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Endearing voice cracks, charming stage presence and even paracetamol! Mckenna’s last UK tour show was one to remember at Bournemouth’s 02 Academy. The 25-year-old glam-rock star and his guitar playfully commanded the entire room with his elegant vocals and groovy style.
The intimate venue was full to the brim with adoring fans, providing an incredible atmosphere. There were more mullets in that one room than at a private school rugby match.
The evening started with energetic support act Wunderhorse, an English indie and psychedelic rock band who were a formidable force looking to excite. Despite the lead singer, Jacob Slater, slightly losing his voice, I thought the band’s heavy guitars, raw vocals and moody demeaner was certainly impressive.
After nearly two hours of waiting, Declan took to the stage with his sparkling acoustic guitar and quirky two-piece suit and silk shirt combo. Mckenna switched up the setlist for the final UK show of the What Happened to the Beach? tour, bringing Why Do You Feel So Down and new single Mullholland’s Dinner and Wine, to the front leg which of course kicked the show off excellently.
Then as expected, Mckenna followed with a plethora of new album tracks which were a lot more experimental than his first two projects. Although some of the slower numbers fell a little flat, generally the tracks were exceptionally executed and thrilling for fans to hear live for the first time.
The sound-system in the 02 academy was surprisingly very high quality, allowing McKenna’s raw vocals, note changes and elegant melodies to shine. Both Beautiful Faces and The Key to Life on Earth from his previous album, Zero’s, sounded almost magical and full of Bowie overtones highlighting the indie-rock star’s versality.
Then came the recognisable guitar rift of fan favourite Brazil that had the entire room jumping. Pure Euphoria filled the crowd as groups surrounding me grabbed a hold of each other to scream the lyrics together.
And of course, it’s not a concert without an encore, and fans were treated Paracetamol (a tour debut) sending fans into a spiral of joy. Although, it was swapped for Listen to Your Friends a great hit I wish I could have experienced live.
The final song, British Bombs was met with perhaps the best reaction of the night with fans bringing everything to the fast-paced, rowdy, and animated track. Whilst some may call it unnecessary, the mosh pit felt oddly fitting, summarising the energy of the whole gig.
With this being Mckenna’s 17th consecutive show, this tour can only be described as a well-oiled machine, in terms of his superb band, incredible live melodies and commanding stage presence.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please leave a comment and God bless the weatherman!
JoeJas’ bold new track conveys flair and originality with its distinctive and artistic cloud-rap style.Once again, JoeJas is bringing a fresh sound to the hip-hop genre.
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‘WTF’ is JoeJas’ first single release since his 2022 album, ‘Gaps & Normads’. This track, despite being equally as experimental, feels more authoritative with fresh dynamic lyrics to match.
JoeJas described the new song as “a scream for all the people doing things their own way, wanting to make it work no matter what”.
The track begins with a striking beat that immediately grabs the listeners attention with harsh drums and strong vocals. JoeJas used instrumental inspiration from early 2000’s R&B groove from artists such as The Neptunes and Timberland with an imaginative Tyler the Creator-like flow.
The multi-talented artist not only rapped this song, but he also produced it along with shooting and editing the music video, adding his own distinct and colourful videography style.
‘WTF’ is one of those songs that makes you want to grab your friends and simply just jump. It’s a song that without doubt requires full volume if played on the aux.
The record has already impressed fans, as well as getting praised by perhaps the internet’s toughest music critic, Anothony Fantano himself! The infamous reviewer said: “It’s got this very wild eccentric, early 2000’s, odd future-esque kind of vibe to it but not so edgy that it makes you wince. I’ve been liking it quite a bit. Solid single all round.” From the man who called Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy “overrated” and “super weak” – that is quite the statement.
So, make sure you check it out if you haven’t already!
It was certainly a night to remember for one artist in particular, of course I’m talking about the unbelievably talented Raye! The singer songwriter won a record-breaking total of six BRIT’s last night, including the coveted ‘Album of the year award’ for her debut album, ‘My 21st Century Blues’. Raye then silenced anyone calling her undeserving with an incredible medley performance that was undoubtably the best of the night.
The history making singer began with emotive ballad ‘Ice Cream man’, a brave song choice as it follows her experience with sexual assault coming from someone in the music industry and how that affected her. The beat then picked up as she went into ‘Prada’, a song mixed from her verse on DBE’s ‘Ferrari Horses’ before ending with fan favourite ‘Escapism’, accompanied by London based choir, Flames Collective.
This year, the Brits finally recognised the UK’s love of dance music. Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware they love to showcase dance pop acts such as Dua Lipa but it was nice to see performances representing the Uk’s fastest growing genre, drum and bass, with legendary duo Chase and Status bringing the rave to the stage. The DJ duo that won ‘Producer of the year’ award performed alongside Becky Hill who delivered a flawless vocals to their single ‘Disconnect’. In their winning speech, the pair said: “tonight we are proud to represent drum and bass music, thank you so much”.
However, it didn’t stop there with electronic music collective Jungle performing their hit song ‘Back on 74’ which included a breath-taking dance sequence as well as the ‘Best Dance Act’, Calvin Harris, also performing live with Ellie Goulding to sing ‘Miracle’.
And how could we forget the queen that is Kylie! She seemed like the real celebrity amongst celebrities with all the nominees up singing every word during her show. The iconic singer was unsurprisingly the subject of almost every between-award interview producing some hilarious moments. The lucky host, Roman Kemp, managed to get himself a ‘kiss’ off the Australian star before downing a shoey together – bizarre yet weirdly iconic.
Although, one of the best and most heartfelt moments of the whole show was the interaction between Raye and host Clara Amfo. The host and former radio presenter awarded Raye with ‘Songwriter of the year’ telling viewers that she was Raye’s first ever radio play a whole decade ago. The two women embraced which was so genuine to watch, highlighting how far both of them had come to get to that moment. To me, this really highlights the importance of having hosts who have also made their way up through the music industry and media world, because it doesn’t get better than that. I found this Tweet made by celebrity interviewer, Simon Harkness, and I couldn’t agree more.
Please let me know what you thought of the awards show, hopefully next year I will be there reporting myself!
The one-man-indie-band that goes by the name of ‘The O.O’, delivers a beautifully written, upbeat and well-produced record.
With this charismatic acoustic song, the indie singer-songwriter from the Isle of Wight takes you straight to the seaside on a summer’s day, toes in the sand and guitar in hand. The O.O also known as Ollie, channels his inner Luke Pritchard with his vocals and melody reminding me of The Kooks’ old material.
The song titled, Sometimes, follows the artists pursuit of a new co-worker that he felt an instant connection with. Despite her having a boyfriend, the two of them would share occasional moments and often catch each other’s eye, leaving the artist hopeful yet confused.
The 4-minute track explodes with colour as Ollie’s soothing raw vocals take centre stage commanding the listener to join him on the heartfelt musical journey. The authentic and unpolished style is inspired by the iconic British indie bands of the 2000s such as the Arctic Monkeys, the Fratellis and the Libertines. The young singer loved the truth in their early albums, he added: “They were just making music that they loved and having a great time without worrying about what anyone thought”.
Interestingly, it was his challenging early school years that led The O.O to fall in love with music, as he was often removed from lessons for ‘disruptive behaviour’; instead, his headteacher taught him how to play instruments, lighting the spark to his passion for music.
The talented solo artist wrote and recorded the song using his home studio equipment, he shared: “It’s very simple and basic really, but for me if I overcomplicate it, the songs end up getting messy, whereas when I keep it simple I end up getting the sounds I want for my music”.
The O.O has big plans for this year, hoping to release some more singles including creative music videos as well as a new album. In the next few years, he wants to be gigging as much as he can, he said: “I just have such a passion for music and want to keep creating and sharing with everyone!”
So if you haven’t already, give it a listen, comment your thoughts and please share any other underrated UK artists!
Record-breaking RAYE dominates with seven well-deserved nominations!
The talented R&B singer-songwriter has made Brit award history after becoming the first ever artist to score seven nominations in one year, as the Brit Award Voting Academy reward her incredible year after a tough decade under major record label.
After getting a lot of backlash from the lack of female representation in last year’s categories, this year’s nominations are a very different story with strong with solo women or all-female groups making up more than half of the overall nominees! This is a definitely a better look that last year.
RAYE’s nominations came in all the noteworthy categories with nods for best artist, song of the year as well as best pop and R&B artist. However, it wasn’t always this easy for Raye, these nominations followed a tough earlier career for the singer as she spent years being made to feature on songs she disliked and was unable to release her own written albums after signing to record label Polydor at just aged 17.
The 26-year-old singer from south London is getting a lot of love right now with mainstream media outlets such as the Telegraph naming her “The most exciting singer since Amy Winehouse,” and aside from perhaps Adele, I struggle to disagree with that statement as Raye has continued to go from strength to strength since the release of her self-written songs. After seeing Raye live at Boardmasters festival last year, I cannot stress how talented she really is as despite poor weather and a pretty rubbish daytime slot, she still managed to command the crowd creating an incredible listening experience with a live band and remarkable vocals.
The record breaker uploaded a heart-warming video on social media sharing the moment she found out about the awards. In the video RAYE goes from laughter and disbelief to tears in a matter of seconds she said: “SEVEN nominations, are you okay? Shut up. Wow. This is deep. Seven nominations? That’s crazy”.
She also was one of five nominees in the coveted best album category with, My 21st Century Blues, an ambitious and exciting collection of songs that took listeners on an empowering yet emotional journey. The category is well-represented by a range of genres from indie with Blur’s Ballad of Darren to UK rap heavyweight, J Hus with Beautiful and Brutal Yard. Little Simz’s vulnerable and experimental NO THANK YOU is also nominated, the album explores her mental health and highlights her anger towards the music industry. The final nominee for best album is Scottish group Young Fathers with Heavy Heavy and despite the misleading title the album has a refreshingly light and joyous sound to it. I think it will be a difficult choice for the BRIT academy but for me it must be between RAYE and Blur for the win.
The Dance Act category brought some familiar faces with Calvin Harris, Fred Again.. and Becky Hill. Barry Can’t Swim is also amongst these famous faces having had a huge year playing his jazz-infused groovy samples across the world this summer. The final nominee was Romy, one third if The xx, which is a great choice as her solo album Mid Air was one of the best complete electronic albums of the year.
British rap was well-represented in all the big categories with another big year for Central Cee and Dave with their collaboration project Split decision leaving both the London boys with multiple nominations. As well as J Hus whose comeback after 3 years has produced him with 4 nominations.
An exciting but shocking nominee was jazz drummer and composer Yussef Dayes, who was nominated for best new artist and best alternative artist. A jazz nominee is a very rare yet pleasant surprise and I’m glad that the BRIT academy jury are not just looking at mainstream music and are appreciating an underrated and extremely talented jazz performer. I hope this continues in the next few years especially in the new artist categories.
There you have it! For once I’m not overly upset at one of my favourite artists being unfairly snubbed. I think the nominations well-represent the incredible year of British music in 2023. Please share your thoughts and if you agree.
As the year is coming to a close, it’s a great time to recap on the best albums of 2023!
These are the albums I couldn’t turn off, the albums with few skips, the albums that I will remember in 5 years time. In all honesty, I found it quite difficult to pick a top ten as there were few albums that came to mind straight away. A lot of my favourite albums came from overseas, for example: SZA’s SOS, Boygenius’ The Record, Noah Kahan’s Stick Season and even Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here. Moreover, most of Britain’s big names (The Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles, The 1975, Stormzy and Fred Again..) released their albums last year, making room for exciting new breakthrough artists to make a name for themselves this year. But of course, we have some old favourites returning.
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10. Chase and Status – 2 RUFF, Vol 1
Unlike the other entries coming up on this list, this album is simply something I could not overlook in terms of the singles it produced. Baddadan, Liquor and Cigarettes, and Tough Talk – Chase and Status are unstoppable. The duo are veterans of the drum and bass scene and have been for quite some time, but this album proves that they are still at the top of their game! The D&B King’s collaborated with next generation producers to form an energetic and well-mixed album straight out of a 90s rave.
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9. Barry Can’t swim – When Will We Land
Barry’s much-awaited debut album is quirky and colourful and really scratches an itch in my brain in a way that not many other albums this year have. The Scottish-born DJ blends a variety of dance music sub-genres with gospel and jazz samples to create an emotive, high-energy and well-produced project. The album flows seamlessly and works well collectively but the standout tracks for me are Sonder, How It Feels and Dance of the Crab. I truly cannot wait to hear these tracks be performed live in 2024.
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8. Bakar – Halo
Somehow, Bakar is still one of the most underrated UK talents, apart from his viral hit Hell N Back. As an artists it is difficult to describe his genre as he blurs the lines between a few. Halo can be best described as indie-pop record with a collection of stripped back soulful tracks that focus in on Bakar’s remarkable vocals. The single Alive is still my favourite, setting the overall tone for the album, with its nostalgic and warm feel. Overall, it is a joyous and mature follow up to last year’s outstanding album The Mission.
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7.Nia Archives – Sunrise Bang Your Head Against Tha Wall
Although it’s technically an EP, Nia impressively delivers the chaos of jungle music finished with smooth production. It is a great listen from start to end. The rising DJ manages to capture the atmosphere inside a rave with the album’s fusion of superb samples and jungle breaks. The album really is the sound of the summer with singles Biana and title track Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall that will forever remind me of 2023 summer.
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6. Sampha – Lahai
Extremely well written, wonderfully creative, and overwhelmingly real. Sampha’s deeply personal new album marks his first release in over 6 years, making it highly anticipated. Lahai feels complex yet light as a feather as he combines airy vocals and beautiful melodies with serious subject matters.
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5.RAYE – My 21st Century Blues
RAYE had a frustrating journey to releasing her debut album, battling with record label, Polydor, for almost a decade, but this project is worth the wait. RAYE took a new approach, away from the house tracks she was previously known for, blending soulful jazz, R&B and hip-hop. The singer-songwriter from South London takes listeners on an emotional and powerful journey with the album, and it seriously paid off! The now independent artist combines her thrilling storytelling with impeccable vocals to make an impressive, hard-hitting, and unapologetic first album.
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4.The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds
Hackney Diamonds is an album I did not expect to enjoy so much. The Rock legends return with original material for the first time in 18 years with a vibrant, engaging, and purposeful 12-track album. Frontman Mick Jagger sings with conviction and enthusiasm to create a modern take on classic rock. The standout songs: Angry, Mess It Up and Live By The Sword each have a strong chorus’ paired with strong guitar-led melodies.
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3.AntsLive – Just A Matter of Time
AntsLive is an artist that is innovating the UK rap scene, taking it in a different direction. The EP mixes a combination of genres, from alternative hip-hop to grime, tapping into a variety of the listeners emotions. The London rapper shares similarities with heavyweights of the rap game, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$ and Skepta with his cold delivery, exceptional delivery and overall creativity. This album is a must listen if you are a hip hop fan!
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2. Blur – The Ballad of Darren
The Britpop icons certainly did not disappoint, giving us a reunion album to remember. The come-back album felt well-polished with beautiful harmonies and elegant songwriting. We got to see a softer side to the band, but it still managed to keep an essence of that charming 90s spirit. Each track had great character with my favourites being St Charles Square, The Narcissist and Avalon.
There are many honourable mentions in terms of the UK scene that didn’t quite make the Top 10. Perhaps albums that I loved parts of but not the whole thing or albums that I loved at the beginning of the year but not at the end. These include: Overmono’s energy-packed Good Lies, Slowdives’ dreamy everything is alive and I have to mention Arlo parks’ beautiful My Soft Machine.
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.Jungle – Volcano
1. Jungle – Volcano
Taking the top spot for British album of the year is electronic music project, jungle, with their superb album – Volcano. It feels like they erupted out of nowhere with their euphoric disco-like dance mixes. In terms of production the album is unreliably rich, sleek and well- refined. This album evokes pure joy and emotion with every song lifting your spirits making you want to dance. Weather it was listening whilst on walks in the blazing sun, or listening on the way to a festival surrounded by my favourite people – these tracks will forever remind me of my happiest times in 2023. Volcano is what 2023 NEEDED and that’s why it deserves this number 1 spot!
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Looking back at this list proves that this year has been a weird one for British music and more specifically my music taste. Although I love all the albums I’ve listed, none of them have gripped me like they did last year, knowing every word to every song. Although, I am grateful I have been able to expand my taste and listen to new genres and found people I wouldn’t have otherwise.
Please let me know if you agree or disagree and let me know your Top 3!
The vibrant new EDM producer has gone from strength to strength providing so many of us with this summer’s soundtrack.
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The London-based DJ Barry Can’t Swim (real name Joshua Mannie) is without doubt one to watch in the electronic scene. Barry‘s groovy samples and jazz-infused melodic house tracks have already built him a sea of fans desperate to see his sets and I am certain this is just the beginning.
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The Scottish born producer blends a variety of dance music sub-genres, including disco, garage and jungle. Barry‘s sound has a unique feel, as he is heavily inspired by traditional jazz music. Interestingly, his appreciation for jazz music started from an early age, as he learnt to play the piano at age 9 and then worked in various jazz bars during his teenage years, purposely surrounding himself with the more traditional style of music.
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Barry Cant Swim started creating his own dance hits in 2020, working hard to produce a number of extended projects and singles and he has been unstoppable ever since. His newest EP ‘How it feels‘ is currently on repeat for me with it’s emotive feel, colourful samples and refreshing energy.
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2023 has already been an incredibly successful year for Barry Can’t Swim. This year, the producer has massively increased his exposure, attending a number of festivals as well being invited to do a set with the notorious Boiler Room in his hometown of Edinburgh.
Barry can’t Swim – Boiler Room – Edinburgh (2023)
Despite his newfound fame, Barry seems to be remaining humble, telling 10magazine that the greatest highlight of his career so far is simply “seeing people you’ve never met before in places you’ve never been before singing along” telling them “it’s still so surreal”.
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Barry‘s rise in popularity is not surprising due to the EDM scene in the UK booming in the last couple of years. A report by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) revealed that electronic music is the most popular genre at UK festivals overtaking rock – which has dominated for decades. In the last year, similar British EDM artists have had wider global success for example Fred Aagin.. and Fourtet have quickly risen to the top even headlining the iconic Coachella with fellow producer Skrillex.
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Barry is set to release his debut album ‘When Will We land?‘ on the 20th of October.
“it’s a huge personal milestone for me, after 10 months of solid writing plus a whole 20+ years of dreaming about it. I’ve poured every thing I have into it, and really hope yous like it”
– Barry via Instagram on his upcoming album
Personally, I’m very intrigued about the new album as the young DJ has recently taken his sound in a new direction by releasing more chilled, melodic downtempo tracks for example ‘Sonder‘ and ‘God is the space between us‘. So, I’m excited to see what it will be like and how it will be received.
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Check out his music below and please comment any other underrated similar artists.
This 10-minute-long spoken word song comments on the challenges of being a music artist in the modern world. It’s relatable, passionate and witty – but make sure you listen to the end!
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26-year-old Jamie Felton from Oxford wrote this unconventional long form rap to highlight the difficulties of navigating the music industry. The eerie chord changes, hard-hitting lyrics and intense delivery help create the persona of a beyond frustrated musician.
The scenarios Jamie refers to in the song are all too familiar for wannabe or emerging artists. For example, being told “it’s not what you know it’s who you know”, the difficulty of trying to sell tickets to a show when they can see you in the local pub for free and of course, the dreaded “Sing Wonderwall”!
The character that Jamie presents in the song seems to be yearning for the past and simpler times, in terms of being an artist and the way that music is consumed. For instance he references the need for a big social media presence, having to fit into pop culture and the requirement to constantly try new things in order to stand out.
“Every single writer, performer and ‘tryer’ of music will be able to relate to this monologue of honesty, rejection and self-deprecation, representing the daily grind required to sound the tiniest of drops in the musical pond that is the entertainment business”
– Jamie Felton
However, when you get to the end of the song, you realise the brutal assessment of how modern society has brainwashed the artform of music is actually not what Jamie really feels at all! He explains that the song up to that point was a parody and he was portraying a fictional character of a snobby and bitter musician. The lyric that perfectly captures the overall message of the song is “If it sounds good, it is good, so leave off with the technical derision”.
Alley Palley night 1: Fred was in his element! The performance was flawless, from live remixing to incredible visuals but perhaps incomplete?
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Last week, the 30-year-old Electronic producer, Fred Gibson, announced on Instagram that he is beyond excited for the show, and that each night of his tour will be different, including setlist, and remixing songs live.
On the 4th of September Fred Again.. played his first show of his European tour and the first of his four shows inside London’s Alexandra palace. The London-born EDM performer smiled in disbelief as he told the crowd, that he grew up going to the iconic concert venue. On the screen he wrote “nothing is ever as good as playing at home”.
Alley Palley opened its doors opened at 7pm. The queues were bearable and after taking time to get some food and drink inside, I made my way into the actual venue and took my spot not far from the front barrier. The support act was London-based EDM duo, Joy Anonymous who played for around 30 minutes starting at 8pm. Their set was lively and well-performed, which set up perfectly for Fred’s show.
After a long wait in what can only be described as a greenhouse due to the venues large glass roof, Fred was finally on at 9pm. Despite the extreme heat and underlying smell of sweat the crowd remained in high spirits throughout the whole show, selflessly helping pass cups of water back to help those struggling in the middle of the crowd.
Fred Again.. opened with the wholesome spoken-word poem turned dance track, Kyle (i found you) whilst the audience screamed every word. Then Fred seamlessly flowed into a handful of emotional songs from his trio of albums titled ‘Actual Life’. This included Bleu (better with time), Tate (how i feel) and into the more energetic track Kammy (like i do).
Then, Fred asks if he can try something he hasn’t tried in a long time, he parted the sea of fans down the middle and walked through eagerly to a smaller stage set up in the middle of the room. The producer then hit the exhilarated crowd with fan-favourites Jungle and popular grime dance track Rumble, playing the song twice and making a completely new unheard remix as he adds heavy drum sounds live.
The king of electronic music then returned to the front stage keeping the high energy and live drums as he teased an unreleased song that samples Baby Keem’s ‘South Africa’. For me, this was when the show went up a level from very good to incredible.
The music then slowed down, as Fred transitioned into his new song, 2023 summer release, adore u, that features the beautiful vocals of Obongjayar. The gentle glittery notes were received with pure elation amongst the crowd. Fred announced, “this one is for your brothers and sisters,” dedicating the song to his sister, whom he wrote the song about. Some people around me were even moved to tears as the song played alongside a compilation of heartfelt videos of loved ones filmed by fans.
The emotions continued to run high, as Fred played his euphoric remix of Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel’ as a video of the beloved singer performing played on the large screen. The crowd then erupted when hearing the first few chords of Delilah (pull me out of this), chanting the melody as they waited for the drop. Simultaneously, the main screen showed videos of fireworks travelling up above the heads of fans onto the huge overhanging screens that fans could look up above to.
For the next track Fred Again.. told fans hold up their phone torches and blue plastic squares they were given in the queue creating a sea of small blue lights. The interactive idea was great in theory, but as the lights in the room were already blue, it didn’t work as well as the producer may have hoped.
The incredible show closed with Angie (Ive been lost). Fred Again.. commanded the crowd to sing along, splitting them into 2 sides and at the end asking them to sing in unison, creating an overwhelmingly ecstatic atmosphere to end the show.
Unfortunately, the only thing stopping this show from being a perfect 5/5 stars was the abrupt ending. Personally, the sudden ending made the show feel slightly incomplete without an encore as a few popular songs were still left to play and it had not yet reached 11pm. For example, the high energy Marea (we lost dancing), Baby Again.. and Turn On The Lightsagain.. were all missing.
However, as I mentioned earlier, each show is supposed to be unique from each other so it makes sense that some songs will be swapped so he can have a different setlist each night. This didn’t make it any easier for the loving fans who waited at least 15 minutes hoping for an encore.
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