Author: Barrington

Von Venn Makes Sense of Growing Up

Barrington
Von Venn

Gary Cox’s second album under the Von Venn name landed on my desk at exactly the right moment. I’d been scrolling through news feeds feeling that familiar knot in my stomach, the one that comes from watching the world bend itself into increasingly absurd shapes. Then “Still Falling” came through my speakers and I thought, oh good, someone else gets it. “Forgetting the Fall” is the sound of someone who believed the adults had everything under control, then grew up and realized nobody really does. Cox doesn’t dress this up…

Cloud’s “In My Dream” Hits Hard with Nirvana Inspired Dynamics

Barrington
Cloud

Cloud has released “In My Dream,” and it sees the songwriter work with Luis Gerardo Moreno on guitar and Alex DP on drums. The three piece create something that keeps building and building. The song moves through three sections, each one getting louder and more intense than the last. It’s that quiet to loud formula that Nirvana made famous, and Cloud understands exactly why it works so well. The guitar work here is the real star. Both Cloud and Moreno know when to hold back and when to let loose,…

Ervin Munir and Kate Swanson Team Up For “Lifeline”

Barrington
Ervin Munir

There’s a sincerity to “Lifeline” that hits deep wit Ervin Munir teaming up for this new with Kate Swanson. The track opens with piano, then Kate Swanson’s voice comes in, and it’s the kind of vocal performance that makes you stop what you’re doing and actually listen. There’s a calmness to it, but also real strength underneath. When Ervin joins her for the chorus, their voices work together in a way that feels smooth, like they’ve been singing together for years rather than this being their first collaboration. It starts…

The Here And Now’s “Riptide” Hits Hard

Barrington
The Here And Now

The Here And Now aren’t trying to ease you into anything with “Riptide”. This thing comes out swinging from the first second, and Cherry Terzza’s vocals make sure you’re paying attention whether you planned to or not. What really works here is the directness. The metaphor is right there in the title, and the band leans into it with confidence. We’ve all had that person or habit or situation that we know is bad news, but we keep going back anyway. The track captures that feeling without getting preachy about…

“Thank You” by Educatable Marks a Careful Step Forward

Barrington
Educatable

It is the first time I reviewed a song by Educatable and it is refreshing to find an artist who doesn’t let tragedy end the story. Ricky Barson’s journey with Educatable has taken him from drummer to frontman, and “Thank You” feels like the moment where he’s finally comfortable in that role. The track itself is immediately pleasant. It’s got that summer festival energy, the kind of indie pop rock that makes you nod along without really thinking about it. You can hear the Coldplay influence in the way the…

The Secret Radio Release “Mockingbird”

Barrington
The Secret Radio

I am a big of “Mockingbird” by The Secret Radio. Damian Fowler’s voice enters right as the acoustic guitar begins, no buildup or introduction. It’s like walking into a conversation that’s already happening, and you realize it’s one you need to hear. The backstory makes it even better. Fowler wrote this for a friend dealing with a terrible breakup, someone who felt like the entire world was collapsing. You can hear that in the writing. The lyrics don’t sugarcoat anything. God’s missing, the mockingbird refuses to sing, the sky is…

Minna Ora’s “Rock” Is About Being There When It Matters

Barrington
Minna Ora

Finnish singer and songwriter Minna Ora has just released “Rock,” her seventh solo single. This track hits harder than you’d think. The song is bold and gripping. It is built to move you. Minna’s vocals are powerful, sitting on top of bass tones that rumble right through you, while the drums keep everything driving forward. The guitar riffs cut through sharp and striking, giving the whole thing an edge that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. There’s this hypnotic beat that pulls you in, but it’s really the message…

Julia Thomsen Releases “The Distance That Held Us” With Marie and Hollie Kenniff

Barrington
Julia Thomsen

Julia Thomsen has teamed up with Marie and Hollie Kenniff for a new composition that feels like exactly what we need right now. “The Distance That Held Us” is out now through Nettwerk Music Group, and it’s proof of what can happen when three gifted composers share the same vision. The piece starts by building up this incredible intensity. Just when you think it’s going to keep climbing, it gently pulls you back to this quiet, still place. From that moment on, the track becomes something deeply calming. There are…

Von Venn Return With “Be Free”

Barrington
Von Venn

I’ve had Von Venn’s “Be Free” stuck in my head for days now. This Dublin band just dropped their third single from “Forgetting the Fall” and honestly, it’s the best one yet. I liked “You Can Talk To Me” and “Only In The Night” well enough, but this one hits different. There’s this rawness to it that feels necessary right now. We’re all drowning in bullshit, you know? Everyone’s got an agenda, everyone’s spinning the truth until you can’t tell what’s real anymore. And Gary Cox just comes right out…

Ervin Munir Is Back With “I Don’t Care”

Barrington
Ervin

Norfolk folk singer Ervin Munir just released “I Don’t Care” on September 19th, and I’ve had it on repeat. It’s giving us a preview of his third album coming up. The whole vibe of the song is about ignoring what everyone expects from you and just doing your thing. We all know that feeling when people try to tell us how to live our lives, right? Ervin totally gets it. His voice has this really nice warmth to it that draws you in. The acoustic guitar carries most of the…