It may have taken nearly 2 months to get this out, but Up and Becoming finally has its 10th edition. In this post I talk about some fab tunes from: Riviera, The Hanging Stars, Green Seagull and Native Harrow. As always, a link to all the songs is at the bottom of the post along with a collective playlist of all the Up and Becoming tracks. Lets get to it:
Riviera:
This Feeling – This is no-nonsense, unapologetic indie rock. They’ve taken the confident swagger of an Oasis track and strengthened it with a full, thumping backbone that feels ripped from a 90’s heavy rock song. There is brilliant energy to this track that nether withers. It perfectly fuses aggression and playfulness into its sound which means it would be an absolute blast when played live.
The Q – Within the first 30 seconds of the song, it takes you back to the indie revolution of the 90’s with its classically nostalgic guitar riff. Similar to ‘This Feeling’, the track has a direct performance from the band that stamps down authority. There is a repeating bridge section just before each chorus that gives just enough room for the song to breath. This also allows for energy to build before the inevitable release of the chorus. A track like this could easily be mistaken for a hidden gem of the early 2000’s.
The Hanging Stars:
Heavy Blue – This track features a vintage 70’s country and folk instrumentation with a more modern lyrical delivery. There are however, some beautifully serene harmonies that are as classic as the era the band are taking inspiration from. The sound reminds me of some of George Harrisons solo work or that of The Byrds. Much like the bands albums covers, this song takes you back to a different era.
Green Seagull:
Made To Be Loved – This song incorporates so many fantastic genres to create a blend that sounds great from so many different angles. There’s hints of psychedelia, disco, folk and even some jazz-esc instrumentation to this track. Amazingly, it doesn’t sound jumbled or clustered but incredibly mellow and clean. The continuous guitar riff sounds as fresh and it does recognisable which makes the song feel almost familiar, yet distinguishable. The chorus line changes the songs pacing which adds brilliant depth. The resulting track is fun, addictive and complex.
Aerosol – This song reminds me very heavily of The Zombies, especially on the album ‘Odessey and Oracle’. This is a less common side of the 60’s that is explored and I am incredibly happy and impressed that this band have chosen to use it as inspiration. There is once again a lot of different sounds and instruments at play here that fleshes out the song and keeps the listener interested. Overall, what’s created is a is a colourful, relaxing, psychedelic rock track.
Native Harrow:
Shake – What’s first noticeable with this song is how well the ghostly soft vocals blend so delicately with the gentle guitar and synth. There is also a sharper, harsher, guitar riff which creeps into the song at points to make the listen slightly unsettling, but it benefits from it. There’s a similar vibe to The Mamas and The Papas here with the contrasting emotions created by the song.
Summary:
With these 6 tracks, the full up and becoming playlist has now reached 50 songs with over 2 and a half hours of brilliant music. The songs features in this post add further variety with inspirations from the 60’s,70’s and 90’s. Personally, I think my favourite this time is Green Seagull’s Made To Be Loved. There is just so much going on in that track, and to have it all work so elegantly is a marvel. Take a listen to all the tracks from this week using the links below and decide for yourself:
Link to “Up and Becoming #10” Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bAATX8PGtnAZYLoGm1PbP?si=6b0fda4c399f4c69
Link to full “Up and Becoming” Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rmB0CbDw6kadB0hfgv3oc?si=resJs19nR7WAWMqEcndm7Q
