Tonight is the start of a new music release feature here at the Sound Sniffer. The Sunday Shout-out feature will be dedicated to showcasing all the songs that passed the test in the trailing week that I couldn’t squeeze into a full individual blog post. It means more focus on new music released and less babble from me. This week the inbox was lined with 260 songs so here are some of the best new music releases this week.
It’s been a long week, I’ve listened to a record amount of new music overall! There have been lots of nice ones and quite a substantial amount of horrendous ones too. The fact that all of us are stuck in lockdown has seen the rise of loads of hobby musicians filling up the inbox with utterly shocking soundscapes. It’s been tough digging but I have whittled my week’s work down to seven tunes worthy of a shoutout.
We feature tunes from Cat Clyde / Ran Nir / Sean Christopher / Anthony Davv / Stevie Wolf / Avra & Ida Long
Sean Christopher / Glow
Dutch born / Bristol Based singer/songwriter Sean Christopher has just released his second album titled ‘Wander‘ on Friday. I’ve been mesmerised by the single ‘Glow‘ that’s nestled in the middle of the new bank of work. With a vocal style not dissimilar to James Vincent McMorrow, Sean Christopher soothes the soul with this charming little number. Well worthy of a special mention this week and a fine tune to start off our first ever Sunday List.
Cat Clyde / All The Black
Canadian artist Cat Clyde has captured my attention with this beautifully performed version of her single All The Black. I saw an amazing artist called Misty Miller down in London last year – she walked onto the stage on her own, armed with only a guitar and her nerves. Typically for London, there were about five people in the venue watching. The guy who booked the show didn’t even show up – it was a farce. Miller sang tunes from her acoustic EP Broody. She was amazing, it was amazing and a gig I’ll always remember. Cat Clyde reminds me of Misty Miller – both have seriously natural vocals and acoustically sound superb. Cat Clyde and Misty Miller are nestled up on that high shelf in my estimations. Glad I found Clyde this week, Mama Said , Hunters Trance and Like a Wave are all worth a listen too!
Ran Nir / I Am With You
Ran Nir is from Israel originally but resides in Berlin these days. He becomes out second Israeli featured artist of the week, following on from the wonderful VANNA on Monday’s Crate Dig. This tune caught a hold straight away – I couldn’t think why I liked it so much but quickly realized that it’s uplifting nature is what sets it apart. The beat is quirky and the whole thing is lighthearted – so many songs I’ve been sent have been darkly lit and pensive. This one is the total opposite and it had me swaying to it’s positively charming melodies.
Nir is not your ordinary musician either, he is a label head and bass player/ co-founder of Asaf Avidan & The Mojos – I knew there was a familiar tinge to the music here. Big Respect to Ran Nir. Obsession is another high quality track from him.
Avra & Ida Long / All The Shit You Do
As I press play for listen number 15 of this song today, it’s safe to say that Swedish musicians Avra and Ida Long have made an absolute gold tune here. All The Shit You Do is one of them rare tunes that doesn’t come around too often. There are thousands of electronic producers flooding the airways at the minute. I severely doubt that any are capable of making tunes as high quality as this. Avra is the brains behind the beatwork here and Ida Long supplies the distorted vocals. Together, they are the perfect blend.
The highlight of the tune comes quite late on, the flurry of activity around the 2:40 mark is sure to get you moving. What a tune and thankfully, they will be releasing more together soon.
Stevie Wolf / Confetti
Something a little more conventional and commercial here from Stevie Wolf to add a bit more continuity to the list. I was sent this one during the week and felt it was really smartly written. Wolf has a pretty good falsetto and the tune is constructed in rather mellow, non-intrusive, manner. A really solid song-maker.
The thing that really sold me on Stevie Wolf was the absolutely brilliant marketing material he used to promote his music – 10/10 for creativity! I’m so used to reading the same few lines of bio from artists and it’s usually drivel. Stevie Wolf sent a feckin’ Powerpoint. I love it! I’ll link it HERE. That’s how to do it, best of luck with it all, Wolf-man.
Anthony Davv / The Somebody
DIY Instrumental beat-maker Anthony Davv has just released a large collection of tunes on his album ‘A Time To Remember‘. Real name, Gerrin Davenport, his alias was created using his middle name and adding in a childhood nickname at the end. He is a born creative and has just shared his debut collection of tunes with the world on Friday. I picked up on the impressively melancholic track ‘The Somebody‘ during the week and am a fan of his work already.
Tonight, I had a read through his website and enjoyed his thoughtfully written life bio and could relate to his university experiences. I too dropped out of college so I know how that feels. I hope people get behind this release and give his music some attention. The electronic guitar elements within The Somebody is what made it appeal to me.
Check out Anthony Davv’s website here.
About ‘The Sound Sniffer’
The Sound Sniffer is a music blog which is still only a baby – Founded and run by Kevin Coakley in early 2019. He is a music writer and ghostwriter. ‘The Sound Sniffer’ also runs gigs and showcases in London since Oct 2019. The showcases are picked from artists we find in our submissions inbox.