Kallsup – Forever
Do you have any idea how many people desperately, and pointlessly, try to fall asleep each night? And do have any concept of just how big the industries looking them to achieve that have become?
Of course, it’s not just the act of being asleep that’s sought. People also are thinking of the quality of their rest. And, in order to do that, the future clients need to consider their mental well-being, their ability to relax, their willingness to cut themselves off from distractions.
There are meditation apps that earn more money yearly than Austria. There are yoga retreats visited by kings, queens and Mark Zuckerberg. And there are gurus and artists promising to open your mind up to something wholly different to anything that you’ve experienced.
You might just save yourself the trouble and access Kallsup’s “Forever” on your preferred streaming platform and do your mental well-being a service while distancing yourself from the useless relaxation industry tricks. Perfectly blending dream pop sounds with the dramatic edge of alt-rock choruses, Kallsup acts on your imagination first before allowing you to distance yourself from the things that won’t give you peace.
Sofia Bolt – Black Hole
People rat people out. Don’t ever tell anyone anything! Don’t ever say you’re sorry, and never let anyone, not even your next-door neighbour, know what you’re thinking! People have been sent to the gulag or cancelled for far less.
Tell this to plenty of folks, and they’ll silently agree. In fact, the vast population of the world lives in those kinds of places, and the ones where a modicum of freedom exists are getting fewer.
But what can real artists do? They have a deal. They can only do their work provided that they spill their guts, tell everything they know to strangers, share their deepest secrets and smile at the strangers who’ve heard them after the show’s wrapped up.
Sofia Bolt’s “Black Hole” sounds like a marvellously proud, ceremonial admission of a severe nervous breakdown. There’s no weeping or pleading, however. The starkly orchestrated “Black Heart” sounds like medieval religion made to serve the confessional tone of modern indie-folk. It’s a great, bizarre track and even through a song, it feels strange to hear someone who is this honest about their life without asking for anything in return for their quote.
