Some albums have a standing almost more as a work of performance art than one of music, and this The Sticky Fingers, the work of Berlin-based singer-songwriter Albertine Sarges with her newly-formed band of the same name, very much feels like one of those. Not only the lyrics are heavily conceptual in nature, touching upon […]
While it is easy to encapsulate 2020 as a year of challenge and global crisis, the last twelve months have also spurred a great deal of reflection, community resilience and spirit. Initiatives like Tim’s Twitter Listening Party, Snow Patrol’s Saturday Songwrite and Bandcamp’s Bandcamp Fridays have shown what pure intention and dedication can create, especially […]
2020 beckoned a new decade, and with it a whole host of change erupted. We’re glimpsing a global population gasping for transformation, buoyed by hope with an awareness that things can get better if we speak up and challenge it to be. The musical output of this year reflected a need for comfort as well […]
Edinburgh born, London-based musician Genevieve Dawson has been impressing our ears ever since her debut EP release, Things My Mother Tells Me. Since then she’s gone from strength to strength, and last month released her debut LP, Letters I Won’t Send via Hertha Records, an independent co-operative label based in South East London for women and […]
On Saturday, I spent two hours musing about the people milling around the town outside, with the Lady Luck EP in the background. I never thought to turn it off for my window-watching. They must have got something right. Released last week, Nature TV is back in an all new series of that hit serial […]
It is often dubbed the “difficult” second album, in most cases this statement duly proves to be mere superstition or rather an unfortunate belief in the folklore of artistic stagnation, while the creation of Broken Hands’ sophomore record was fairly straight-forward on the surface, its arrival into the world has been far from it. A […]
A lot of art has been made since the start of global lockdown, some in spite of it, and some directly because of it. Chillin in the Void feels very much the latter. Even the title recalls the cheerful nihilism characterizing lockdown memes on the Internet. It’s a situation of “imagine Sisyphus happy,” or at […]
Hailing from the Catalan region of Spain, the now-London living artist, Odina is all set to release her debut album, What I Never Told You on 21st August. The record is a culmination of years of work from the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and is intrinsically a confessional project that deals with everything from heartache […]
York four-piece Bull are back with a new track – the skittering alt-pop of ‘Disco Living’ which gleefully pours out of whichever device you happen to be listening to. It’s another instantly memorable belter, following on from the well-received Britpoppery of ‘Green’ – their first release after signing to EMI Records in conjunction with York-based label, […]
Released on 17th July, Party of One is the debut EP for the indie rock project Grizzly Coast, aka Alannah Kavanagh, an acoustic singer-songwriter turned rock frontwoman, and it’s a great one. At first it may seem like an eerily prescient lockdown EP (it was recorded in 2018), but its treatment of alienation will serve you […]
‘Well, we actually call it the Dungeon!‘ The boys from Nature TV laugh to themselves as they introduce me to their production studio, which also doubles as lead guitarist Solo’s basement. This is their first time being in the same room for several months, thanks to Covid-19.
Southend-on-Sea alt rock outfit Asylums return this month with their third LP, Genetic Cabaret, released on the band’s own independent label, Cool Thing Records. It’s both testament of their dedication to the DIY ethos that they’ve built their name on, and also to the concept of the album as an art form. In an age […]
It’s often said that the second album is the hardest in the career of any artist, and it’s even harder when it follows a debut album that has propelled you to being one of the highlights in the current rock scene. The Blinders have definitely enjoyed such a spot since the release of their first […]
You know when you can just feel this twinkly, youthful, uncomplicated freshness within a song, and you just know you’re onto something? Well, it only took a brief listen to Dutch singer-songwriter remme, to make me feel just that.
The sun’s been shining for weeks, the sky’s remaining blue – we should be on the cusp of a spectacular festival season. However, the exceptional circumstances that 2020 will always be remembered for has sadly put thoughts of gathering in fields and tents and taking away special memories of performances and artists we caught up […]
A name change, a new sound, a rebrand – these elements together signalled the start of a new era for Sydney-based musician, songwriter and vocalist, Huck Hastings. After spending a few years out of sync with his solo project, due to other commitments and other musical projects, attention was diverted back to Hastings’ solo pursuits […]
We’re living in confusing times. Lockdown has disturbed our natural rhythms. There’s time to think; perhaps too much time, and not all the thoughts are welcome. Looking for something to soundtrack this state of uncertainty, the unsettling internal dialogue, the wonder of what’s next, and the quiet reflection?
Bitter Sweet Symphonies was founded on the basis of two elements: music and community. The want (but more accurately, the need) to share good music with more than just oneself, to foster a collective space in order to start conversations, to spread the word about underground gems and celebrate this communal medium.
Shimmering into view like a late ’60s teleportation effect, Damsen’s new tune ‘Something Good’ evokes the anxiety of our times and soundtracks it with sliding jazzy guitars and oceanic instrumentation. And also it alleviates the boredom for a bit. It’s a song about bettering oneself, shaking the dust off of an old relationship, and it […]
With a trademark self-assuredness balanced alongside open-hearted emotional fragility, Manchester based alt-indie singer songwriter Lindsay Munroe is a regular favourite of ours here at Bitter Sweet Symphonies. As she builds towards the release of her new EP, Our Heaviness (due in May), Munroe follows up her previous single ‘Mirror’ with this latest number, ‘Split.’