Another week, another batch of Fresh Faves! We’ve got a very eclectic selection for your listening pleasure this week…

APPLES & EVE – L’Homme

There’s something uniquely comforting about organic, folk influenced music; particularly when it is accompanied by a raspy or deep female vocal. ‘L’Homme’, therefore, should pretty much tick all the boxes. And it does. Taken from the Dionysus EP, the appeal of this endearing track lies in its ostensible simplicity. If you’re feeling stressed or tired, why not take a listen to this Brightonian group?

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BARK PRELUDE – Darwin Was Right

I’m already intrigued by the track’s title. Taken from the album ‘Start of Something Minor’, Philip Lewis-Jones’ lyrics would make for an excellent ‘musical’ science lesson! It’s not every day that a song references Evolution, but then I doubt many Darwin-inspired songs would sound as pleasant as this one does.

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BÉLA TAKES CHASE – Miles Away

The tone of Bela’s voice may be slightly reminiscent of Ellie Goulding, but that’s where the comparisons should end. ‘Miles Away’ is a strong, well produced pop song that stands on its own two feet (with some particularly catchy hooks). If you want to see her live, her page informs me that she’s playing in London on the 30th of November.

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CENTREFOLDS – In Your Blood

This track is taken from the (I assume) Monty Burns’ inspired EP ‘Release the Hounds’, which is available as a free download on the band’s Bandcamp page. Eccentric would be an accurate way to describe the band’s style, and whilst it is hard to pin down, there is something different about this particular track. It sits comfortably in the indie-pop bracket, whilst retaining a little ‘je ne sais quoi’.

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CLASSIC PLASTIC – Bucket & Spade Escapade

Hot off the press! This track is from a brand new band and was released on Soundcloud this week (don’t tell me we don’t bring you new music first!). The richness of the sound owes in part to the composition of the track. Classic Plastic have mastered the pairing of an American surfer-pop feel and a British vocal delivery style/character. If you find yourself in a drop-top car riding down Route 66, I imagine this would be the perfect track to listen to.

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EATENBYBEARS – Simple As Hell

Disclaimer: if a song contains bongos, a chopped vocal or a cowbell, I automatically love it. This song opens with a bongo motif, which means I love it. There are, however, other reasons for my liking the song, and that’s because it is far from it’s title’s suggestion. There’s something very intricate about the way Belfastian bands tend to craft their indie-pop, and the layering on this track is very impressive. It builds in a way which leaves you wanting to listen through to the very end. And maybe to listen again…

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HERMETIC DELIGHT – Holy Sister

It’s not every day that you come across Strasbourg shoegaze punk-pop. And if this song is any indication, perhaps we should be asking for more. A lovely song that has a Horrors-esque feel to it, with a beautiful vocal, this track is taken from the band’s EP ‘Heartbeat 12’, out at the end of the month.

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JOOS TVD – Bomb Won’t Go Off

Joos ‘The Vanished Dutchman’ tells us that, as a one man band, he has composed over 1000 songs. This particular song is definitely ‘out there’ but also incredibly groovy. That combination makes me feel that the song would sit well in a Mighty Boosh episode (as a huge fan of the Boosh, I mean this in an entirely complementary manner). A breath of fresh air for your listening ears – why not give it a spin?!

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MONOCHROME – Glimmer Of Hope

From the ‘Reflections’ EP, this song offers an interesting take on trippy electronica. Monochrome seems very good at creating a full audio atmosphere, and this song is rich and inviting.

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MR BLAZEY – Too Good (Original Mix)

This song feels very current, and very interesting – on first listen, there are elements of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs in this track. Multi-instrumentalist Mr Blazey certainly brings his A-Game to ‘Too Good’, employing sitars, dub elements and everything in between. I’m a big fan of ‘collaged’/sampled electronic music, and it’s interesting to note that this song is made up entirely of Mr Blazey’s own instruments, without sampling anyone else – it must have taken forever to make!

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SARAH LOUISE OWEN – Melody

Sarah is a singer-songwriter from Wales who pays respect to her roots. This song is like a love poem to Welsh folk, whilst still retaining a modern feel. Her vocals are absolutely gorgeous and the song is very uplifting (exactly what I need when I’m feeling this tired!). Proof that simplicity needn’t be synonymous with boring.

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SOPHIE L – It…

Sophie’s voice is unusual but very comforting. This song sees things stripped back to just her and her piano. A simple melody allows her voice to take centre stage. Clever lyrics take the word ‘It’ as a starting point to describe and convey the range of emotion felt in the song.

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Fresh Faves reviewed this week
by Team Freshnet’s Emma Segal

FROM TOM: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t made the Fresh Faves you’re welcome to re-submit it again. But if you have been a Fresh Fave in recent weeks could you possibly hold back for at least six weeks before sending us another one. If you keep sending us great tracks every week it leaves less room for new names who haven’t had a chance yet…