Wednesday – Music blogger

GEMS Dazzle with “Blow Out the Light”

December 21, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

A clever spin on the cliche saying, “We’ll leave the light on!” Well…not this time. “Blow Out the Light” focuses on the end of a relationship, hinting at some infidelity; “Don’t come home to me tonight, you’ve been holdin’ someone tight, you think you’re out there lovin’ someone right.” The soprano-like voices in GEMS provide a stark contrast to the actual harsh words being sung. “I can’t promise that I’ll ever be cool with you, but I’m tryna be kind.” The positivity is in the process of moving on.

These Washington, D.C. natives are starting a new music releasing process by putting out a new single every time there’s a full moon, hence the project title, Every Full Moon. A cool way of introducing new music to their fans that has already garnered some much needed attention to the group. “Blow Out the Light” is different from GEMS’ usual electro-pop. This one is plucking from the R&B/alternative field, with a dash of piano and a sprinkle of electronic, that seems to suit them flawlessly. Reminiscent of groups on the rise, like Broods, Phantogram, and Oh Wonder. The boy-girl coupling makes for a refreshing duet sound that has been growing popular in the music scene.

The most captivating element in “Light” are the snaps that overlap during the chorus as lead singer Lindsay sings sweetly, “blow out the light.” You can’t help but feel like it should be on a 24-hour loop in a Zen center somewhere to help people rid their mind of toxic exes.

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Who You Need: Colouring

December 15, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

“Stop all the clocks, I’ll be with you, you’re all that I think about” sings lead singer Jack Kenworthy in a high pop range as an electro beat migrates to the forefront. “About You” is one of their several singles released late this year. London natives, Colouring are doing just that. Coloring music with a blue hue (check out all their single artwork) and poetic lyrics. If One Republic and Coldplay had a baby, it would be these guys…

The group yanks at your heart strings with the sad yet beautiful “Everything Has Grown.” A light twinkle of piano chords played by Kenworthy graces your ears. He told Impose Magazine, “I could always work out melodies by ear on the piano, even before I knew what any of the notes were.” His voice is a steady strong alto as the lyrics overflow with honesty; “Now all these years have passed us by, and every tear has left your eyes, but how we try.” Kenworthy says, “It’s a pretty personal song to me. I think everyone knows the feeling of looking back on a difficult time in their lives and finally finding peace with it.”

This four-some met eachother over a span of years forming what would soon be their band. They played and listened to music together in their house in London. “From early on, we all realized we loved the same stuff. We quickly became pretty close,” said Kenworthy. It’s obvious they all work well together and are motivated to make more music. A debut album is in the works for 2017.

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Single Review: “Cruel (feat. ZAYN)”

July 20, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

There’s no doubt Zayn Malik has made a name for himself in the pop scene as we heard with his explosive single “Pillowtalk”. But this time, he lends his vocals to Snakehips, a British electronic/R&B duo who are also responsible for the catchy anthem, “All My Friends.”

Malik’s vocal prowess is as powerful as ever. In the boppy light chorus he sings, “It’s such a cruel, world, saving all my love for you.” A balance between electro-pop and R&B is right where he fits perfectly. Snakehips keep their sound fresh and new age along with their energetic clap beats, as we hear on this one.

Fellow pop singer, Troye Sivan tweeted about his love for the new song saying, “alright Cruel by @snakehipsuk ft @zaynmalik has one of the best choruses of 2016.” I AGREE. Snakehips should be plaguing radio stations with this one

The lyrics are electric modern love. Even with all the madness happening in the world, he can’t help but be bothered with her presence, it’s quite beautiful actually. “Noise and tears, death on the TV, and then there’s you…I can’t concentrate, I just see your outline.” Later on, he refers to her body as “CCTV” (closed circuit television/surveillance footage) replaying in his head. Although the lyrics are quite mature, the chorus has a child-like quality that is easy to sing-along to and mimic.