In this week's edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team's picks of the latest and greatest sounds from all around Nottingham and the Midlands, we review new releases from Dark Bloom, ktlyle and Alex Blythe...
Single: Dark Bloom - Blur
Blur is an intense, pummelling, unmissable ride of heavy alt-rock from Dark Bloom. The Leicester three-piece are neighbours whose music is more than loud enough to hear over the garden fence.
Here, the band give us a few moments to breathe as mystery-steeped vocals emerge from filters, before a drum roll signals a smash of guitars and the rawest riffs.
Vocalist Sulley Archer keeps his voice restrained and sweet for the first verse, but once the chorus hits he lets rip. The song becomes massive and loud, ending with a guttural scream, as Dark Bloom deliver a blistering rebuttal of society's false narratives. You may be left bruised, but you'll likely be wanting more. @darkbloomUK (Phil Taylor)
Single: ktlyle - You
As summer draws to close, electronic music fans are slowly shifting into autumn mode. Hedonistic house tunes made for festivals are being replaced with ambient soundscapes, those designed for chilling at home with headphones wrapped warmly around your ears. Providing the perfect remedy for this seasonal change is newcomer artist & producer, ktlyle. Entering the electronic music world with a bang, her first release has dropped today, a debut that is as accomplished as it is spellbinding. Her fantastic single you is a hypnotic and quietly euphoric piece, built around vibrant beats and emotive, ethereal vocal loops. Inspired by genre gems such as Sofia Kourtesis, Logic1000 and TSHA, ktlyle’s captivating sonic textures have left us incredibly excited for more future releases. @ktlyle_ (Karl Blakesley)
Single: Alex Blythe - Another Shot In The Dark
The fourth track in as many months from Blythe showcases songwriting that is wider in scope than its immediate predecessors. Urgent both in the insistence of the tempo and in the subject matter of the lyrics – which also cleverly link back to June’s Previous Me – that artfully describe disempowerment in a volatile world. Another Shot in the Dark joins the lineage of protest tracks that layer their message with immense danceability. The melody is catchy, the bridge creates rhythmic tension that explodes in a soaring chorus. The guitars recall 00s indie and there are even a few handclaps in there, to bolster the feeling that this is a track to be danced to first and thought about later. @alexbassmanblythe (Kieran Lister)
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