Tech Music Schools/Various Artists - Singles: Original Song
Anthology
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Release Date: 16th June 2014
When I moved to London fresh from
Uni a few years ago I was hell bent on getting a job that had some vague
connection to music. I was lucky enough to find a job working for the fledgling
Tech Music Schools in glamorous Acton and I flippin' loved it so I really want
to like this release which is a collection of original songs from their latest
batch of students. Split across two CDs, this collection starts with a look at
what these artists can do at full strength in the live band room, Room 1 if you
like. Bellafigura kick things off in
style with 'Red Light', a song that takes the darkness of Black Sabbath, the
moodiness of Soundgarden and the sex appeal of the Doors and wraps it all up in
a gorgeous leather clad bundle. It's a hard act to follow but Katy Pickles, despite sounding like a
children's TV presenter, is ready to win your heart with her soft, slow and
soulful tune 'Lying To Myself' which would be eminently forgettable were it not
for the rich, sultry tones and country twang of Ms Pickles. New Yorker Maria Brosgul has a style that is
reminiscent of something between the Noisettes, Regina Spektor and Nina Persson
which provides a delightful, impish quality to 'Operator' that is hard to ignore.
Singer Songwriter Becky Arundel has
created a great contender for the next Polish Eurovision entry in 'Alive' which
shows off a talented voice let down but some average songwriting that Shakira
would probably be happy with.
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| DIA |
So far, so good but in DIA we have the first artist that seems
to be attempting something a little bit unique. 'ICY ICY' is immediately
enthralling as it channels the likes of Kimbra and Gwen Stefani at her most
eccentric through the delicate voice and electronic melodies of Danish-Japanese
(Ida Kudo Hoffding to create something really complex and engaging. By
comparison, the mellow pop-rock balladry of The Nearly's 'Deep Breath' is dull and more than a little cheesy
and, despite the string section, is also shoe-in for Eurovision 2015. After so
many female vocalists, George Price is
instantly refreshing as are his meandering guitar notes that eventually give
way to a light, skittish beat and complete disregard for any lyrics - 'Stick
Vibes' is a beautifully sumptuous interlude. The press blurb states that Willo is an androgynous mixture of
Jessie J and Lana Del Rey and I can see the former reference in this piano lead
piece of uptempo emo-pop that will speak to Radio 1 listeners more than it does
to me. 'Ready To Go' is prime for being pumped out at clubs and sung to eager
teens at the Big Weekender and who am I to say that's wrong?
The first half of this collection
finishes up with two more female vocalists of slightly differing styles. LOUDD (Louise Uddin) offers up 'High'
which brings back memories of mid-90s r'n'b full of mildly sexual lyrics and a
soft, soulful voice that is equal parts innocence and flirtatiousness. The last
act to vie for your attention is Kiwi,
an Italian singer-songwriter with dulcet tones and a penchant for 80s power
ballads as exemplified on the dramatic and emotive 'Sandstorm'. Now, let's see
what these kids can do without the full band in the stripped down Room 2....
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| Maria Brosgol |
The order switches around so we
start where we left off with Kiwi and
the song 'Doll's House' which is anDIA, is up next and 'Break It' starts
off with some dubious guitar work but Ida's siren-like voice brings it back
from the brink and I stand by my decision - definitely one to watch. It's
pretty clear that Maria Brosgol is a
prodigious talent as the neo-classical 'Mother Mary' shows off her outstanding
voice but a tip of the cap should go to Adrien Pigeat for some gorgeous piano
work and string arrangement. Lancastrian
girl Katy Pickles improves no end on
her first effort with ' She Spoke Words', a song that mixes soul with folk
beautifully and nearly brings a tear to my eye in the way Laura Marling so
often manages to do. Our androgynous friend Willo is back with 'Lionheart', a song begging to be played whilst
sat on a high stool with glittering lights all around as the vocalist pours out
his heart for all to hear.
instant improvement on the earlier track
with off-kilter rhythms and a more intriguing vocal performance that puts me in
mind of early Nelly Furtado material. My favourite from Room 1,  |
| Bella Figura |
We're approaching the end of this
collection and one thing is clear - these are all talented performers but the
art of songwriting is something that is not easily learnable no matter how good
the teaching. The Nearly have
crafted a perfectly formed song in the shape of 'Fire In You' but much like
their first effort it just doesn't evoke any kind of emotion and, at best,
sounds like a Gabrielle album track. However, there is a zest and vigour to Becky Arundel's 'Standing Still' that
shows flashes of promise as she seeks to occupy the same space as KT Tunstall,
Katy B and Sound of the Sirens. It seems LOUDD's
place is second to last as this is her slot on both collections but as this
is simply an acoustic version of the same song then that was perhaps a wise
decision. Nevertheless, 'High (acoustic)' is a little more sensuous and
contemporary than the original version despite the unnecessary percussion which
seems to urgent for the mood of the song. So, finally we return to the band
that started it all as Bella Figura close
proceedings with a live version of 'There Comes A Time' which is part Pearl
Jam, part the National and part Crash Test Dummies (mainly the singer's rich baritone
voice) but the sum of those parts is darkly beautiful. The repeated refrain of
"I don't wanna be loved by just anyone, I just wanna be loved by one"
is easily the best lyric on here and deserves to be sung by crowds at festivals
all over the country this summer. A lot of talent then, but my picks would be
the quirkiness of DIA, the brooding
rock of Bella Figura and the gifted Maria Brosgol. I'll see the rest of you
after class for extra lines.....no, not of coke. Bloody rockstars.....
More information:
Tech Music Schools - http://www.techmusicschool.co.uk/
Bella Figura - https://www.facebook.com/BellaFiguraBand?fref=ts
Katy Pickles - https://www.facebook.com/katypicklesmusic?fref=ts
Maria Brosgol - https://www.facebook.com/MariaBrosgol?fref=ts
Becky Arundel - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Becky-Arundel/116624988435880?fref=ts
DIA - https://www.facebook.com/DIAproduction?ref=ts&fref=ts
The Nearly - ?
Willo - www.facebook.com/willowilliam
George Price - https://www.facebook.com/george.pricey77?fref=ts
Louise Uddin/LOUDD - ?
Kiwi - https://www.facebook.com/KiwiKiwimusic?fref=ts