Welcome to the Music Review Mixtape. In this feature, RCM staff writer Javier Rodriguez provides a round-up of the best new music submitted to our website. Today he introduces 6 new artists, with a short, snackable music review.
Mike Blue ‘Paper House’
After a series of significant achievements, including an extensive and successful tour across the Northwest, along with the overwhelming response to his first single of 2022, Battles We Have Won, Liverpool-based Mike Blue has unveiled the next instalment of his fantastic discography in the form of Paper House.
Paper House is a gorgeously crafted Folk gem, having the benefit of counting with several musicians, including members from other bands, of which Mike is also part. It’s also worth mentioning that this piece was recorded at the renowned Motor Museum Studio.
In this track, Mike demonstrates the emotional impact that an acoustic guitar can have on the listener, complemented by his smooth vocals and ambitious instrumentation, encompassing feelings of vulnerability and honest sentiment with its lyrics.
Mike Blue keeps proving why he is a living dynamo in the independent scene, and we got the feeling that the best is yet to come for this young artist.
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Mort City ‘America’s City’
What happens when you put two former college buddies on opposite coasts of America who want to create music together? The answer is Mort City, a duet of musicians who have spent the last two years developing their sound, despite the problem of being in separate parts of the country (Southern California and New York City).
Labelled as “punk rap” by the band itself, their diverse style has influences from rock titans such as Ty Segal, Jack White, Primus, and Cage The Elephant, among others.
Their latest offering America’s City, is a sonorous hybrid beast, starting with the tight groovy bass and talk-like vocals, reminiscing something that could be a part of a Lou Reed album in the late stages of his career, slowly building into a heavier banger with distorted guitars that would make Tom Morello proud, especially during the hallucinating solo towards the end.
America’s City is part of On The Scene, Mort City’s debut album, currently available on all streaming platforms.
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YOUANDI ‘In Too Heavy’
Emerging from the beautiful and well-known artistic lands of Amsterdam, YOUANDI (pronounced You and I) counts with some relevant highlights in her career, as a graduate of the Herman Brood Academy, her musical journey has taken her to collaborate with the artists Wax Casting and Radio Stanley, these experiences helped her to show her multiple capabilities and her innate talent as an R&B singer.
With more credentials under her belt, YOUANDI is more than prepared to take the world by storm with her newest tune In Too Heavy, a composition that steps away from the average R&B standards. Delicate and comforting vocals glide effortlessly through a barrage of warm synths into a voyage of aural spirituality, conveying an intricate conversation between the ego and the always-present higher self.
Touching and fueled with mysticism, YOUANDI has delivered a defining-sound piece that will give a lot to talk about.
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Sophia Bavishi ‘Fragile Heart’
Sophia Bavishi is an up-and-coming singer, songwriter, producer, and live digital performer. She is currently studying at Arizona State University, finishing her degree in Popular Music. Still learning and always eager to acquire more knowledge, Sophia found a new outlet to express her artistic vision in the wonderful world of live digital performance.
All over 2021, she released five singles and two music videos for the tracks Rain and ya we broke up, resulting in thousands of streams and views.
Determined to reach new heights and keep evolving her sound, Sophia showcases interesting elements with every new song, and her latest offering Fragile Heart is no exception.
This bopper is a well-penned melody, where the engaging beat and danceable production are only topped by Sophia’s melodious voice, turning this into a piece with the word ‘Billboard material’ written all over it.
In a short period, Sophia has achieved great things, his road in this musical venture has only begun, and we can’t wait to see where this path takes her next.
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Zenodro ‘All I Ever Wanted’
Our next guest hails from New Jersey and goes by the moniker of Zenodro. His music style is composed of several elements, creating a sound that is a bit hard to define but clearly has influences from genres such as Pop, Hip-hop, and R&B, among other things.
With only seven releases, Zenodro has built an ever-growing fanbase that will continue to expand with his newest addition, All I Ever Wanted.
Only production-wise, this is a work that deserves praise for the meticulous effort put into it, the short intro creates an ideal tension for an upcoming and incredibly catchy chorus that you won’t be able to forget in days. On top of this, the melodic riff and the rhythmic beat mixed with the layered back vocals blossom into a delightful snack for the ears.
With this highly infectious melody, Zenodro has demonstrated his evolution not only as a singer but also as a songwriter. If this is what we can expect from him for future releases, then we are definitely in for a treat.
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Myla Vie ‘Caution’
Since 2019 Essex-based Myla Vie has been making a name for herself in the UK’s music scene, her irrefutable talent made her receive a 5-star rating from the UK SongWriting contest in 2019. Also, some of her previous songs earned airtime at BBC Introducing Essex, and Amazing Radio UK, among others.
Her newest tune Caution is described accurately as a dark, romantic love song, which tells a story of someone being open to love again but always with precaution due to a painful previous experience. This Alt-pop melody is driven by its ethereal ambience and its slow beats, with Myla’s voice soaring majestically through this sombre yet alluring soundscape.
Caution is an example of Electro pop finesse, enticing and appealing, Myla Vie keeps growing with every release through creativity and sincerity, and this track is a testament to it.
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Words Javier Rodriquez
