Coronavirus restrictions were finally lifted almost completely in the UK this month (coincidentally it's also the month in which I myself caught COVID too), but none of that stopped the music flowing! Alt-rock powerhouse group Wolf Alice released their third studio album Blue Weekend this month, which became their first chart-topper in the UK, as well as earning them a nomination for the 2021 Mercury Prize. How Can I Make It OK?, taken from the aforementioned album, features in my playlist this month too - so all in all, a pretty solid month for all involved! One thing I've always loved about Wolf Alice is the poetry of their lyrics, so it was an obvious choice to have 'To live in fear isn't to live at all' as my lyrical caption for July. Go check out the track and the album right now if you haven't had chance!
But that's not all - keep scrolling to read more of what I was loving this month!
Jake Wesley Rogers – Middle Of Love
Sometimes (always) you just need a bit of feel-good queer pop, and American musician Jake Wesley Rogers really ticked that box for me this month. Middle Of Love is catchy and cool, while still telling a story and showcasing his unique and velvety vocals. Describing his music as 'queer storytelling refracted through a universal lens', he truly wants to reach everyone with his music, and allow that outlet for queer representation which is still lacking in mainstream pop. With definite potential to be a breakout star, I for one am going to be shuffling through his back catalogue after absolutely loving this track in July.
Mantaraybryn – Mayfly
I first stumbled across Cornwall-based Mantaraybryn (great name, by the way) back in 2016, with the feel-good indie pop tracks Pristine and Tropics from his debut album. This month he returned to the scene with his Year Of The Heron EP, including July track Mayfly, which quickly became one of my most-streamed songs of the month. The track glides through effortlessly, as does his voice, and for an artist I hadn't heard in ages, Manataraybryn's resurgence has certainly unlocked my love for him once again, and makes me hopeful of another full LP in the near future!
morgxn ft. Sara Bareilles – WONDER
There's something about the pensive and hard-hitting lyrics of morgxn's diamond of a track WONDER ('I wonder if I'll ever be fearless', and 'I wonder if what I say will matter to someone') that really made me fall in love with the song in a big way. Having released a full 'reworked' EP of the song, with versions featuring Jagwar Ma, PVRIS, Smallpools and more, it was nigh-on impossible to settle on just one version, but the collaboration with superstar Sara Bareilles was my eventual favourite. Their voices compliment each other beautifully, and the build to the final cresendo truly just makes you want to turn the headphones up and rock out with ALL the emotions. Another example of a gorgeous and empowering song by a queer artist and one of my faves of the month - thanks morgxn!
Big Red Machine ft. Anais Mitchell – Latter Days
Take The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and you have a collaboration of dreams, in the form of their project Big Red Machine. Throw in a bit of Hadestown musical visionary Anais Mitchell and you’ve hit the jackpot: it’s Latter Days, from their upcoming album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, due for release at the end of August. With other massive collaborations confirmed for this LP, including the likes of Taylor Swift and Ben Howard, the hype is well and truly growing for this duo, and this track makes that come as no surprise. Touching on themes of childhood, nostalgia, and regret, Latter Days is said to set the precedent for the rest of the record, where these motifs continue to pop up. Beautifully produced and gorgeously written, this track ticks all the right boxes and does what it should: get me excited to hear more!
Tom Odell – lose you again
Former BRITs Critics Choice Award winner Tom Odell successfully released his FOURTH UK top five album monsters this month, from which the emotional and powerful track lose you again. The track feels honest and frank and vulnerable, with stripped back vocals and just a piano to allow us to feel his pain. A track all about wanting to hold on to someone he’s lost, Tom shows us he’s still got so much more to offer, and makes his fourth LP something more personal and mature. Be sure to check out monsters in full if you haven’t already.
*Special Mention – WILLOW & Avril Lavigne*
I'm still manifesting it into the air, 2021 WILL be Avril Lavigne's comeback year! This month the Canadian princess teamed up with WILLOW and Travis Barker on new track G R O W, taken from WILLOW's fourth solo studio album lately I feel EVERYTHING, and I may be biased, but the song is a certifiable bop! With all the ingredients of that mid-noughties pop-punk sound that Avril continues to do so well, G R O W feels like two minutes of pure nostalgic rocking out, and WILLOW continues to secure herself as an artist with something important to say across the whole album, not being afraid to do whatever the hell she wants. My only critique of the track? It should be twice as long!
