The Lockdown Listener Volume 1

As the lockdown rumbles on, the pleasure of enjoying music and taking the time to discover new tunes has never been greater. Please find below a selection of the songs that I have been playing throughout lockdown for your ears to enjoy (all available on Spotify)!


Izzy Bizu – Work -  The lyric “Gotta work to get by but I can’t work no more” may feel uncomfortably relevant at the moment but any parallels with lockdown living are quickly forgotten as you take in Bizu’s rumba soaked soulful sound on this new single which makes summer feel just around the corner.


Ty Segall – My Lady’s on Fire – You’d be forgiven for writing this off as plodding mournful folk until it comes to life at 00:42 with a strutting bassline and saxophone that lift Segall’s lilting lyrical delivery with unforgettable confidence.


The Magic Gang – Believe in Yourself (Arthur Theme Song) – It takes something special to transform (even a much loved) children’s show theme into a pop song that feels, well, grown up. The Magic Gang manage it here and transform this popular theme in to a hazy nostalgia drenched number perfect for accompanying a sunny day.


Andy Shauf – Neon Skyline – Shauf is well known for his observational lyrics and this track is a perfect example as he reminisces on tales from an evening in an understated delivery that owes a debt to ‘Transformer’ era Lou Reed.


Teleman – Melrose -  If you’ve never heard of the brilliant Teleman then 2016 album ‘Brilliant Sanity’ is a great place to start and this track, a spacy melodrama, is one of that record’s finest moments.


The Jaded Hearts Club – This Love Starved Heart of Mine (It’s Killing Me) – Never has a song so wrenched in heartache sounded so damn funky! Launching in with an Impressions-esque riff, the supergroup return with this new single (ahead of their much anticipated album release) which takes the Motown sound and re-invents it with a jagged guitar driven edge.


Howie Payne – In Dreams – The second offering from the EP of the same name (due in May) is another highly enjoyable psychedelic swirl from the Liverpool based singer songwriter.


Gerry Cinnamon – Head in the Clouds – Taken from new record ‘The Bonny’, this acoustic ballad shows what Cinnamon does best. “Rough as a stone, light as a feather, you’re on top of the world, do you smile looking down on side with a lover” he drawls in his thick Scottish lilt over a gently ambling acoustic guitar.


Laura Marling – For You – Closing new album ‘Song for our Daughter’, this track is one of Marling’s best to date. Doo wop backing vocals, a softly strummed guitar and incredible accordion solo back Marling’s beautiful lead vocal to create a stunning melodic atmosphere.