Barry McLoughlin’s Do You Still Believe? is melancholy and nostalgic. The song invites the listener into McLoughlin’s heart for a while, as he wonders how a love from the past is spending her time today. He still thinks of her, and regrets “tossing her heart away”, but wishes her happiness. Lyrically charged, the song grips the listener as if reading a bedtime story. It’s genuine, and vulnerable.

McLoughlin contrasts a complex guitar line with a simple melodic line, creating a balanced and pensive piece. Like much of his discography, Do You Still Believe? is driven by guitar, showcasing an inherent understanding of the instrument. McLoughlin’s guitar playing pulls the listener into his headspace, utilising his expertise on the instrument without ever overplaying.

Currently working on acoustic instrumental pieces mellow enough to soothe the stormiest of days, Barry McLoughlin is well worth keeping an eye on. You can calm your nerves on Facebook or Spotify.

Grandpa Jack are the Brooklyn based psychedelic rock band that are making distorted waves with their latest release Trash Can Boogie. The four track EP is a wild ride from start to finish.

Self proclaimed “mustard enthusiasts”, Grandpa Jack refuse to play by the rules. The first track on the EP Right on, Ride on starts mellow and spacey before travelling through time into an authentic rock experience not of this decade. They revel in that classic fuzzy soundscape that pulls the middle finger at your eardrums. 

Clearly skilled instrumentalists, Grandpa Jack demonstrate their diversity with the second track Untold, which begins with an ominous bass solo. Eerie synths straight out of a horror movie crawl into your peripheral hearing as the song builds to a sudden pause. Untold is nearly eight minutes long, and I truly mean it as a compliment when I say I didn’t notice the first time I listened through. It develops enough to justify its marathon length, moving from post grunge into a psychedelic slow jam reminiscent of Concrete and Gold. 

Grandpa Jack utilise dynamics and shifts in tempo with expertise. The third track Imitation starts with a jungle beat before moving into that iconic distorted “chug” and grungy vocals. Imitation is foreboding, and keeps you waiting until it suddenly stops. They leave the tension hanging in the air, almost cruelly, like an unresolved yelling match.

Trash Can Boogie is superbly produced, and the final track Curmudgeon is no exception. It’s angry at the older generation, stating that they’re “the one(s) to blame and no one else”. Curmudgeon again plays with tension, using building chromatic chords. It’s an epic, angsty end to an epic, angsty EP. 

Grandpa Jack are prolific and talented, and they’re not stopping any time soon. Follow them on Facebook, instagram and twitter.

J. Luke Cloutier is a new artist from Connecticut who’s making some waves in London. He’s recently recently released his debut single Drown, and we love it!

This new single delves into “the difficulty of building a relationship as a young person while also having dreams that you want to chase. It’s about understanding the difference between want and need, and knowing that the person you want now will be the person that you need someday.” Drown starts simple, folky, and acoustic but immediately gets your foot tapping. The sound quickly develops into a rich texture of synths and slide guitars making you feel immersed in a thick ocean of sound. J. Luke shows off his smooth higher register in his chorus with an effortless falsetto. The track is slick, well produced, and catchy!

We’re excited to see what new sounds are going to come out of J. Luke Cloutier! Make sure you listen to his track ‘Drown’, it can be found on Spotify, and anywhere else you can listen to music!

Find J. Luke Cloutier on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Justin Yates’ “Shedding My Skin” bops from bar one to the 3.25 mark. It begins with a funky guitar riff, which through listening to the rest of the album “Friend” I have come to know as characteristic of his writing. Half acoustic rap, half singer-songwriter the song is relentlessly groovy. He is clearly an accomplished guitarist.

Yates utilises his expert understanding of scansion to craft a stream of consciousness, that almost sounds like an message left on an answering machine. Yates speaks in metaphors to describe his moving on — “after the war the smoke will have to clear. I’m shedding my skin and starting new, my dear” demonstrating his impressive ability as a wordsmith. 

His vocal performance is raspy, and at times a little sassy. One of the hook lines “think about you” shifts to “thought about you”, making a quiet dig at whoever inspired this song. At times it’s difficult to hear Yates’ thoughtful lyrics, and so it might be nice in the future to hear his vocals turned up in the mix so the listener doesn’t miss anything. 

Yates is an absolute force to be reckoned with. No back injury or over-piled workload is going to stop him from grinding his way into the limelight and sharing his music with the world. We’re excited to see where his journey takes him next! Keep up with his antics on Facebook and Instagram.