Six Hundred Minutes

[600minutes]

LÉON; Don't Lose More Time

Swedish artist Lotta Lindgren has really got me bouncing down the street with her incredibly catchy track ‘Lost Time’. This is the first track on her 2019 debut album, and it really fucking packs a punch. Such easy listening and lyrically honest verses with a simple beat, gradually building up via the bridge to a powerful chorus of…  ‘[I gotta know] WHERE YOU’VE BEEN ALL MY LIFE’. Literally has me fist punching in the supermarket aisles.

The self-titled album is a short one, just 10 tracks, but each track is a little burst of energy, each with a different vibe. Popular track ‘You And I’ is another of my favourites, for pretty much the same structural reason... and also because it has the ability to make me uncontrollably scrunch my eyes up and bop my head to the beat. Absolutely one of my most played albums of 2019 so far.

[600minutes]

RHODES; Breathe

David Rhodes, whose stage name is simply, ‘RHODES’, has the most beautiful voice. He reaches one octave higher than most male vocalists; it’s sweet, but hoarse. It fits perfectly with the style of music that he writes. This track, ‘Breathe’, was the first track I heard of his; it’s one of those songs in which the lyrics and the melody are both as beautiful as each other, creating what is known in my vocabulary as... ‘a powerful tune’.

“Night, Break in two... There’s a light in the sky, there’s a light and its all for you...”

[600minutes]

CHVRCHES; Back in Business.

BOOM. CHVRCHES are back with their new album ‘Every Open Eye’, exactly two years after the release of their debut. Lauren Mayberry and the gang have become household name, well at least in my house anyway. After only a couple of listens to their new album, ‘Playing Dead’ jumps out at me as a classic CHVRCHES, effortlessly catchy track on the album, in similar vein to ‘The Mother We Share’.

“If I give more than enough ground, will you claim it? I will take it all in one breath and hold it down. And if I try to pretend that I don't hear it, You can tell me to move and I won't go, You can tell me to try and I won't go...”

[600minutes]

The Dunwells; A Breath of Fresh Air

‘Communicate’ by British rock band, The Dunwells, is a breath of fresh air in my playlist today. It’s strong, but emotional at the same time. Joe Dunwell, who performs the vocals, has a lovely husky and kinda’ lazy voice, and a little, passionately shaky at times. But if that’s not enough, the backing cymbals on the track are excellent, they add such a depth to the lyrics. The lyrics themselves are valuable and honest.

“We were always on the run. We waited for this moment, just communicate. We took this all for granted Should we leave this where we walked Please communicate”

[600minutes]

Låpsley; This Doesn’t Hurt Me

Låpsley’s most recent track, ‘Hurt Me’ is a fantastic song. I’ve been waiting to post about this for a long time, I just didn’t want to write about her twice in a short space of time (obsessive). I will never tire of hearing her voice. This is one of those songs that I accidentally find myself singing in my sleep; definitely in my top 5 songs of 2015 so far. As with all of her tracks (’Station’ is also a stunning song), the soft electro instrumental introduces her fucking effortless voice perfectly, only this time she is more strong and definitive. I hope to God I can cling on for her album due for release in 2016.

“So if you're gonna hurt me, Why don't you hurt me a little bit more? Just dig a little deeper, Push a little harder than before...”

[600minutes]

Rhye; Soft yet Powerful

My friend introduced me to this song, and she hit the nail on the head when she knew it would be a song I would love. Rhye is a male duo, despite lead singer, Milosh, having the most amazing, husky, female sounding voice. I did mistake him for a woman for a long time. The two artists compliment each other perfectly, in such a soft and romantic way. In this track ‘Open’, the beautiful, almost operatic instrumental introduces the vocals in such a powerful way, which then sets the scene for the rest of the track. I’m hooked on this song after about 10 seconds.

“Caught in this pool held in your eyes, Caught like a fool without a line, We're in a natural spring, With this gentle sting between us”

[600minutes]

Saint Saviour - Let It Go

Becky Jones, who is better known as Saint Saviour, has the most delicate voice I have heard in a while, which is quite some contrast considering she has been the front vocalist for Groove Armada in her time. Listening to her live would be so entrancing and mesmerising. ‘Let it Go’  is a really graceful song, in which the power and the intensity comes solely from the backing instrumental. Her album 'In The Seams' was released in 2014, in which I only hope the rest of the tracks on it are as appealing as this one.

“It's too dark and it's too light, It's too loud and it's too too bright, and it's too hard and too long, to be on your own, So run away with me...”

[600minutes]

Arctic Lake; is there anymore?

Upon further research, Arctic Lake were born from a university course? And then landed themselves on Radio One, never to be ignored again. Why didn't I try that hard in university?! The three students-turned-artists have developed a distinct style of sound. Female lead singer, Emma, sounds like she hangs out with the powerful voices of today. Her echoing but effortless voice is not dissimilar to the likes of Hannah Reid of London Grammar.

I get the impression that the band has been quiet for a little while. I'm hoping that's because they are all tucked up in a music studio recording more and more. I, for one, could do with listening to more of this atmospheric and chilling music.

"And I no longer wanna be, Bound by limits that were never set by me, I’m stuck in a routine..."

[600minutes]

Angus & Julia Stone, ‘For You’; breathtaking and beautiful.

Angus & Julia Stone are responsible for creating one of the most beautiful love songs in my world today. The Australian brother and sister duo combine their vocals together in such a simple way. It's a combination of everything in this track; the melody, the lyrics, the story, the love.

Julia’s voice sounds as weak as the situation that she is trying to portray; it sounds like she is physically aching. The nervousness in her voice is so truthful, it's indicative of the actual emotions you go through when ready to give someone the whole of you. 'I will make you a star in my universe', for me, is such a powerful lyric and such a perfect way of describing love.

"Here I go, I'll tell you what you already know, If you love me with all of your heart, If you love me, I'll make you a star in my universe"

[600minutes]

‘Station’ by Låpsley is a work of art. 

Låpsley, who sounds like, and looks like she was born out of Scandinavia, but is actually from Liverpool (massive difference), produced this track. Although she only repeats “I could walk you” several times pretty much through the whole track, the structure has been sculpted to create a very intricate and soft, some say ghostly, sound; I like to think it sounds like a calm argument. 

“Well I will ring you up, say I want you back, Chat back stab say I never wanted that, It's just inevitable distance, twisted bitterness, Give her two months she’ll be (over that)...”

[600minutes]

Mates of State - What a great duo.

Basically just sat here on a Monday evening, listening to this song on repeat. ‘An Experiment’, by (apparently best find of the month!) indie pop band, Mates of State starts off sounding like... The Cure? Similar to the digital sounding, seemingly spontaneous, intro that makes an appearance in Robert Smiths’ ‘The Caterpillar’. As soon as the verse kicks in, the synthesizer kind of sounds like... a gospel or church track? Think about it. Female half of the duo, Kori Gardner, has such a strained but clear voice, it makes the lyrics sound strong and definitive. The lyrics themselves are beautiful, but strange, and I’m struggling to understand what they mean. I’m not one for even straining to understand the meanings behind songs either, but here I am. Now I’m stoned, I’m starting to think the lyrics are trying to tell someone to have the balls to go one step further into the bigger world [ocean?] with them, from outside of their comfort zone [bath?]; we’re only getting older? Deep.

“I wonder if I could tie the ocean to you knees, To your knees, if you please, to the bath at your feet, 'Cause it's an experiment, experiment with me. To your knees, if you please, to the bath at your feet.”

[600minutes]

Owl Eyes is an Australian indie pop artist but with a slightly electro, 80′s feel. I first heard 'Closure’ after absolutely loving ‘Paper Planes’ & ‘Nightswim’ from her 2013 debut album, ‘Nightswim’. From the very first melody and sporadic beats of the track, you know you’re in for a treat. Despite the track being overpowered by said melody and beats, her voice stands out in a surprisingly dainty and exposed way, similar to the two previously mentioned tracks. Somehow, Owl Eyes, who is known to those closest to her as Brooke Addamo, has seemingly created an album in which all the tracks are very similar... But different at the same time. I'm basically trying to say, if you like one song, you'll like all of them.

[600minutes]

I've only just discovered Mates of State, who are an American, indie-pop, married duo! They've apparently been going for around 15 years, so it's a shock that I've only just started listening to their upbeat and catchy lyrical music. One of my favourite tracks is the cover of a Belle & Sebastian track, 'Sleep The Clock Around'; from their 6th (of 8!) album, 'Crushes' (compiled of covers). It's very electro, with splashes of synthesizers and electric noises creeping in. As a comparison, I listened to one of the tracks from their first album, 'My Solo Project' (2000). The track, named 'Proof', is a lot more indie-rock, after 15 years of being in the music business, I guess they've learnt to move with the times and develop their music. I'm hoping as I trawl through 8 albums, finishing with their new album, released this year, I'll unearth some new favourites to add to my collection.

[600minutes]

This song used to get me through many a dark time, as if I actually knew dark times existed when I was 19 years old. Despite the lyrics being “and I’m afraid, and I can’t breathe, and I’m in love with you... But you are not with me...”, it’s an upbeat track, with a memorable melody. I’ve always somehow related to the lyrics, even though they haven’t always directly applied to me, which makes it easy to love this track completely, at all times.

[600minutes]

DJ Porter Robinson apparently sings with a FEMALE ROBOT on this track?! Because that feels like the most innovative thing to do at the moment. I am in love with the electro backing to this his track, 'Sad Machine', and despite potentially being a robot... She has a really nice voice. There are elements of sadness in the track, but ultimately, it drops me into an elated, relaxed and melancholy version of sitting down head-banging...

"I don't know much about your life beyond these walls, The fleeting sense of love within these God-forsaken halls. And I can hear it in his voice, in every call, This girl who's slept a hundred years has something after all..."

[600minutes]

Watching Lisa Mitchell perform in London, back in November 2014, was probably the most intimate and cherished gig I have ever been to; I was sat on the floor with some of my closest friends, as she delicately performed to around 100 mesmerised spectators. We sat with baited breath, trying to feel like we deserved to be curled up at her feet as she humbly entertained us. This gig will always hold a special place in my memories; not just the act of attending, but also the joy of reminiscing.

"Sometimes your love is so quiet, I don't need to speak, Sometimes your heart is so loud, I can't even hear the beat, Well, I wish I could just bottle it up and breathe it back... Like Valium"

[600minutes]

I was a bit dubious about Stars' 2014 album, 'No One is Lost', just because I loved their 2012 album, 'The North', literally SO much, I didn't think anything could beat it. I was pleasantly surprised, however; their newest album is a bit different to their previous albums, but still so damn catchy! My favourite song on this album is 'Look Away', in which Amy and Torquils' voices intertwine as perfectly as they ever have before. When I sing along to this track, I can't help but frown and shake my head, in a passionate and music-video-esque kind of way. I'm going to see them live very soon, so many people will see this, frankly embarrassing, passion filtering through. Oh, and I will cry.

Other great tracks to listen out for on the album include the upbeat and actually very rock band-ish, 'Trap Door' and 'This is the Last Time'.