And would you look at that?! Another month, and I’m late again!
April was a good month.
I wasn’t sure on this set of songs for you all at first but, as I’ve listened to them again and written about them, I’ve realised I’ve loved them dearly and hope you’ll find some you do too.
Thanks for reading as always,
Marc.
The Essential 5
Ella Langley – Be Her
A brilliantly executed pop-country anthem packed with jangly guitars, slide guitar and southern charm.
Kid Bloom – How to Breathe
A dreamy, slow-burning indie-pop track with moody guitars and clever vocal effects.
Lucky Daye – Lemonade
A soulful and emotional R&B track with gorgeous melodies and a stunning chorus.
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway
A camp, ballroom-inspired pop banger bursting with 90s house energy.
Olivia Dean – A Couple Minutes
A timeless and heartbreaking soul-pop track with beautiful harmonies and classic songwriting.
The Long List
Ella Langley – Be Her
This is an absolutely delicious slice of country-pop with all of the usual hallmarks; jangly guitars, dreamy slide guitar and southern-drawl vocals. This is Country music disguised as Pop and it’s executed perfectly! Ella Langley might just be the best thing to happen to the pop-country scene since Shania Twain… give this a listen – you won’t be disappointed!
Filed Under: pop-country, southern pop, feel-good anthem
Kid Bloom – How to Breathe
I featured another Kid Bloom track here a while back and it led me to discovering this. I love the moody, distorted guitars and the melodies in the verses. The reverberating effect on the vocals during the ‘How can you breathe underwater?’ section to mimic ripples in the water is pure genius. A slow burner. The switch-up is funky too.
Filed Under: indie-rock, dreamy alt-pop, slow burner
Lucky Daye – Lemonade
I used to love Lucky Daye when I first discovered him back in 2018. For some reason, I forgot about him and only recently returned to his music. I instantly fell in love with this mellow, earnest R&B track from his last album, Algorithm, seemingly about missing an old relationship and overcoming tough times. The guitar riff is lovely, and the melodies in the bridge to the chorus during ‘I’ve been thinking with my heart, living in the dark, can you tell me who we are, it’s tearing me apart, think I need a restart, skip this part’ are gorgeous and build beautifully to the song’s emotive, powerful and stunning chorus. It’s a triumph of a song and I adore it. Also worth noting the ‘Ba-ba-da-ba-ba-da-da-ba-ba-ba-da-ba’ Seal-like vocals towards the end.
Filed Under: alt-R&B, soulful heartbreak, late-night vibes
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway
Apparently these two have received a lot of flack for this. I, however, LOVE it! A track from the new Devil Wears Prada film, it’s the perfect blend of 90s house, camp and ballroom, which fits the film and Gaga perfectly! Doechii and Gaga are brilliant in their own right and are a great fit for each other with their affirmative raps and Gaga’s powerful belting on the ‘Turn it up, turn around’ backing vocals. A smash of a song!
Filed Under: ballroom-pop, camp banger, 90s house
Olivia Dean – A Couple Minutes
I somehow brushed over this when listening to Olivia’s album upon its release but fell in love with it after brushing up on her music before seeing her live. Sampling ‘We Had True Love’ by Hot Chocolate, this song feels utterly timeless and classic. It’s just absolutely gorgeous, from its heartbreaking lyrics about briefly reconnecting with an ex-partner to the way the guitar riff drives the song perfectly. The background vocals and harmonies are the best part. Gorgeous.
Filed Under: soulful pop, heartbreak ballad, timeless groove
Charlie Puth – Washed Up
Another highlight from Charlie’s brilliant album Whatever’s Clever, ‘Washed Up’ is a mellow yet uplifting yacht-rock influenced track about reassuring someone that even when they’re not at their best, you’ll be there for them. It’s comprised of a funky bassline, gentle acoustic guitar strums and breezy brass flourishes.
Filed Under: yacht rock, mellow pop, breezy grooves
Disclosure – The Sun Comes Up Tremendous
A bit of a departure from Disclosure’s usual sound on first listen. Mellow keyboard tones, skittering beats and monotone, heavily autotuned vocals from Howard, paired with stunning sweeping strings, lull you into a false sense of confusion before the drop hits around halfway through, launching the song into their usual territory – electrifying electropop. I love how the song plays with various sounds, vocoded vocals and chord inversions in its final minute. Listening to this to start your day is perfect.
Filed Under: electronic journey, progressive dance, sunrise soundtrack
Marc Jordan – MARGARITA
I came across this track through someone’s Instagram stories and immediately added it to my Spotify library. If it’s not clear by now, I adore yacht rock as a genre, and this song fits perfectly into that category. With a funky bassline, warm guitar hues and an excellent chorus, this 1983 track by Canadian singer-songwriter Marc Jordan is pure excellence.
Filed Under: yacht rock, smooth grooves, soft-rock classic
Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead
I don’t usually care for Olivia’s music (sorry) but this is an absolute smash for me! I love its synth-pop vibes, the way the song builds to its huge anthemic chorus, the song’s 80s electropop influences and the rapped second verse. It does remind me hugely of ‘Hot To Go!’ by Chappell Roan (in a good way), which would make sense as they share a co-writer and producer. Brilliant pop, this!
Filed Under: synth-pop, pop banger, 80s-inspired
Chromeo and Amber Mark – Just Friends
Nu-disco is alive and well! Chromeo always bring the funk and Amber Mark always brings the bops. They are a perfect match on this vibey and funky nu-disco track, complete with groovy basslines, slick beats and an infectious chorus. Great fun!
Filed Under: nu-disco, funky pop, dancefloor vibes
Brandy – Sittin’ Up in My Room
Written by one of my favourite songwriters of all time, Babyface, this 90s R&B jam appeared on the soundtrack to 1995’s Waiting to Exhale starring none other than Whitney Houston. This song pops in and out of my life every few years – I always forget it exists, hear it somewhere, Shazam it and find I already have it saved in my library! I love 90s R&B and this is the perfect example, with its punchy beat, mellow keys and slap bass. Brilliant!
Filed Under: 90s R&B, nostalgic groove, soulful classic
Cody Simpson – Baby Blue
What an absolute bop this song is! Utilising indie-pop with hints of 80s electropop, Australian singer-songwriter Cody Simpson shines on this sun-drenched, end-of-movie-credits-friendly anthem. Pure joy!
Filed Under: indie-pop, sunshine pop, feel-good bop
Raye and Al Green – Goodbye Henry
My favourite track on Raye’s ambitious (and arguably slightly bloated and pretentious) sophomore album This Music May Contain Hope. This song keeps it simple, opting for a soulful Motown vibe and detailing the love story of Raye and an ex – ‘Henry’ (not his real name, as confirmed in the lyrics) – with a little help from iconic soul singer Al Green. It’s breezy, fun and uplifting with lovely instrumentation and harmonies. I love the song’s outro and the chord choices with the brass. Classy and pure!
Filed Under: soulful pop, Motown-inspired, classy groove
Lucky Daye – Algorithm
Another brilliant R&B track from Lucky Daye’s same-titled album. This track has a great punchy drive with distorted guitars and his syrupy vocals. Love the chorus on this and the way it shifts and morphs into an almost completely different track with heavily pitch-modified vocals.
Filed Under: alternative R&B, glitchy soul, moody groove
Bruno Mars – God Was Showing Off When He Made You
Well, what can I say? This is quintessential Bruno Mars. Smooth, soulful and utterly romantic, whilst also heavily influenced by music from years gone by – this time opting for a soulful Motown sound. It’s nothing new for Bruno but still lovely.
Filed Under: soulful pop, Motown throwback, romantic slow jam
Ella Langley – Dandelion
Another ace song from American country singer Ella Langley. Over organic, guitar-driven instrumentation, she describes her free spirit, her wild side and her desire to be unique whilst emphasising her connection to her country roots. A gorgeous song, this.
Filed Under: country-pop, free-spirited anthem, guitar-driven
Zayn – Side Effects
My favourite track off Zayn’s new album. I’m always slightly disappointed by each of his albums as a whole (Mind of Mine aside…) but always find a handful of tracks I like. On Konnakol, he returns to his R&B roots after dabbling in soft-rock and country. R&B suits him better but his songs can blur into one. That said, ‘Side Effects’ is a triumph and feels like a return to his brooding, moody alt-R&B roots with glitchy effects, utilising his stunning falsetto vocals and featuring a brilliant chorus. Possibly his best song in years and crying out to be released as a single!
Filed Under: alt-R&B, moody pop, brooding late-night vibes
Olivia Dean – Let Alone The One You Love
Yes, Olivia again! She was incredible live. This is another song with a classic, timeless feel and showcases her warm, comforting vocals over soul-inspired instrumentation. Organic, pure, heartfelt and simply beautiful. She is such a talent. I love the descending chord progression in the chorus and the song’s repetitive motif.
Filed Under: soulful ballad, timeless pop, heartfelt songwriting
Olivia Dean – Baby Steps
I’ve loved this for a while but had a new appreciation for it after hearing her perform it live. It sounded even better in a live venue with its moody, driving verses and irresistibly catchy ‘b-b-b-baby steps’ hook in the chorus. I didn’t quite realise how dancey this one is until experiencing it live. A vibe!
Filed Under: indie-pop, dance-pop groove, live favourite
Olivia Dean – Carmen
I fell in love with this after brushing up on her discography, then fell even more in love with it upon learning that it was written about her grandmother, who moved to the UK at 18. It’s a celebration of culture, the Windrush generation and the Caribbean community. It blends an emotive pop-R&B backing track with steel pans in homage to the Caribbean community. A very special song.
Filed Under: soulful storytelling, cultural tribute, emotive R&B
Olivia Dean – Messy
This is gorgeous. I find Olivia’s music tends to fall into two camps: soulful, uplifting pop or moody, introspective indie-pop. This falls into the latter. Over brooding piano chords and bongo-like percussion, this song conveys the important message that it’s okay to be messy and not have everything under control all of the time.
Filed Under: introspective indie-pop, moody soul, emotional honesty
Olivia Dean – Getting There (Interlude)
I love an interlude on an album. When used well, they are the perfect bridge between two tracks. ‘Getting There’ is dreamy and utterly beautiful, showcasing Olivia’s gorgeous harmonies and vocals perfectly before building into a funky piano jam.
Filed Under: dreamy interlude, soulful harmonies, piano jam
Bruce Springsteen – Tunnel of Love
Heard this in the car a while back and forgot what a great song this is! Love the chord progression, the song’s metaphorical lyrics, the percussion and the synthesisers. A great track.
Filed Under: heartland rock, reflective songwriting, 80s classic
The complete playlsit can be found here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28VBLKf83wKMYexLAZs6mv?si=b82c16d093b44460
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