These Fresh Faves were picked by our readers over the weekend – and reviewed by Fresh On The Net’s Neil March this week. You can hear all these tracks in a single Soundcloud playlist here.

Welcome back everyone; the first Fresh Faves since we broke for the summer. Of course partly a summer characterised by concerns over what will happen in the winter. But at least here at Fresh On The Net, the only high energy we need to discuss is in the music of these talented artists. It is my privilege to review the ten tracks our always discerning readers have chosen from a vibrant Listening Post. Well done to all the artists.

ADI OASIS FEAT. JAMILA WOODS – Red To Violet

New Yorker Adi Oasis says Red To Violet is “an ode to women of colour”. The bass guitar-playing artist has been performing live in New York and is preparing for a European tour which includes a show at Lafayette in London on 22nd October. She is also courageously running a fundraiser for women seeking abortions, taking a tough stance against the recent US Supreme Court ruling.

Red To Violet sees Adi collaborating with Jamelia Woods on a sassy, soul-infused and sophisticated slice of late nineties-influenced Pop that has an agreeably buoyant bounce. Rich chord changes and sweet harmonies underpin dexterous vocal performances and a hook there’s no hiding from. References are probably numerous but not obvious. Maybe a hint of Angie Stone in a jam with Lizzo while Janet Jackson adds spices. Laid back, lush and carried along in a cool mid-tempo groove.

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ANNIE DRESSNER – I’ve Always Been Like This

No stranger to the Fresh Faves, the popular Cambridgeshire-based US artist Annie Dressner has been having a busy time of late and is, I think, touring the UK as I write this. I am reliably informed by an old school friend that she won the hearts of the loyal audience at Andy Little’s aRTy Barn recently; a venue I have had the pleasure of visiting. With an accomplished career already behind her and a formidable reputation as a singer-songwriter and indie folk artist, Annie is blazing a trail with exciting times ahead.

I’ve Always Been Like This is constructed around shimmery strummed guitar and long organ chords. Annie’s voice dominates from the outset, tracked first in unison and then in harmonies as she sets out a self-reflective lyric and a melody that switches between minor and major keys. In moments the spaciously produced vocals have echoes of The Staves in a jam with Hayley Bonar while Kisrty MacColl adds chops. The absence of any percussion parts takes nothing away from the energy and momentum of the track and Annie’s voice is distinct and captivating throughout.

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EMERGER – Tangerine Sky

Emerger, a duo of Emma Goode and Gerry Matthews, are giving nothing away on their Soundcloud page, but a look on Facebook at the live dates they have been playing suggests they are based around the Cape Town area of South Africa. They are clearly highly rated, not least by Apple Music who have described singer Emma as an important voice in music. Their popularity is underlined by impressive streaming stats too.

Tangerine Sky is bright, synth-driven mid-tempo pop with dreamy chords and swirling glissandi floating into centre stage as a crunchy beat drives things forward. Emma’s strong and appealing voice dominates, sometimes multi-tracked, sometimes acting out her own call and response at different levels in the mix. There is an air of eighties New Romanticism about the song structure and some of the synth figures, but the sounds and production values are very contemporary, and it is essentially a highly satisfying piece of Pop laced with synthwave undercurrents.

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HANYA – Amateur Professional

Brighton’s Hanya are about to set out on a short UK tour that sees them start and finish with gigs on the English South Coast (Bournemouth and Brighton) while taking in Glasgow, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Birkenhead, Bristol and London. With a play on Guy Garvey’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music ringing in their ears and well over a thousand views on the YouTube video of Amateur Professional, it feels like there is some well-deserved momentum behind them. They have also had support from BBC Introducing in Surrey and Sussex and this is not their first time in the Fresh Faves, having been in Batch 389 in December 2020. It has to be said that Brighton continues to be an absolute hotbed of new music talent. In July I reviewed a single by a not dissimilar Brighton band CIEL for the Fresh Faves and, a few weeks later, it was on the A-List of 6 Music. You wouldn’t bet against Hanya following suit.

Amateur Professional places big splashing reverberant guitar chords and two-note riffs against thudding bass and a big drum sound while striking female vocal floats, flutters and flies, veering between rich vibrato alto tones and breathier moments. It is essentially Dream Pop but with a driving Alt Pop energy and a good deal of thought given to the dips and drops that bring contrasts and nuances to the mix and add to the song’s intensity. Echoes of Galway’s NewDad in a jam with another Brighton band Penelope Isles while Bleach Lab bring reinforcements. But, by the same token, they have a sound that is recognisably their own and is demonstrated in some style by this fine track.

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HYTHE – Rocket To Ride On

Hythe is a new collaboration between Bristol-based producers Nick Watson and Arran Glass “… combining a diverse selection of acoustic instrumentation with vintage & modern electronics with layered vocal arrangements” and they have had praise from Amazing Radio’s Charlie Ashcroft.

Rocket To Ride On starts with long minor key synth chords and funky picking guitars while the male vocal is slightly intense and immediately very listenable. What ensues is a fascinating hybrid of electro-funk and Synth Rock with vocoder-like harmony phrases playing off against passionate lead voice. The moment where the instruments drop out and ethereal multi-tracked harmonies take over is particularly pleasing. A heady mix of the retro and the modern, fortified by an innate funkiness and a plethora of ideas that keep my interest.

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INDERPAUL SANDHU – Monster

Londoner InderPaul Sandhu has been on the Fresh On The Net radar for a while, and recently signed to Pete Doherty’s Strap-Original label, which is exciting news. The hard working artist is building a sizeable following, and has a big show lined up for 5th November at Notting Hill Arts Club. He has already picked up an international award for a rap single and had praise from Bobby Friction who called his songs “… emotionally intelligent” and “… earwormy”.

Monster is aptly named in the sense that it is a roaring, slightly scary giant of a track that comes at you with serious intent. Mixing a core Soul sensibility and his gritty powerful voice with elements of Rock and Cinematica, he gets straight to it with voice in at the outset as the intense stop-start build-up of the verses carries us towards the hook. Production is punchy and pristine, perfectly placed to emphasise the commitment and passion in InderPaul’s performance. Hopefully the start of a beautiful relationship with this exciting indie label project. Success would be well-deserved.

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LOTUSBLISS – Unwired

We often like to talk of “a band of brothers” but Canterbury’s Lotusbliss are literally that, a trio of brothers to be precise. Formed in 2018 due to a chance conversation, they have wasted no time, getting their first releases onto prestigious Spotify playlists. Growing up together has clearly given these brothers a great artistic telepathy, enabling them to fashion a sound that is bright, sparkling and cinematic in its ambitions. If Everything Everything and Nation Of Language were to have a mash up with Talk Talk and A-Ha perhaps!

Unwired is awash with big gestural themes from the outset. Synth melodies reverberate across the track and swirl around the solid chords, fluid bass and punchy beat. But it’s the vocals that really grab me by the ears. Epic, passionate and so melodic with some clever backing vocals both in the form of upper register call and response and in harmonies a sixth below the main tune and quiet in the mix. The breaking up of the flow every so often to get everything in rhythmic unison, emphasising particular lines, shows they are savvy about arrangements. So do the subtle alterations of the principal hooks. I say ‘hooks’ because there are so many. It’s the many nuances and contrasts that lift a really good song to such impressive heights. If this was able to catch the ear of certain radio production staff, it would be everywhere within weeks. Such is its epic pop impact. Quite simply outstanding.

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NIRIS & BARRAKA – Revelations

Niris are a mainly instrumental duo of Nick Engel and Chris Hatwell using Piano and Spanish/Classical Guitar. They work with different vocalists. For reasons that will become clear, we can safely assume Barraka is the male vocalist in this instance. I am not sure whose the female voice is though. The pair perform live and recently played a Sofar Sounds gig in Brixton. They also take on some intriguing and originally configured covers such as a “Hip Hop Remix cover” of Metallica’s Master of Puppets also with Barraka as MC. They have duly amassed an impressive volume of Spotify streams.

Revelations is a dark, brooding mix of Hip Hop with rapid-fire rapping that verges on Grime in stylistic terms and is impressive both in its constant flow and in the thought that has gone into the lyrics. Behind this sits an oriental sounding synth melody low in the mix and a beat that is syncopated and reverberant. Midway through, a female voice joins the fray that is soulful, jazz-infused and soothing, a perfect contrast to the intensity of the rapped vocals. We even get jazzy piano, orchestral sounding strings and colourful atmospherics as this track develops in two distinct halves. Cleverly done, emotionally-charged and choc full of ideas. The ending is pure class too.

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NORTHERN INTROVERT – My Town

London-based [but presumably not raised] Northern Introvert’s Bandcamp blurb says that he “… layers the the delicate harmonies of orchestral instruments with beautifully emotive electronica”; a point I will return to. His Facebook page, meanwhile, has videos about making tracks, correcting bum notes etc. It also tells us that the visuals for My Town are made by Lubomir Atan, but I cannot find any word on who the female vocalist is on the track. I suppose, given NI’s penchant for utilising recording technology, it is possible it is his vocal put through some kind of software but that seems unlikely. If that is the case, he has managed to pull off a pretty decent stab at sounding like a mash-up of Angela Jaeger and Peggy Lee with screenplay by Poppy Ajudha!

My Town’s lyrics are inspired by “your favourite gang members” and the track comes across as a passionate, energetic vocal set to a backdrop that pretty much perfectly encapsulates that statement in the opening paragraph about orchestral instruments and emotive electronica. In other words, we get striking orchestral sounds, including pizzicato strings and clustered winds but mixing in with an electronica-based backdrop of staccato tones, fluctuating ambience and high tempo beat. It is an intriguing track that holds my interest due to a combination of refreshingly individual writing and such an unusual array of sounds.

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PARIIS OPERA HOUSE – U I

Described on their Bandcamp page as “UK electro-funk mavericks” Pariis Opera House have already had some serious media attention with quotes on their Soundcloud page from Lauren Laverne, several journals and one Tom Robinson. There isn’t much information about the band members nor their activities, but they have been around for over a decade and clearly have a following who they engage with regularly and very effectively on social media. They have equally had no shortage of positive attention from radio stations. Clearly these guys know what they’re doing and have made the project about the tracks rather than the people behind them.

U I is set at a fast tempo with childlike voice (presumably spoken word vocals put through dramatic pitch alteration and sound filters of some description) throughout the track while an array of electronic sounds come and go and sometimes guitars play crashing chords. It is high energy, relentless in its forward drive. Lyrics mete out a series of terms associated with the digital age in a 4/4 rhythm. Sounds like a lot of work has gone into making the track and achieving the fluid sonic journey that ensues. A cool finish to the weekend’s fine Faves.

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PS from TR: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t been picked for the Listening Post, our team has definitely listened to it and there’s no need to send it again: feel free to send us an even stronger track another week. The same goes if you were picked for the Listening Post but didn’t feature in our Fresh Faves.

But if we’ve recently featured you in our Fresh Faves – or on my BBC Introducing Mixtape – please wait three months before sending us another track, so we have space to help other deserving artists… For more info see Robinson Has A Good Old Moan.