The Modern World is the musical vehicle of London based singer/songwriter Oli James. He has gathered an eclectic group of musical mavericks to accompany him on his journey, playing high octane visual live sets over the last few years. I hadn’t heard of this band before last week but they are now mainstays on my rotation. Their latest single ‘State of Mind’ was sent to me on SubmitHub recently and it totally resonated with me instantly.
Oli was born in London and moved to Spain early on in his childhood. He studied English at UCL and then ended up spending two years in Moscow playing the blues. His life has been far from mundane, this shines through in his music. When I first heard ‘State of Mind’ I was taken aback by the simplicity of the track, this was an accomplished sound that stuck out like a thumb in a sea of submissions that day. The Modern World is well worth checking out if Future Islands or The War on Drugs are your cup of tea.
Their previous single Too Close is also one for the playlists. The vocals, strings and mellow percussion make it a real treat from start to finish. The plucking guitar riff in the mid section reminds me of Isaac Delusion (Isabella). The melancholy vibe going on is like a background beat to a Van Morrison hit. There is so much to admire in these tracks. I can safely say that this band sit on a high pedestal next to the aforementioned artists in my book. Solid stuff!!
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