Here we are on our sixth edition of Up and Becoming (time flies by doesn’t it?). Later than usual, this edition of Up and Becoming still contains some excellent tunes that have ben found on Spotify. In this week’s edition, I’ll be exploring songs from artists Bull, Half Gringa, Jany Green, and Freeda. Let’s see why you should be giving these a listen:
Bull
Green
The opening guitar riff of this tune reminds me partly of 70s rock, and partly of 90s happy-go-lucky rock tunes you’d expect to hear from a group like Sixpence None The Richer or The Primitives. This is a song that is memorable and feel-good to listen to. This is definitely a track I found myself bobbing my head along to, the vocals mixing very well with the easy-going atmosphere of the other instruments. The use of distortion in the lead up to the chorus sets apart that section from the rest of the song, almost suggesting a ‘snapping out’ of the pleasantness of the song and into a more potentially ‘harsh’ reality that always accompanies grass being greener on the other side. There is also the use of small sound effects which give me a New Radicals kind of vibe. Overall, this song is a great drive-along hit and I for one would be more than happy hearing more from Bull.
Half Gringa
1990
Quiet guitar welcomes us into this song, leading us with it’s rocky undertones to the vocal of Isabel Olive. There’s something that sounds very honest about Olive’s singing style – no severe modification or distortion, just her as she is, singing her truth – which to me shows her to be a proud and talented artist. The song itself is a mixture of different genres, but primarily alt-rock and midwestern-folk music, working together to create a tune which holds the upbeat energy of a live concert while maintaining the great quality of a studio recording. The chord progression is pleasant and not complex, making this song good to listen to at any time. The lyrics tell of quite the gripping tale regarding regret and relationship issues which are beautifully illustrated to us by Olive’s vocal. Overall, this is another drive-along tune I believe is both enjoyable when listening to casually as well as on a more analytical scale.
Jany Green
Little
A quite lo-fi quality beginning to the song instantly lets me know I’m in for a casual and relatively calm sounding song. The increase in volume and clarity of the track then proceeds to remind me that Jany Green intends to spread joy, and that this is gonna be a catchy track. The bass is simple yet has an undeniably funky feeling to it, and when accompanied by the drum and vocal of Green proves to be the soul of the song, helping to keep the song together. That’s not to say that the other features don’t do that also – Green’s vocal is energetic and simple, complementing the rest of the instrumentation excellently. This song, while short, maintains a quite optimistic atmosphere with it’s lyrics of wanting love as well as the odd magical sounding effect. I’m a big fan of the catchy and funky vibe of this song, and it’s definitely a favourite on this list.
Freeda
Let Me Down
The song fades in quite quickly, letting us dive right into its lively and excitable beat and giving us a taste of what’s in store. The vocals kick in and I’m reminded of powerful vocals like that of Imagine Dragons, but Freeda make this powerful vocal their own. There are definite influences from alternative rock, judging from the vocal style as well as the chord progression, and the addition of more electrical instruments make this song stand out from your standard rock track, allowing it to wedge its foot in the ‘pop’ door. The guitar work is something you want to dance along to most of the time, and when it gets calmer in the lead up to the final rousing chorus, it succeeds in building up the hype alongside the vocal. A brilliant pop-rock track that makes for excellent casual listening.
Summary
3/4 of these songs are fantastic tunes perfect for casual listening, having a bit of a dance, or even just as uplifting mood boosters. ‘Green’, ‘Little’ and ‘Let Me Down’ are all amazing radio hits that are undeniably great to groove along to, and mix traditional instrumentation with more modern electronic beats. ‘1990’ on the other hand is a great song in a completely different way. Obviously a track that stands out on this list, it’s much more heavily traditional than the other three tracks, keeping it almost ‘grounded’ in its serious nature while the others are more elevated and ‘in the clouds’ (none of which are bad things).
Personally, my favourite track has to be ‘Little’ by Jany Green. It’s just so addictive and lively that I want to dance along to it when I hear it.
Check out the other Up and Becoming articles here: http://gigmouths.co.uk/category/up-and-becoming/
Playlists:
Up And Becoming #6 playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37jr7hpyeAbh3uT2DNrFe6si=MCk5OPziQ4-tXk0h8PJ2vw
Up And Becoming Complete playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rmB0CbDw6kadB0hfgv3oc?si=-UpVbZ5bQW2PzT1JsV4O3w
