In 2012 singer-songwriter David Myhr (one time of The Merrymakers) released his solo debut ‘Soundshine’. That album was one of the best power pop releases of the decade – possibly even ever – with Myhr celebrating pop’s past, his love of McCartney and myriad 70s pop bands cutting through the core of each track. This follow up EP (issued in early 2014) rounds up a few extra tunes, each one delivered with a broad smile designed for that maximum feel-good factor.
Tag Archives: singer songwriter
CHARLOTTE CARPENTER – The Fault Line EP
On her fifth EP ‘The Fault Line’, singer-songwriter Charlotte Carpenter serves up four tunes which owe as much to atmospheres as hooks, her natural and plain voice weaving in and out of some fairly downbeat soundscapes. Of the EP, she says herself: “I wrote this during a time where a lot of what I loved stopped feeling perfect.” It shows, too. The bulk of the material comes with a dark heart, but this is juxtaposed with a near-perfect production value, resulting in four songs with a real sense of emotional depth.
NIC ARMSTRONG & THE THIEVES – Negative Slant EP
Toe Rag studios will be familiar to many as the place where studio founder Liam Watson recorded The White Stripes’ ‘Elephant’ album. Rather less famously, he also used the studio to record ‘The Greatest White Liar’, the full length debut by Newcastle born singer-songwriter Nic Armstrong. From there, Armstrong scored support slots with Paul Weller and Oasis, while his career has also seen him share a stage with the legendary Pretenders and appear at the US’s favourite hipster-fest, Coachella. A long gap after that debut saw the Geordie songwriter relocate to Texas. From there, he released an EP, ‘Pocketless Shirt’, in 2013 and continued to play live. Despite these career highs chances are, though, you’ve still never heard Nic Armstrong and his band The Thieves. If relatively lo-fi sounds are your bag, it’s time you did, especially as his third release, 2015’s ‘Negative Slant’, really captures his lightning in a bottle sound.
NICK FLORA – Futureboy EP
At the beginning of 2015, Nashville-based singer songwriter Nick Flora set out on a mission. That mission was to raise enough funds to record three EPs’ worth of all-original material for release throughout the following year. The first of those releases, ‘Futureboy’, places Flora squarely within the powerpop mould – it’s five songs bringing a few sunny vibes at a time when the actual summer begins to bid the northern hemisphere goodbye.
RUM THIEF – Reach For The Weatherman EP
Although carrying a band name, much like Badly Drawn Boy, Rum Thief represents just one man. It’s the chosen moniker for singer-songwriter Jot Green, a Manchester-based multi-instrumentalist. He served as drummer in many local bands for over a decade, but eventually decided to strike out on his own. The first Rum Thief EP, ‘Clouded Mind’ attracted the attention of a few ears and Green set about forming a band for live shows. A couple of years on, the return of Rum Thief finds the performer sounding much more assured.