Blue J – How Long Will It Take
Genre: Shoegaze, Lo-fi Rock, Indie Rock
Blue J leaves heartache exposed and raw on the new single How Long Will It Take.
To paraphrase a famous writer, you sometimes have to wonder whether it was the music or the heartache that came first. There’s certainly plenty of it in modern music. Classical music never approached the subject with the same level of intimacy. Folk music focused on universal joys and sorrows. And, jazz just tried to get its scales right.
Now, pop music operates on the idea that it can serve as a companion. Songwriters don’t just want to have their compositions visit once in a while. They want to get them to move it. In order for that kind of relationship to blossom, honesty is vital.
Blue J’s written that sort of heartbreak tune where nothing is held back on the single How Long Will It Take. It’s made to sound like the word won’t ever be the same. But, it’s also devised to act as a warm shoulder in a time of distress. Blue J knows what people want once in a while. Sadness.
Sweet Leona – The Other Way
Genre: Blues, Americana, Alternative Rock
Similar artists: Marcus King Band, Black Keys, Phil Cook
Sweet Leona bring out the blues and dress it up in a festive dress on the single The Other Way.
New songwriters will, naturally, feel dread at seeing an empty page. Who wouldn’t? They should know, however, that the book on songwriting has been written. That most of the tricks have been discovered.
Most importantly, they should remember that all of the greats felt the same anxiety. Guitar music is great when it is surprising. To do that, players and writers need to take their influences, make them their own, and phrase them in a unique way.
This is what Sweet Leona’s The Other Way sounds like. Yes, it’s the blues. It is a variety that’s been adopted to great effect by modern bands like The Black Keys. But, there is a softness and confidence to the touch of Sweet Leona as they showcase all that’s best about the blues.
