Hello again!
I feel like it’s been two seconds since I last did this, but here we are again.
I’m very fond of this selection of songs and hope you enjoy them too.
Thanks for visiting, as always,
Marc
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The Essential 5
Charlie Puth ft Ravyn Lenae – New Jersey
A polished, 80s-inspired pop bop with bouncy bass, warm keys and silky vocals from both Charlie and Ravyn Lenae.
Leven Kali – Sleepwalking
A dreamy, groovy late-night R&B gem full of funky guitars, slap bass and irresistible vibes.
Niall Horan – The Dinner Party
A warm, romantic indie-pop belter with layered guitars, dreamy melodies and Niall sounding better than ever.
Holly Humberstone – Cruel World
A cinematic, emotional return from Holly, packed with hooky melodies, slick percussion and a gorgeous chorus.
Kenny Whitmire – I Gave Her The Moon
A gorgeous, introspective country ballad with soft acoustic strums, wistful slide guitar and a yearning vocal.
The Long List
Charlie Puth ft Ravyn Lenae – New Jersey
Whilst I’ve seen fan reaction to the album has been mixed, personally it’s everything I hoped for and his best since the brilliant Voicenotes – a perfect blend of 80s-inspired pop, yacht rock and jazzy easy listening.
‘New Jersey’ is without a doubt my favourite on the record, with its bouncy bassline, squeaky synths, warm keys and polished Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-inspired production. Whilst the lyrics could be stronger, the musicality and execution more than make up for it, with stacked, honeyed harmonies. Charlie’s usual smooth vocals, paired with Ravyn Lenae’s airy, silky tone, are a perfect match. An absolute bop – I love it so much! I just wish it was longer!!
Filed Under: 80s-inspired pop, yacht rock, polished production
Leven Kali – Sleepwalking
I’ve long loved Leven Kali’s soulful R&B sound but somehow neglected him for a couple of years. I recently came across this funky R&B masterpiece and am in love! Full of funky rhythm guitars, slap bass and psychedelically produced vocals, it’s dreamy, groovy and simply irresistible. Perfect late-night R&B!
Filed Under: funky R&B, late-night vibes, dreamy groove
Niall Horan – Dinner Party
I feel like Niall’s music just keeps getting better. He’s now so confident in his sound and it really shows on this absolute belter of a song. With wistful, layered indie rock guitars and radio-friendly melodies, it’s romantic, warm and dreamy, with Niall sounding brilliant. I absolutely adore this.
Filed Under: indie pop rock, warm melodies, romantic
Holly Humberstone – Cruel World
I’ve long loved Holly Humberstone and am so glad she’s back. This is quintessentially her; full of hooky, murmured melodies, almost Fleetwood Mac-like pop sensibilities, slick percussion and something quite emotional and cinematic. I love the chorus, with its flickering synth replies to the “It’s a cruel world without you, baby” lyrics. Gorgeous!
Filed Under: indie pop, cinematic, emotional
Kenny Whitmire – I Gave Her The Moon
I don’t listen to or share country music enough on here, to be honest. I came across this absolutely gorgeous song via Charlie Puth. He discovered it online and decided to have a go at producing his own version, which ultimately led to Kenny blowing up and possibly being able to record it professionally.
This version isn’t too dissimilar to Charlie’s interpretation, albeit retaining the original chords rather than his slightly jazzier twists. Lyrically introspective and romantic, with a lovely yearning vocal delivery, it’s classic country – soft acoustic strums, wistful slide guitars and live instrumentation. Absolutely gorgeous!
Filed Under: country, introspective, acoustic
Hotel Apache – All The Days
If you’ve been reading these for a while, you’ll know how much I love Hotel Apache! They’re an indie-pop trio based in California, making huge bedroom pop bangers with echoes of 80s synthpop and hints of The 1975.
‘All The Days’ is another belter from them, full of pulsating basslines, a driving drum beat, a wailing electric guitar solo and reverberating vocals. It’s brilliant as always and utterly irresistible pop!
Filed Under: indie pop, synthpop, bedroom pop
Milky & Mall Grab – Just The Way You Are
I love that this sunny early-2000s dance-pop classic has had a resurgence. Mall Grab’s update breathes new life into the original, replacing the breezy acoustic guitar sample of ‘Streets of Your Town’ by The Go-Betweens with 90s house-inspired piano stabs and a fresh house beat.
It’s just as good as the original with full of feel-good vibes and still retaining that irresistibly catchy (slightly off-key) “Do-do-do…” hook. Lots of fun, this.
Filed Under: house, 90s revival, feel-good
Leon Thomas – My Muse
I love Leon Thomas’s nostalgic, soulful sound. The instrumentation here is slightly reminiscent of Wham’s ‘Everything She Wants’, with dramatic string flourishes, staccato piano riffs and retro-leaning, classic production. A real win!
Filed Under: soulful pop, retro, lush production
Simply Red – Fairground
I’m sure this appears on this blog regularly… ah well, it’s back again! ‘Fairground’ is one of my favourite tracks of all time, but I have to be in the mood for it. It came on when I was driving home in the dark the other day and it really hit.
I’ve always loved the song’s slightly eerie, haunting verses over the Brazilian drum work before the euphoric chorus kicks in. It’s just a brilliant track and, whilst very much of its time, still feels universal and timeless.
Filed Under: classic pop, atmospheric, timeless
Oh Wonder – Oceansize
I love Oh Wonder’s soft, mellow and dreamy sound. This gorgeous, minimalistic track, comprised of little more than a gentle drum pattern, delicate piano chords and the duo’s smooth vocals, was recorded and released during the pandemic. Hugely comforting and beautiful.
Filed Under: minimal pop, dreamy, calming
Madison Beer – Angel Wings
This is a brilliant pop track with a throwback 90s R&B sound. I love how the intro and outro flip the track’s feel, shifting the key and overall tone. It’s got a great groove, polished production and twinkly keys, paired with dark, bittersweet lyrics.
Filed Under: 90s R&B, polished pop, bittersweet
Frou Frou – Breathe In
Spotify delivered this little indie-pop gem to me and I really love it. The poppy groove, electronic production and Imogen Heap’s airy, slightly yodel-like voice are just gorgeous.
It’s a song which explores a toxic relationship, comparing it to addiction.
Really love this.
Filed Under: indie pop, electronic, emotional
Charli XCX – Seeing Things
I think Charli XCX’s soundtrack to Wuthering Heights is excellent. The baroque-pop/electronic fusion across the project is brilliant, and ‘Seeing Things’ is a standout, capturing the moment Cathy’s ghost appears. Haunting and beautiful.
Filed Under: baroque pop, cinematic, experimental
LANY – When Did You Stop Loving Me?
This is quintessential LANY – a dramatic, warm pop ballad with polished production, electronic elements and Paul Klein’s signature vocal delivery.
Whilst rooted in 80s synth-pop, it also has subtle country influences in the lyrics and guitar work. A beautiful ballad.
Filed Under: synth pop, ballad, emotional
Toni Braxton – Midnite
I got up to date with Toni Braxton’s catalogue this winter and found some gems along the way. Her rich tone and emotive delivery shine here on this shuffling, slickly produced mid-tempo R&B track from Libra.
Produced by Soulshock & Karlin, it explores suspicion and emotion around infidelity. Smooth and understated.
Filed Under: R&B, smooth, mid-tempo
Kehlani – Folded
Another smooth R&B track, this time from Kehlani. ‘Folded’ is vulnerable and introspective, delivered with her signature silky vocals.
It flips the typical bitter break-up narrative into something more resolved — a quiet acceptance:
“So can you come pick up your clothes?
I have them folded…”
The production is minimal, reminiscent of early-2000s R&B with soft beats and a nostalgic guitar sample. Lovely stuff.
Filed Under: R&B, minimal, introspective
Joe Jonas – Heart By Heart
This is a brilliant pop ballad channeling 80s aesthetics in its reverberating drums, jangling guitars and soft synths. It’s emotive but never drags; the drums keep it moving.
A co-write with Lewis Capaldi – you can definitely hear it in the melody and lyrics. A great, great song!
Filed Under: 80s pop, ballad, anthemic
Christian Kuria & Cautious Clay – Undecided
I’ve long loved Cautious Clay’s raspy vocals and late-night vibe. On ‘Undecided’, he teams up with Christian Kuria for a dreamy, mellow R&B track.
Warm, cinematic and effortlessly cool.
Filed Under: R&B, late-night, mellow
Mika – All The Same
Mika’s latest album is pretty great, though not quite up to his debut. A lot of it leans into electronica, including ‘All The Same’, with pitch-shifted samples, dance-pop beats, vocoder effects and trance-like synths.
It feels a little Kylie circa 2001 instrumentally, but still unmistakably Mika in execution. Good fun!
Filed Under: dance pop, electronica, playful
Nick Jonas – Sweet To Me
The opening track to Sunday Best, this has a slight John Mayer circa 2014 feel (it’s a little reminiscent of ‘Queen of California’…).
With soft acoustic strums and rich piano chords, ‘Sweet To Me’ reframes his diabetes story with a more positive lens. It’s uplifting, warm and finished beautifully with a gospel choir.
Filed Under: acoustic pop, uplifting, soulful
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