Hayden Dupuy is a 21-year-old songwriter and performing artist from Covington, Louisiana. He’s also a self-taught producer and has been recording and mixing his own music for the past five years. His newest release is titled As I Am. Though he has no other albums listed on Bandcamp, he says he spent a full year writing and recording over 200 songs, which is where I assume most of these album tracks came from.
Thematically, Dupuy says this album is “about growth, learning to be comfortable with oneself, and the consequences of loving someone who’s moved on. I like to think it’s my most positive project, though it still has haunting themes of suffering with depression and heartbreak. It tells a story of learning to love yourself before you love someone else.” Songwriting comes naturally to Dupuy: “A melody or a line comes to me and I immediately write it down or record it on my phone. I can usually finish a song within 15-30 minutes.” Recording, mixing and mastering all took place in Dupuy’s apartment bedroom using Studio One Pro, routed through “tons of reverb, compression and EQ to set the tone for each project.” Though technically the album sounds fine, some tracks seem to end with a digital “snap” instead of a nice clean fade. This is something Dupuy might be able to fix and re-import to Bandcamp without too much trouble. Dupuy says he “likes to think my music sits on its own little island” and I’m sure he’s being honest. However, as a big fan of the Fleet Foxes, I can tell you I’ve never heard another artist so effortlessly capture their sound and spirit, and even more incredibly that it’s just one person. Dupuy’s got their same mellow picking style with the same cavernous reverb, along with very similar vocal tones, patterns and even subject matter. The biggest difference is that Dupuy’s songs are quite short, averaging less than two minutes each. But whatever endorphins the Fleets conjure up for me, playing this album by Hayden Dupuy has a strikingly similar effect. I might even put them on the same iTunes playlist! “Over You” begins with a hesitant acoustic guitar playing a simple 1-2-3-4 picking pattern, over which Dupuy sings in multiple tracks about “the same road I’ve been traveling for the past two years / no one by my side, just a river of tears.” The song is a short, simple declaration of getting over someone, but the catch in Dupuy’s voice indicates his journey is just beginning. “Losing My Mind” is a minute-and-a-half long, but has two distinct sections: the first feels like a continuation of the first song, while the second brings in a thick chorus of Fleets-like vocals. The brevity of these songs has its own chilling effect, as they seem to fade out just as the emotions hit you on a gut level. “Love’s A State of Mind” is the first song I would dare call musically upbeat, as it has a hopeful Brian Wilson arrangement with thicker keys and even more choir-like vocals. “Daniel” also evokes “Smile” era Wilson, and I can see now that this is due to Dupuy’s modular approach: like Wilson, he often stops and completely changes gear in the middle of a song, as he does here. This makes listening without following the song titles feel like you’re hearing even more than 12 songs. I also love the dramatic piano arpeggio used here. “I Try” is a clear example of how Dupuy’s song structures follow the vocals, and not the other way around. His lyrics are like daisy chains, with each line connecting to the other. “I like to think it’s not my fault / for everything that’s come to me / But here you are, I’m proven wrong / guess I’ll write another song / I… try… to get away…” At over two minutes this song has one of Dupuy’s most interesting and multi-faceted arrangements thus far. The title track “As I Am” has the drama and sweep of an off-Broadway ballad. Dupuy’s simple but heartrending lyrics show just how far away he is from getting over his broken heart: “What I’m trying to say is, I love you / I love you / I still do.” “God Complex” has quiet acoustic guitar and campfire-like chorus trilling that introduce an especially Fleet-like song, both thanks to Dupuy’s lead vocal and the references to God. (The F-bombs are startling, though!) “I Wish (I Could Cry)” is unusual for the album as it runs just over five minutes, and is another direct dialogue with the cause of Dupuy’s broken heart. “It’s unfair to say Look At The Bright Side / when there isn’t one…”. If anything, there’s even less space between the artist and his pain than before. It’s a little weird for me to “enjoy” an album that comes from such a difficult place for the artist, but the songs and music here stand on their own, and I heartily recommend this album and its talented songwriter.
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Tree of Life is the new EP by the New York-based rock ‘n roll band STUMP. Originally meeting in 2016 at a small Syracuse college, the lineup since 2021 includes Joe Morgan (vocals), Spencer Parsons (guitar), Nate Holloway (bass) and Connor Stewart (drums). The band’s purpose is to “blend an eclectic mix of styles and genres together in an innovative way. We are extremely excited for this new era for the band, and can’t wait to share even more with our fans very soon.”
Recording took place at Brick by Brick Studios in Bushwick, New York City, with engineering and mixing by John Ried. The studio used analog and vintage gear for this project, most of it made or modified by Reed. Mastering was by Alex Saltz at APS Mastering. I can attest that sonically this album is a pure joy, on a par with anything on the major labels. "Nothing to Fear” opens the set with a classic build: first drums, then a weird electric guitar riff, then counterpoint bass and keyboards. Suddenly everything changes with Joe Morgan’s silky smooth vocals, and what began like a prog band suddenly goes Motown. It’s a shock akin to Jack Black’s surprisingly polished vocal pipes in “High Fidelity.” The core of this song is smooth and catchy, even when repeating that weird opening riff to underline some of our common fears, like flying on an airplane! There’s even a short rap section. “What Are You Waiting For?” gets even smoother, with a mellow Stevie Wonder vibe. Morgan is again the star of the track with his amazing double-tracked vocals, this time joined by a chorus of backing voices. Musically this is pure, soulful funk but with a cool Spencer Parsons rock guitar solo toward the end. The title track “Tree of Life” has a fast and exotic Egyptian feel, with backing keyboards that betray a Keith Emerson tonality. The middle section might even be called Arabic prog. For a band that calls themselves rock ‘n roll, this is the first track that comfortably fits that designation, and it’s a burner! “It Can’t End Like This” changes things up with gentle acoustic guitars and folky harmonies. When the drums kick in, the music again becomes Stevie Wonder smooth. If my band sounded like this, I’d be shocked each day that a recording contract wasn’t nailed to my door! (Lots of F-bombs, though. Hide the children!) Parsons provides another chunky but upbeat guitar solo. “Delilah McTaylor” ends the collection with another sweet funk-rock concoction, with an interesting, inverted guitar riff framing the verses. The chorus “Set your soul free!” is the kind of chant fans love singing right back to the group onstage. The band uses the middle section to momentarily strip away their backing instruments in favor of chanting the chorus (sort of like “Hey Jude”) and don’t stop until the very end. I’m not a record executive and I don’t play one on TV, but IMHO these guys have the “IT Factor” and I’d love to see them break big in the very near future.
Based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Emblematics is an indie rock band that is already releasing their fifth studio release titled Navigation. This is another pandemic record, with the album “discussing concepts of anxiety, everyday unease and the ability to cope.” Consisting of Michael Yun (vocals/guitar), James Yue (keys/piano), Will Yue (bass) and Ken Tang (drums), the musicians who have been together since their university days make the sort of ambient and shoegaze music that will have you returning to them again and again.
Navigation begins with “An Impact,” where some guitars and synths come in toward the start. The music feels very atmospheric from the opening notes. As the instrumentals settle in, Yun’s vocals glide in for a mesmerizing feel. The ambient music reminded me of bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Snow Patrol. The keys and synths really made the sound here. I thought this was a touching display of the band’s talents. Some guitars and drums carry the music forward on “Festival Door.” The synths in the background provided an ambient and atmospheric backdrop. Yun really does a good job with his vocals here. Some synths race into the start of “Profession.” This sounded like something that could come from Stranger Things or Tron.. I thought Yun’s vocals sounded ‘80s-inpsired with its reverberating feel. On “The High Court,” some more synths light up on this recording. The warbling sounds recall more of an ‘80s vibe. Next, the drums and guitars and vocals enter for a compelling vibe. I was reminded of U2 here. More synths and keys sound out on the start of this track. Through this sparse sound comes Yun’s vocals. Though at first stripped, a more full-on vibe comes with a full band rendering. I thought the music here really carried. “Reserve” was a mainly piano-led ballad backed by synths and was very moving. Once Yun’s charismatic vocals came through, the music really came together to great effect. I thought this was a memorable finish from the band. Filled with tons of mood and feeling, the band set out to make a “headphones record” and I think they manage to succeed in doing just that. With this six-track EP, it looks like they are indeed settling into their groove, with music that leaves a lasting impression. The band shows no sign of slowing down as they ground listeners with dreamy washes of sonic bliss. Don’t miss out! Be sure you have a listen today!
Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Artist Album Rating Lookout Tower Smoke Over Sound 3.9 The Boom Crashes Unmade Beds 3.6 Small Paul Strangeland 3.8 Chris Wheat Love Street 3.6 bemuzic Hidden By The Clouds. 3.7
Chris Lewington is a musician who used to be in Bicycle Thieves and is the The Silence front man. Lewington is based in Kent, UK and recently released Starfish Memories. On his Bandcamp page it mentions “This is an EP of selected tracks from the forthcoming album of the same name. Release date August 26th 2022.”
The EP begins with “The Bridge At Midnight” and then you are greeted with silky guitars, a steady beat, a robust bass line and organ. The music felt like it could be placed in the late ’60s and early ’70s. I liked his vocals which have some character to them. The song felt somewhere between The Doors and Roy Orbison. “Blue Skies, Fields of Gold” is more atmospheric and moody in the spirit of a band like Pink Floyd. It’s more or less a ballad with emotive singing and sort of this mix of emotions. I was feeling this low key melancholy but gratitude as well. The guitar work is particularly good. I thought the guitar solo around the two-minute mark was both technically impressive and creative. “Radio Radio” is the catchiest song of the four. This still has a late ’60s vibe but this is a little more pop oriented and aligns more with a band like The Byrds. The song is simple enough leaning into a 4/4 beat and memorable vocal melodies. It’s a song that will make you feel good. The lyrics mention things like social media and I was wondering if it was a meditation on how technology has changed. “It's Going To Be Okay” starts with delicate piano and vocals. This is by far the most intimate performance and a true ballad. It’s a tender song that laments about finding someone to help with this thing we call life. This was my favorite vocal performance as Lewington gets the tone right. These are only four songs from his upcoming album but based on what I heard I’m looking forward to hearing what else Lewington has up his sleeve. I think there is broad appeal with these songs but fans from music of the ’60s and ’70s will most likely appreciate this the most. Recommended.
Tom Barry is an artist and musician who is currently based in Galway, Ireland. He got his start musically playing piano and has been playing music all this life. Recently, he has picked up the guitar and his sound has not been the same since. During the pandemic, Barry took several writing workshops hosted by the legendary John Spillane. From these workshops, Barry was able to develop and master his own writing style. His debut album Lighthouse is indicative of what he learned at these workshops and his life experiences overall. A serious and contemplative album, Barry with the help of fellow musicians Jon O’Connell (double bass/electric guitars/mandolin/ synths/backing vocals), Jimmy Higgins (percussion), Adam Shapiro (fiddle), Conor Byrne (flute), Luka Bloom (acoustic guitar) and Tara Howley (uilleann pipes/low whistle) flesh out the sound on this record with a mix of live instruments as well as digital fare.
Lighthouse gets started with the title track “Lighthouse,” which starts out with a beautiful piano melody that grows in mood and feeling. Gradually, Barry’s emotional vocals arrive for more atmosphere. Some wind chimes come in, adding more ambience to the mood of this track. Slowly, some strumming from the guitar came in. This song crescendos many times. I enjoyed the emotional swells that definitely felt like a cathartic release. Some free-flowing acoustic guitars arrive, sounding warm and ear-pleasing on “Circular Road.” This is a simply rendered song with Barry’s vocals backed by some guitars and mandolin. I enjoyed this stripped back but emotional melody. More acoustic instrumentals come into this recording for a moody feel on “Lord Valentine.” I enjoyed the melancholic vibes right away. Barry’s vocals come across with a low timbre here that sounded somber. Synths and piano highlight the start of “Asteria.” The sounds are ambient and moody. Some wind instruments come into this recording for a very folksy vibe. Once Barry’s voice enters, the elements really come together to great effect. This was another atmospheric track from the artist. Piano and synths also start off “Derreighter.” More flute and the sound of rain also enters. This was a spoken word piece backed by ambient instrumentals, another moody undertaking from the artist. Some light piano comes in for a lilting sound on “Little Musgrave.” As the melody soars, once Barry’s vocals come in, the music really seems to take flight after that. This is a cover of a folk song. I thought Barry managed to add a lot of soul here. On “If I Was A Bird,” the melody meanders a bit with a slow groove. This was another song in the ballad vein, feeling both ear-pleasing and inspiring. With mood and feeling comes another piano ballad from the artist with “Pale Moon.” Barry’s vocals are emotionally powered as he sings with feeling. I thought the music really took flight here. To some sparse piano keys and Barry’s vocals, “Shores Of The Morning” starts out with a stripped down feel. I thought the artist is able to imbue tons of feeling into the melodies and music as he sends us off with this moving closer. Barry and his fellow bandmates lock into a very atmospheric sound right from the start. From the opening to the closer, mood and feeling plays a huge part in this album. I think Barry manages to capture some truly rare moments in this set of songs he has released. The ambience of these tracks is truly great and as he grows in his sound, I definitely look forward to seeing more from this artist.
Earleybird is located in Northern Virginia where he has been independently releasing music in various forms for over twenty years. We at Divide and Conquer reviewed his previous release Everything Is Imaginary and the artist is back with The Divine Comedy. The artist's music tends to revolve around mental health in some kind of way. In fact his life story and music is featured in an upcoming Ken Burns produced documentary on America's Youth Mental Health Crisis titled "Hidden In Plain Sight.”.That being said his release The Divine Comedy revolves around Dante's The Divine Comedy.
According to the artist “Earleybird plays the role of Dante, and with Big Rube (who you may have heard on classic Outkast records) playing the role of the narrator, Earleybird travels through the Inferno, Purgatory and eventually arrives in Paradise. On his way through the Inferno he is joined by DJ Ragz, who plays the role of Virgil from the book, providing scratches on the choruses of the seven tracks that correspond to the seven deadly sins.” One of the more interesting and unique things about the album is that the guest appearances come in waves. DJ Ragz is on the first half of the album and the second half mostly is featuring Maria. The album is about an hour long and contains seventeen songs. “Inferno” serves as the opener and you get some orchestral elements and spoken words which are a short introduction to the themes and concepts. We start to head into the meat of the album with “Lust” and the music takes a sitar sample of some kind. It gives the music an Eastern quality. The song unfolds and you get mystical and mysterious sorts of energy. The rapping from Earleybird is dynamic and distinct. He definitely has a character to his delivery which I wouldn’t confuse with anyone else. The album goes through the seven deadly sins from the funky and child vibes on “Gluttony” to the dark and ominous “Greed” which tackles themes of capitalism, Wall street and more. ”Sloth” has one of my favorite grooves on the album. The beat sounded somewhere between Wu-Tang Clan and Grizzly Bear. Some of the standout songs in terms of the deadly sins were “Envy” and “Pride.” “Purgatory” is the halfway point in the album. The second half starts with “Humility” which has one of the smoothest grooves and fantastic vocal melodies. I thought the horns were on point. “Kindness” was a great one as well with arguably the best hook. “Charity” and “Chastity” were some of the other highlights. One thing Earleybird does very well is expand on the theme of each with metaphor and analogy. The rapping was great but perhaps more impressive was the wordplay here. In fact I recommend you to listen for yourself. There’s a lot going on with these songs and too much to cover on a page. Recommended.
Minneapolis, MN’s Pullstring is a five-piece alternative/indie rock band. Consisting of Alex Fuller, Connor Gonzalez, Josh Hogan, Josh Toke and Tristan McGlauchlen, the band keeps you riveted with catchy melodies and infectious music that will have you moving around in no time. With indie and alt and touches of punk, the band’s vision on their debut Greatest Thread EP is rather all over the board. Like their album art cover which seems to depict random things found in your drawer, their new EP is basically random genres and concepts that seem to come together in a cohesive manner on this album. Basically, that’s Pullstring in a nutshell, they’re a group of random people who’ve met on the Internet or friends of friends who happen to work together well. Greatest Thread EP is their latest offering.
Greatest Thread EP opens up with “Sunday Afternoon,” where some charged instrumentals come running into this track. The music reminded me a lot of Sugar Cult. Once Fuller’s full-ranging vocals come in, he adds a great sound to the vibes. I enjoyed the melodies and how catchy the music felt. To some great energy from the guitars and keys comes the very hard-hitting “B.O.P.” I was reminded of Alien Ant Farm here. The band comes in with a very aggressive and hard sound. I was loving the sound of the wall of guitars here. “Isolated” opens up to a warm atmosphere. Afterward, some guitars come in for a sparse feel. Gradually, the music opens up with more flavor coming from the other instruments. Fuller sings with feeling on this song. Very metal-inspired guitars and bass rolls into “Way She Goes.” Some insane drums also drop into this recording for a revved effect. The musicians were top-notch. An announcer sends an ominous vibe through this track. Radioactive guitars happen to dominate the start of “Haunted.” The sound was definitely pulverizing. Once Fuller’s nonchalant vocals came in, I was getting very emo, punk and metal vibes. This seemed to be an exciting closer from the band. From fast and hard-hitting to slower and more ambient grooves, the record has it all here. The band keeps you on your toes throughout, throwing at you both unexpected and familiar tunes at once. There’s a lot to appreciate here, so give this a spin today!
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The prolific Robin Lewis is back with a new release entitled Everyone Has a Story. Lewis mentions “The album was recorded over a two year period and is moody and retrospective, very much a product of the pandemic. The eight songs were selected from a much larger pool of recordings which I felt best represented the vibe.”
The album contains a mix of rock and folk. It’s a warm album finding the richness and depth of acoustic instrumentation. The opening track “Colors in a Rainbow” starts with acoustic guitar, harmonica, bass and drums. It sounds like there might be an accordion in there as well. There’s a tender and heartfelt feeling to this song that mixes emotions like melancholy and gratitude. It’s an inviting song that was easy to appreciate with great lyrics. “The Raven” has a great groove and has more of a blues style. I loved the hook on this song. The electric piano blends perfectly with the exceptional guitar work. This felt like one of the highlights on the album. “Sugar and Spice” is another great one. The bass work on this song is fantastic and the instruments all seem to be something different. It works really well. The drums are also an integral part of this song with the acoustic guitar having distinct inspired moments. Lewis delivers diverse vocal styles on “Better Days”. There are moments which are intimate and others where he is more expressive. It’s a very smooth and relaxing song with some lead guitar work that is rock solid. “Horizon” is a slow burn and might be the darkest song on the album. I happen to love darker songs and this one reminded me of Leonard Cohen. The lead guitar sounds perfectly recorded where you can hear his fingers gliding across the strings. I also need to mention the existential lyrics where he ponders if there is something after death. “Where Wildflowers Grow” is a sparse song revolving around great guitar work and vocals. There are vocal harmonies which I thought sounded really good. The energy rises with “No Light” with a lush and atmospheric quality. “Spring Thaw” is an instrumental piece with dueling guitars. Lewis makes use of harmonics and intricate picking patterns. As an engineer myself I will say these recordings were fantastic. That combined with some of the best songs I’ve heard from Lewis made this a great album. Recommended.
Tyler Knowles is a Canadian musician born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Knowles has always been a huge fan of blues and rock music from the ‘60s and ‘70s and that’s evident from his recent release Open Minded. The album contains nine instrumental tracks which revolve around lead guitar. There weren’t many surprises or experimentation to my ears but the songs were dynamic and the guitar work was impressive.
The album gets going with “Open Minded, Pt.1” which starts with bass and drums providing a solid foundation for the lead guitar. It doesn't take long for the lead to show up and the song has this relaxing energy where the guitar takes the reins. There’s a perfect amount of fuzz on the guitar but really very little variation in terms of changes to main chord progressions. “Nothing To Hide” feels like it goes deeper in the blues set. The guitar is on point but there’s some work here from the other instruments as well. Around the three-and-a-half-minute mark I heard what sounded like an electric piano which added some heft. “Dreaming the Day Away” had a great groove and was one of my favorites. The keys were really nice on this song when you hear them in the beginning of the song. I also thought there was some best lead guitar solos on the album. “Swimming in the Sky” sheds most of the blues influence at least with everything but the lead. The song felt like a warm and slightly melancholy rock song. There’s also a psychedelic quality to the song. It sounded somewhere between Grateful Dead and Mogwai. Not too shabby. “The Path Ahead” is a more intimate song and also pensive and melancholy. This song grows with intensity as it progresses almost solely by the lead guitar. “Lost and Found” has a mid level energy to it that is smooth and easy to enjoy while “These Feeling Are Real” is a joyful type of energy. “These Feeling Are Real” felt most aligned with a jam band and the reggae influence worked well. “Emerging On the Other Side” felt like a closer with vibes that made it feel sort of like a bittersweet sendoff into the night. The actual closer “Open Minded, Pt. 2” takes a very similar sounding chord progression as “Open Minded, Pt.1” and rolls with it. My only critique was that some of the songs felt like they started and ended with a central melody. The lead was changing but there were times I wanted more distinct changes from the other instruments. Overall, this was a very solid album. Instrumental songs aren’t easy to write and Knowles kept my attention. There’s a lot to appreciate about this release and fans of lead guitar should love this. Recommended. |
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