Current Music Favourites

Charlemagne – Blossoms

Blossoms have been described as a mix between “an early Pink Floyd and Arctic Monkeys”, and the indie pop anthem ‘Charlemagne’ has the cathartic, singalong appeal of early tunes by both of these artists. The simple yet evocative vocals of lead singer Tom Ogden are complemented by the poppy beat, which is almost reminiscent of 80s synthpop. The song opens with quite a serious-sounding verse, with rich lyricism that conjures up images of ancient Frankish kings. However the upbeat chorus, characterised by the beautiful lyrics, “And the river always flows tears of gold/ Left me cold do you feel the same my Charlemagne?”, will instantly get you moving. For me, Blossoms have got the formula right for the perfect indie track with ‘Charlemagne’, and if you enjoy this song, I’d definitely recommend checking out ‘Getaway’ and the other tracks off their self-titled debut album.

Pilgrims – Johnny Lloyd

I was first introduced to Johnny Lloyd’s work as a solo artist when I saw the video for this song which features one of my favourite actors, Douglas Booth. From the former Tribes frontman’s ‘Dreamland’ EP which was co-produced by The Maccabees’ Hugo White and, another of my favourites, Jamie T, ‘Pilgrims’ is an indie pop song with depth and feeling. The song’s clean production emphasises Lloyd’s throaty, emotional vocals which I really love. ‘Pilgrims’ culminates with a fab chorus, repeating the catchy lyrics, “It's late, but I know I've never loved somebody like you/ I've been thinking of you lately, and I know I've never loved somebody like you,” For me, this is one of those songs that instantly drew me in from the very first line rather than one I had to listen to repeatedly before it grew on me. I’ve already heard another track from Lloyd, ‘Happy Humans’, and I can’t wait to see what else he releases as a solo act in the future.

How Could You Babe – Tobias Jesso Jr

I first came across the work of Tobias Jesso Jr after seeing him on ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ a year ago, and I’ll confess that his music isn’t really the sort of genre I usually go for. However I’ve been listening to this particular song quite a lot recently, and whilst it may not be the typical indie guitar tune I usually like, I think this is a really beautiful ballad that I would definitely recommend checking out. Lyrically, the song is a haunting evocation of a broken relationship, with a poignant chorus in which Jesso expressively wails the repeated refrain of the title. The singer’s tone is one of the things I most admire about his music and, as such, ‘How Could You Babe’, like all of his songs feels very heartfelt and emotional. It’s hard to believe that Jesso only took up the piano aged 27 because his accompanying track, whilst a simple-sounding composition, is beautifully played and compliments the clarity of the lyricism really well. You can tell that Jesso has been involved in the writing of songs by Adele and Sia, as he shares the same depth of emotion as these artists; I can also hear references to Harry Nilsson and Billy Joel coming through in his sound, so I would definitely recommend watching out for him in the future.