Hello everyone,
Now, as a rule I don’t usually upload these posts until later on in the month, nor do I generally do a Tracks of the Month in December as the airwaves are usually overtaken by Christmas songs. However, today I decided to squeeze it into my blogging schedule because I’ve been listening to these tracks non-stop recently.
One is edgy and aggressive, and the other is a delicate ballad, so they’re complete polar opposites – and undeniably a far cry from the seasonal ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas.’ 🙂
Bohnes – Middle Finger
After unveiling his solo project ‘Bohnes’ in 2015, ex-The Cab frontman Alex DeLeon has since dropped a couple of singles online to give audiences a glimpse of his newest venture. Premiered on YouTube almost a year ago, ‘Middle Finger’ is his second offering – and it’s a lot more ballsy than anything we’ve ever heard from him before.
Opening with an eerie two-note rhythm, the track has quite a dark, brooding theme running through it – as expected from its title. The verses carry on this simplistic accompaniment, which then allows the explosive chorus to take centre stage for maximum impact; with its swelling electro/hip-hop vibes and powerfully assertive lyrics, it hits you like a punch in the gut. DeLeon’s smooth and soulful vocals are stellar as always, further proving that he’s not one to be pigeon-holed into any genre.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t initially too keen on this song but, from time to time, the chorus would just pop into my head, so I decided to listen to it again and it’s grown on me in a big way. If there’s one thing that I’m still not the biggest fan of, it’s the recurring ‘la la la la’ refrain that crops up throughout but, with that being said, it’s not enough to put me off the song as a whole.
It’s intense, it’s aggressive and it’s totally badass. I love it and I’m intrigued to see/hear wear Bohnes is going to take this project in the future.
Favourite lyrics:
“I refuse to let you make me feel like I can’t fly / not only will I soar again, I’ll own the fuckin’ sky.”
“I’m done being your slave / my generation’s had enough / and you should be afraid”
“Ain’t got time for dying, I’m too busy diving / more than just surviving, heart is beating violent.”
I also did a, more in-depth, review of Bohnes’ debut single ‘Guns and Roses’, back when it released in November last year. If you want to check that one out too, click here.
Lianne Kaye – You
Following the release of her single ‘Clear’ this past July, singer-songwriter – and YouTuber – Lianne Kaye recently treated her vast online following to another original song. Unlike the electronic/pop-rock vibe of her previous offering, ‘You’ brings back the acoustic ballad sound that audiences are used to hearing from the 21 year old – albeit somewhat more refined.
The stripped back accompaniment really suits the romantic nature of the song and works to create something delicate and heartfelt. It also proves that there is beauty in simplicity; it doesn’t need gimmicks, it makes an impact as is. The love-song also showcases Kaye’s distinctively bold vocals brilliantly, with a sprinkling of higher notes throughout, adding dimension to the track.
Personally, I absolutely adore Kaye’s voice and I think that this song really captures her as an artist; I can’t wait to hear more originals from her. Listen to it once and you’ll find yourself wanting to hear it to again and again (and again, and again) trust me.
Favourite lyrics:
“Standing here without a guard / ‘coz you’re a light in the dark.”
“Nowhere left to run, ‘coz I’ll be here when all is done / if you ever need to hear something true, well all the cracks in the earth lead to you.”
If you’d also like to see my, more in-depth, review of Kaye’s previous single ‘Clear’, click here.
Another track that I’ve been listening to a lot over the last few weeks is, singer-songwriter – and beauty/lifestyle YouTuber – Talia Mar’s debut single ‘Stolen’. I haven’t included it in this post as I uploaded a review of it earlier in the month and didn’t want to repeat myself so, if you fancy having a read of that too, click here.
As always, thank you for reading! If you like what I do here and you want to keep up to date with my upcoming posts, through the New Year and beyond, be sure to come and join me on:
🙂
Sophie Brown. 