Category: music review

Random Song Of The Week Sept 15

I aimed to write this blog post ages ago but life events got in the way – namely a very hot and humid trip in Taiwan.

Ahead of that journey I meant to write about a really interesting new singer called Dune Moss and her excellent new song Eyes Inside My Walls which came out September 1.

Dune is no stranger to the industry and in 2021 auditioned for American Idol and made it to the top 40 although she has no idea why she auditioned in the first place “I have no idea why I thought that would be a good idea…”. Hard agree.

Eyes Inside My Walls is a deceptively powerful song but it’s sound is rather hard to pin down; a weird abstracted version of M83 mixed with Miranda Lee Richards when she really gets going.

I wrote about Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins waxing lyrical about Jeff Buckley and I’ll draw more parallels here: Dune’s voice is quite the thing, especially when this song engages light speed around the 2 minute mark and she pushes her voice to the point it begins to break and crack.

I’m looking forward to hearing more from Dune but if you want to send music me your music for my fickle ears to wrap around, you can do so here!

Song Of The Week August 7

Yi – Runaway

To all the fellow producers reading this blog, a great way to meet new artists is to hang out on Twitch feedback streams where all the other producers send in their tracks for analysis by those watching and the stream creator. And so it came to pass as I was hanging around streamer Todd Champ‘s channel, a young chap called Yi pitched in with this absolute gem of a song. Clearly inspired by M83, FM84 and all your face synthwave greats, this is a very strong tune with a seriously infectious chorus. I really really rate this one.

Songs I Heard This Week And Liked

ウィアグリーバー – Singer

It’s nice to get some more Jrock through to the blog as a lot of folks seem to think I like listening to RnB and hip hop, which is fine n all, but that kind of music isn’t why I started Najinsan.
ウィアグリーバーcomments “how luxurious is the freedom we have taken for granted? I wrote this song while thinking about that.” It’s a fairly predictable pop song but a really nice listen, nonetheless.

Turbo Knight x Sonic Shades Of Blue x Castles Made Of Sky x Waves_On_Waves – Healing Hands

Wave on Wave are collaborators from Finland, Sweden, and the US and this is a track from their up-and-coming album Miami Arcade Vice Parade. This is a great slice of Synthwave with rolling basslines and big drums but the excellent vocals are what really stood out for me.

Salad – Too Good To Be True

I like a good salad, given my other blog is a food one. What’s your favourite salad? This song could be a salad with leaves by Neil Young, Dressing by Miranda Lee Richards, sprouts and beans by Joanna Newsome (did you see what I did there?). The last time I’ll use salad references to review tracks. Maybe.

Femke – Love Somebody Else

This reminds me a lot of Shawn Colvin and has it’s roots firmly in late 1990s Americana. Femke has a lovely voice and has used her musical talents to win a Latin Grammy with her contribution on the Transformacion album of Beto Cuevas. I expect to hear more from her in the coming months on the back of her new EP.

Louie Rubio – Find Your Light

Louie is a multi instrumentalist and when I asked him what the song was about he told me “Thematically the song follows a disenchanted protagonist escaping the Escher-like labyrinth of workaholic careerism and the status quo” then he went to great pains to lovingly describe the various instruments and musical themes running through the track, which I won’t go into here, but which tell me he’s really passionate about what he does. Great song.

5 Songs I Heard This Week and Liked

Seeing as I’m now a curator on Submithub I get sent loads of cool things. This week I’m distilling down five of the best. Enjoy!

NAMESAKE – In Different Cities ft Jewel Owusu

A fairly harmless slice of feel good bubblegum pop to play as you drive down to your local cinema to watch Barbie, which like the film, “explore[s] the delicate balance of seizing opportunities and embracing the transient nature of relationships”. I’ve not seen Barbie yet but I’m 100% sure this is what it’s about.

Sumer Nights – John Fox

When John sent this over I was probably going to pass because of the somewhat abrasive rhythm guitar during the introduction, but the more I listened the more I began to like it. John’s voice seems to have been transported – hot tub style – from 1986. Loads of Journey, Boston, Rainbow in this one folks (yes, I know they’re from the late 70s but I don’t really care).

Autodidactic Studios x pftq x Waterflame x Diana Garnet – Genshindou

Always great to get some Jrock submissions through to the blog and this features some very solid vocals from Diana Garnet. It kinda reminds me of a darker version of Doll$box although Tom over at JPU Records may have better comparisons.

Hoax – Into The Blackhole

Although the verse is slightly prosaic and plodding – a slow dance jam – the chorus soars into space (obvious reference). Lovely use of major and minor 7 chords throughout and some neat falsetto vocals. Not to be confused with the music to the 1978 film The Blackhole, which was by John Barry and erm, I am rambling at this point.

ZUSO – Aurora

I’m not sure what the story behind this is; I did reach out to the singer, but like the Aurora Borealis, they were somewhat elusive. It reminds me of something you may hear on the Sunshine soundtrack by Underworld: transient, ephemeral, atmospheric, yet more uptempo. A nice deep house song for cocktails under the, er, sunshine.

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So there we are folks, a diverse selection of songs for you to enjoy. And if you have a song, why not send it over and I’ll have a listen? Pro tip: if you do, include a short bio about the track so I have some background; you wouldn’t believe how many folks just don’t bother.

Random Song Of The Week June 26 2023

It’s not often I find myself structuring a song review around Cinderella and her blue dress, but I’m a massive stickler for blue dresses that cost upwards of £30,000 in camp Kenneth Brannagh Holywood adaptations of princesses in blue dresses, but I digress.

Fellow Submithub local Kid Travis has a song out this week of the same name ‘Blue Dress‘ which Travis tells me is “centered around a love interest that wears a beautiful blue dress that attracts him more to her”. EXACTLY like Cinderella, and nothing like Chris De Burgh.

Er, isn’t this dress Turquoise?

But on a serious note, it’s a great slice of well produced contemporary synth pop with shades of Justin Timberlake or The Weeknd but I think Kid Travis has his own sound somewhere else entirely, which is only a good thing.

PS – here’s what a blue dress looks like Mr Travis!!! THAT’S A £30,000 BLUE DRESS!!!!


But what do you think? Turquoise is kind of blue? That’s not what Chris De Burgh told me.

FYI you can now send your music to this blog via Submithub if you want this kind of gently humorous write up of your music. But I need to like it ‘natch.

Random Song Of The Week June 2023

Bad mime

I’m not usually a massive fan of minimal tech save for maybe Jaeji or Valentino Khan but this track by Mason feat. Madrush MC called ‘Hush’ is deranged house music gold. The track has been out for over a year and I admit I’m late to the party but I’m glad to get on this crazy train at last. Just avoid drunken cosplayers around Covent Garden on a Friday night.

Random Song Of The Week May 2023

As many readers to my once famous, frequently blogging blog know I like to haunt the Submithub Hot or Not charts because it’s a veritable mine of great new music and every now and again a song comes along so good it makes you halt what you’re doing and pay close attention.

Rabbit Hole by Lyonhart is one of those occasions:


Stylistically I’m reminded of Chris Isaak, Manchester band TSDP (AKA Mamucium) with shades of obscure Irish band The Adventures:

I sense there are lots more comparisons to make but these are futile and I urge you to enjoy Rabbit Hole on its own merits, especially the deliriously hypnotic outro that lifts this track into other worlds entirely.

Sena from the band tells me the song is all about self reflection and how we’re seen from the eyes of others, or as they put it:

An introspective mediation on being accepted despite all your flaws. An explanation about the traumas that we all carry through our lives, and how it colours our individual view of the world. “We are the centre of our own universe” as the saying goes, so it’s easy to feel misunderstood, despite the fact that we’re all misunderstood in some fundamental way.

Which I think is a lovely way at looking at things. I’m enjoying falling down this rabbit hole. You’re next.

Random Song Of The Week March 2023

I frequently haunt Twitch.tv, mostly to promote my own music but also to listen to other really cool producers. And every once in a while you’ll get absolute ringers turning up and making us amateurs look, well, amateur.

And so it came to pass on Nextup’s stream a band called Softcult appeared. I’ve come across them before when one of their tracks slayed mine in a competition. But I’m not bitter.

I think this track was meant to be released on Valentines day for it is a song about longing and lost love and features very dreamy vocals and guitar. Think My Bloody Valentine with shades of The Cocteau Twins. It’s lovely. I’ve not heard a tune this good in ages and I’m picky and precise with my music choices.

I really rate this band and think they’re going to go big places.

Softcult are on tour in the UK and USA from Friday March 3. For those of you in Scotland they will be hitting up Stereo April 8 in Glasgow. I am so there!

Follow Softcult on instagram.

Random Song Of The Week

There are numerous workout pop videos, from the questionable Eric Prydz remix of Call On Me to the excellent Olivia Newton-John’s Physical and now we can add this gem of a song from Moxy the Band entitled The Feeling of Letting Go:

I found this track while randomly perusing the Submithub Hot Or Not charts and as usual the top tier here never disappoints.

If you’re a fan of modes you’ll recognise the huge lydian influence; add to this a rock solid bass line, gorgeous lilting vocals and most agreeable choice of synth tones, I think you’ll agree this band has an absolute monster of a tune.

One thing I also admire is the band’s attitude to workouts; smoking away and lifting 2kg dumb bells. Verily, this band has the correct approach to getting physical. Mine’s a vodka and coke BTW xx.