One of my favorites here at Now It's On, Kevin Garrett is back with a new single that, even better, serves as a preview of a new EP. After a string of singles and two EP's, Garrett finally released his first album last year, Hoax, an album so fantastic it was my Number Two Album of 2019. Now he starts off 2020 with "Gone Again", a teaser of the new EP Made Up Lost Time, due for release on February 21st.
The five track Made Up Lost Time also includes "Factor In", a classic soulful Garrett ballad released late last year. "Gone Again" is more of an uptempo affair, exploring the complications of a relationship and staying committed. Garrett never strays too far from his R&B/soul roots, but here boasts a killer, pure pop chorus. Check out the lyric video below.
There isn't much information online just yet about Leaving Laurel, a new project on the Anjunadeep label. There's a short introductory video on YouTube that doesn't really tell you much about who is involved with Leaving Laurel, but dig deep enough and you'll discover that the duo is made up of Pierce Fulton and Gordon Huntley. The Vermont born Fulton has two full length albums under his belt, as well as a slew of singles and remixes for other artists since 2010. Huntley is one half of the Canadian electronic duo Botnek, formed in 2008, who have also garnered attention for their singles, EP's and remixes, as well as their own SiriusXM radio show.
Now the two old friends have formed Leaving Laurel and if this first single release is any indication, this is a project for electronic music fans to closely monitor in 2020. The two track single starts with "sometimes it's scary but it's still just you and me", a song that mixes progressive beats with beautiful piano work, calling to mind the work of such artists as Kiasmos and Way Out West. As a massive fan of both, this track instantly had its hooks in me. "Need Little, Want Less" also mixes piano with electronics and is aimed a tad bit more at the dance floor, while still retaining a chillout vibe.
This single is a tantalizing preview of what Leaving Laurel has to offer. Here is hoping a full length album will follow at some point in 2020.
"sometimes it's scary but it's still just you and me"/"Need Little, Want Less" was released January 10th, 2020.
After releasing his debut album as SYML last year, Brian Fennell continued putting new music out into the world with three new singles before the end of 2019. He wastes no time with more new music as 2020 is barely two weeks old and another single release is upon us.
"Flags" takes on the very difficult subject matter of cancer. I first heard SYML perform this song back in June last year when I caught his show in Toronto and it was quite the emotional moment. Fennell has taken to expressing his feelings about his own experience watching loved ones battle this disease through his music. He explains what shaped the song: "I struggle with things that seem supernatural but are actually very natural. Cancer is one of those natural things. Nature is undiscerning and unforgiving. Cancer is raw and shapes the landscape of our lives. The metaphors run deep but they don't make mourning someone any less painful, especially before they leave us. I wrote 'Flags' like I write many of my songs, as a form of therapy to deal with people in my life who have battled cancer. The song is from the perspective of the body experiencing cancer. We meet pain and hopelessness with community and fight, and the fight is meaningful. Cancer fucking sucks and life is beautiful."
As is the case with much of SYML's catalog, Fennell takes difficult subjects we all have or will face in life and shares his experiences through his beautiful music. It's this emotional connection that draws me so deep into his music and he has quickly become a favorite songwriter of mine. Check out the studio version of "Flags" above and a stunning live performance of the song filmed in Brussels in October 2019 below.
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