If you are wise, and you probably are but you might not know it, then you will of course be following musical empressario Steve Anderson (@MrSteveAnderson) on twitter. He is probably best known for working alongside Dame Kylie of Minogue and Lords West of Life on their music & phenomenal tours. He also, of course, works with my beloved Elouise as well as other upcoming artists - and his twitter feed is a veritable cornucopia for discovering quality new pop. Here are my takes on some of his most recent recommendations to kick start your week...
Kristina Train ~ You're Still Going To Lose:
There is something incredibly honest and heartfelt about You're Still Going To Lose by Kristina Train. It's not just one element of the song & performance either, it's a combination of a beautifully produced, stunningly sung tune. Set to a classic sounding instrumental that matches warming strings, a shuffling beat and elegant, flowing piano, Kristina pours devastating emotion into her delivery that brings the lyrics to life. It's also a very nuanced vocal performance as she seems to become one with the music, breathing and flowing through it's crescendo of melancholy, love, sentiment and passion. Her voice really is timeless and she's found in You're Still Going To Lose the song that acts the perfect stage for a seamless symbiosis. It's just one of those rare musical pieces of art that will still sound as utterly compelling in 50 years time, alongside such luminary artists like Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter. Consider me entirely captivated and totally smitten. Heavenly and heartbreaking.
Lauren Green ~ Love by Design:
The launch of Lauren Green as a bonafide pop sensation is still in it's infancy, so here is your opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Join the party early as it were. A clip of a track from her upcoming album was posted online this weekend and what a corker it is. Love By Design is a massive, percussive, electro-goth pop production - it's big and booming, yet Lauren's powerful, yet seductive vocals remain front and centre attraction. Her voice acts as the song's anchor, weaving together the narrative flow with the instrumental to create a magical musical alchemy. As sure as Lauren getting the blokey of her dreams in Love By Design is the fact that as you listen to the song you feel like you're being let in on something special. Lauren has provided the pop world with something that seems contemporary & modern, yet has a reverence & respect for what has come to pass already. And all this just from a one minute clip. I can't wait to see what happens next...
Maiday ~ Breathe:
Prepare yourself for this one, as you will go through an entire gamut of emotions while watching the video for the stark, heartbreaking candour of Maiday's "Breathe". The first 1m25s see the end of and aftermath of a breakup, setting the scene for a musical catharsis of everything the singer is feeling. Initially, it's almost painful to watch and listen to, almost like you are intruding on someone's most private moments. However, as her tremulent, fragile voice takes you through the first steps of recovery (accompanied by an almost returning-to-life heartbeat drum) and matches the music in becoming a little stronger, a little more hopeful, you are irrevocably swept up in her poetry. It's a lesson to us all that even in the darkest moments, there is light & letting the world in on your pain will help you overcome. So earnestly performed, every millisecond of the song and accompanying video is perfectly pitched. It's no wonder Mr Anderson feels it is his song of the year...
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