July Playlist

Hello!

How are you doing?

Since COVID-19 came to town, everything you loved about summer has been modified either in a small or bigger way than you expected! It has affected everyone; people hoped it would be done by the time 4th of July came around, but it didn’t and because of that, cities cancelled their annual fairs and displays of large populated areas to watch fireworks in the evenings.

Thankfully, music is still here for us!

I am actually going to do something a little different today. Before I give you my current list of Top 20 songs for the month, I am going to share a brand new track from a singer-songwriter ÊMIA! She messaged me a few months ago, but there have various things going on and we have both been awful about getting back in our emails to each other. However, I finally had time to get everything straighten out enough to be able to promote her new single “Selfish” off of her debut album that is coming soon!

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ÊMIA is a singer-songwriter and producer (yay for more female producers!) based in New York. In her first email she sent me and said that I might enjoy her music because she is similar to SCVRINA, which pretty much sold me right away! She’s been known to write her songs with as much emotions as possible.

Here is what I thought of her new song!

When I first listened to the song, I did think she sounds like SCVRINA in that soft voice but her tone is what I found to be quite sassy and almost angry tone, which you don’t find too often along with an upbeat pop song! Everyone tries but rarely does it work as good as you think it would! She also reminded me of Madison Beer too, as she has this fierce cat-like type of mood in her music that I love so much! The only thing I didn’t like so much was the music. However, I think if she was to release an acoustic version I would like it better. The tempo would slow down slightly and you would be able to hear the words and feelings towards the subject in question a little more too!  

What do you think of ÊMIA’s new song “Selfish?” 

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I don’t know if this will become a trend on here, but I think highlighting a song like this by an artist or band that nobody’s heard before, could be an interesting addition to these monthly playlists. What do you think?

Now let’s go back to our normal routine. If you want to check out the rest of the songs not listed below, you can (hopefully) click here to be transferred to listen to the others. Here are my Top 20 songs in July!

Daisies by Katy Perry
The Game Is Over by Evanescence
Like That by Doja Cat featuring Gucci Mane
My Immortal by Halocence
Control by Zoe Wees
Drinks by Cyn
I Dare You by Kelly Clarkson
Rewind by Krewella x Yellow Claw
Only God Knows by Of Kings & Country featuring Echosmith
Love Me Anyway by P!nk featuring Chris Stapleton

Now usually, I have a much longer amount of songs featured in this playlist and I do, but they are not regular songs! Earlier this month I was able to watch Hamilton. I have been hearing and loving what everyone has been saying about it for the past several years! And of course, I had my favorites too, so here are my top 10 that I just couldn’t get enough to keep to myself!

Satisfied
My Shot
You’ll Be Back
Helpless
What’d I Miss
The Room Where It Happens
Burn
It’s Quiet Uptown
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story
One Last Time

Before I finish I wanted to let you know there will be a specie music post next Monday! So, please be on the lookout for that. I’m sorry this turned out to be so long but I couldn’t help myself to limiting the amount of music I listened to this month. Before you leave, please tell me what you were loving this month in the comments section below!

 

Album Review: “Somewhere In Between” by VÉRITÉ

VÉRITÉ has finally released her first album! She has always been putting out singles and EPs for the last few years so now to actually have a large selection of songs coming out all at once makes me so happy!

Kelsey Bryne who goes by “VÉRITÉ” is an indie pop singer based in New York, which I thought was weird considering I swore she was Canadian! Sorry! Her debut album went out in mid-June, a week before Imagine Dragons’ album Evolve, you’ll be seeing that review next week! If you’ve never heard of her music you need to look into some of her singles like “Underdressed” and “Sober” and check out the other EPs she has on her Spotify too!

She starts out the album with “When You’re Gone” and it has this striking hum as your introduction that sort of increases in volume until you get to the breakdown and it disappears. It appears again whenever the second verses comes in, but the choruses are pretty soft and air-y with her voice. I like the subtle “ohs” throughout, it’s very pretty! Second is “Phase Me Out” and this one is pretty soft in the beginning but then you hear a guitar and the music just explodes! It’s not a heavy sound, it’s pretty mellow but it works for her voice and vibe she’s creating within the song. Next is “Death Of Me” and I really like the static-y sound, her voice is like an echo. Once the choruses start, the drum beat kicks on and the tempo increases; it has a very good rhythm! There’s not much about it, but I like that simplicity of it!

Fourth track is “Bout You” and I love the noticeable piano in the background. This kind of gave me a sassy vibe to it as soon as it started, and the beat in general is definitely that. It’s fierce! Next is “Better” and it has this low pitched hum that goes in and out with VÉRITÉ’s voice and then the sound switches and turns into this pop-y track. I really like it! Sixth is “Need Nothing” has an electronica sound to it, but it’s pretty mellow. It still has that alternative edge to it, has it’s sassy notes to it. It could be another favorite of mine! “Saint” is after that one and this has an ominous introduction but it has more pop-y/playful vibe to it too.

Next up is “Solutions” and it starts out with this warping sound and her voice. I love these stripped down beginnings. This one has more of an electronic sound than the other one I had mentioned, it goes in and out so it’s not obnoxious but it’s pretty interesting! The song “Floor” is after and it’s pretty slow and echo-y. It gives you more of a chill feeling while listening to it, but it’s kind of boring though. I do like the lyrics and melody, but I’m not feeling the slow beat sadly. Next is the title track “Somewhere In Between” and it is the ideal VÉRITÉ song, it has that alternative but unique sound. It’s very soft but it goes with her beautiful voice!

Now we start on the last three songs of the album, beginning with “Nothing” and this has an soft but mysterious intro but then it turns into this very energetic beat! I’m kind of glad for it another upbeat track and catchy! Despite the fact that I do love her softer songs, there’s only so many of those a normal person can take let’s be honest! Afterwards is “Control” and we’re back to the softer notes, but it does have jazzier sound with using the bass guitar in the background. It does have a small horn section which just adds to that jazz vibe to it! I love the groove and I had some serious trouble not dancing along to it! Last one is “Freedom Of Falling” and I really loved the beat of this one. The intro was a soft but steady beat. I liked her subtle hums in the background. It was so simple. Everything that I like about her!

This was everything I wanted it to be and more! It was so good! After so long of just releasing about three to four songs at a time, I bet it feels rewarding to put out this amount of music for all the fans! It won’t keep all of us satisfied but it’ll keep us occupied for a while I think. I think I’ll go on to say this was one of my favorite albums on 2017 I liked it that much!

Have you listened to VÉRITÉ’s new album “Somewhere In Between” or any of her other music she’s released? What do you think of it?

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Album Review: “Truth Is A Beautiful Thing” by London Grammar

I feel like albums are generally hard to review. I tend to get fairly bored quickly and want to take breaks while listening and typing out the actual posts. As much as I think doing individual tracks are too simple, I often wonder why I stopped doing them and the music videos! I had plans on doing a few albums but I am just losing interest in the ones I am hearing and that sucks! So I might be only doing EP reviews unless I find an album I feel needs to be discussed in full detail.

Now that is out of the way, we can finally talk about British trio London Grammar. The members are Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic Major. Their newest album “Truth Is A Beautiful Thing” came out in early June. I’ve been looking forward to new music by these guys. If you are a big fan of Florence + The Machine, I’m betting money you’ll enjoy this group as well. I feel like they are more indie, alternative rather than the pop-y sound that Florence + The Machine seem to have; they’re both similar but I actually listen to more London Grammar just because I really enjoy Hannah Reid’s deep voice!

The song that starts off the album is the first single they released at the beginning of the year, “Rooting For You” and I remember watching the music video on the third of January and fell completely in love with the introduction of the song. It is so slow and gorgeous, you only hear Hannah’s high pitched voice in an echo-y sequence and you also hear a guitar and piano in the background too. It’s such an amazing way to began an album. Second is “Big Picture” which became their second single, it was released a month later and I was surprised with it because usually you don’t hear another single for another month or two. This one has another soft beginning, but you kind of get that it’s going to pick up tempo wise once you start hearing the guitars. The beat doesn’t become like this typical rock song but it does increase in rhythm and speed.

Next is “Wild Eyed” and I really like hear Hannah’s voice in this one. You don’t hear anything else but these electronic noises in the background and of course a sweet keyboard too. I really like this! I enjoy their air-y and dreamescape type of songs. That is how I got interested in the band in the first place and I hope they never lose that side of themselves! The fifth track is “Oh Woman Oh Man” which was released as the fourth single in April. I didn’t exactly gel with this one when I first heard it mostly because it does have a sort of pop-rock type of vibe to it. You can hear real drums in this one and it’s nice, but after hearing for the second time, still not enjoying it as I’d like to right now. Afterwards you have “Hell To The Liars” and firstly I love the title! It is so soft, the piano is even gentle, but the sound does get more poppier as it goes on, but it doesn’t lose its edge. Thank god!

We then have “Everyone Else” that sort of gives me a country vibe! It has a good groove, but I can’t seem to shake this country beat I am hearing throughout, but I will say though, it’s not bad! I think it would be a good trailer song for a TV show or movie. I really enjoy that high note and how she let it out so long, I used to know how to do that. Seventh track is “Non-Believer” and this has a little bit urban feel to it, they were definitely experimenting with the music on this album. I like it! I kept picturing multiple people just walking, don’t know why it came to me like that it just did. Next is “Bones Of Ribbon” and I like how you can never know how a song is going to sound like by them. It has the normal eternal sound they’re known for but yet it still has a rock-y feel to it too.

We’re almost finished and “Who Am I” is next, this one doesn’t have much as far as sound goes, so you have to pay attention to the lyrics or at least I have to. I think it is meaningful, the perfect breakup song that isn’t so catchy and annoying if I can be truthful. I really like it surprisingly! The tenth song is “Leave The War With Me” and I really think it has some jazz-y notes throughout, just with the piano and guitar sounds. I think it’s beautiful! Lastly we have the title track “Truth Is A Beautiful Thing” and this was the third single that was released in the middle of March, in case you were wondering which one was left in the timeline. This definitely has a long, almost ominous introduction. I say “almost” because it’s a cross between creepy and sweet, which sounds odd I know but it gives you a desolate type of feeling but yet it is very welcoming at the same time. It’s also the best way to end an album if I’m being honest!

I have to say I really enjoyed this album! I now understand why this beat out Katy Perry for best new album releases! Even I didn’t believe it could be that good to take that kind of title from her but it is pretty incredible! I think I liked nine out of the eleven songs on the standard edition. Like my previous album reviews I don’t like going into the deluxe editions, but if you are interested in the other songs, there are seven more included on the deluxe. So if you haven’t purchases the album yet, I’d just go ahead and paying the extra for the deluxe but that’s my opinion!

Have you heard London Grammar’s new album “Truth Is A Beautiful Thing” yet? What were your favorite songs? If you didn’t like it, tell me some of the reasons why!

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