth falsetto vocals and lovely, warm chords. Stunning.

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Extra keen and want to listen to these all back to back? Unlikely but in case you do, here’s the playlist, along with some extra tracks I haven’t discussed here: