Category: Songs of the Day

Song of the Day: Miracle X – The Fur (ft. GET UP Soul Choir)

Swedish Grammy-nominated artist and producer THE FUR returns with the Christmas single ‘Miracle X’. It is a re-work of the recent single ‘Miracle’ which was co-written by guest singer Tyte (known for her work with Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige), the new version offers a fresh take on the track with festive percussion and vocals from GET UP Soul Choir adding a soul and gospel feel to the pop ballad.

With an ongoing career as a classical musician, The Fur is a dance-pop project to complement his other musical endeavours. Despite only releasing music as The Fur since June 2021, the solo artist has already smashed through one million streams on Spotify and continues his growth as an artist.

The idea behind the new single ‘Miracle X’ was to expand and elaborate on the Christmas elements in the original song ‘Miracle’, with the addition of being produced in one of Sweden’s most famous recording spaces, Baggpipe studios.

Sonically, ‘Miracle X’ is a prime example of The Fur’s ear for melodies and ability to create warming, cinematic pop soundscapes which encompass both polished pop production and live instrumentation. Layering soulful gospel vocals over two pianos playing in unison, the track instantly sets an affecting, emotive tone. As the track develops introducing bass, drums and strings courtesy of Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, the gospel undertones of the track brought largely by the GET UP Soul Choir come to the fore as the ear-worm vocal line shines.

Speaking on the new Christmas single, The Fur shares: “I felt that you could do something more Christmassy with the original song. To simply make a good contribution to Christmas music. You get really tired of all the commercial Christmas music that is played everywhere. Miracle has a Christmassy message where you ask for a miracle, but it doesn’t sound like a typical Christmas song. It feels like a song you can imagine listening to at Christmas, but it stands out a little from the crowd.”

Check out the official video for ‘Miracle X’ below…

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Song of the Day: Make Sense – Eleanor

London, Ontario based singer-songwriter ELEANOR‘s debut single, ‘Make Sense,’ showcases her R&B sound, which is inflected with soul and alternative/indie influences.

Eleanor wrote ‘Make Sense’ as a bit of a lament for the experiences of her generation, impacted by inflation, recessions, and quarantine.

The song is a conversation between Eleanor and her mother, reflecting on the frustration that comes with not reaching certain milestones ‘on time,’ such as marriage and home ownership.

The rich and dreamy soul of this single provides a reminder that sour moments can be both timely and useful. It’s definitely worth a listen; check it out below…

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Song of the Day: Shell – Ritual Cloak

Following on from their second album (Divine Invasions), collaborations with Welsh poet Autumn Juvenile and Polish Artist Michal Iwanowski, plus an R.E.M cover, Daniel Barnett and drummer/producer Andrew Sanders -aka electronic postrock duo RITUAL CLOAK – present their single, ‘Shell’ which is about being in a dream where you’re constantly searching for someone but never quite finding them.

It’s an idea that’s been floating around for a few years and gone through a number of different versions before becoming what it is now. Originally Shell was written for acoustic guitar and had a completely different feel. Dan remembers re-listening to Metals by Feist and being inspired by the dramatic intimacy of the album, leading to Shell being rewritten for piano. When the song was brought to the studio Sanders suggested taking the vocals outside of the usual comfort zone.

The inspiration for this method of production was taken from Bon Iver and Mogwai, experimenting with vocoder and the deliberate use of autotune for the first time. As a result the song entered new musical territories, and served as a reminder to ourselves that there are no rules in what we do. Have a listen below…

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Song of the Day: King Of The Town – Tokeo

Coming quickly off the back of their previous single ‘Bleak Moors’, Manchester punks TOKEO continue to explore the stark realities of life amongst Manchester’s forgotten mill towns on their single, ‘King of the Town’, the final track taken from their forthcoming debut album, ‘Class Traitor.’

A cathartic triumvirate of punk, rock and rap, the quintet have distanced themselves from much of their Manchester contemporaries through their angst-fuelled take on northern post-punk, preferring instead to shed light on the discrepancies faced by those growing up in areas ignored by wider government.

Indeed, these politics, and this anger are what allow TOKEO to stand apart from a local scene too often concerned with vintage leather jackets and virtue signalling to really care about the wider local area. And on ‘King of the Town’, this vitriol really boils over. A dystopic and tongue in cheek take on misplaced admiration, it’s a blisteringly scathing attack on small-town syndrome.

With each release harbouring more piss and vinegar than the last, it’s obvious that TOKEO are a band unimpressed with the current way the UK is heading, and we shouldn’t be too. At a time when the costs of living are soaring, and the UK government is nothing more than a self-spiralling shit show, the outlook is bleak, and while the band might not offer any respite from that, they certainly provide some much needed catharsis. Have a listen to ‘King of the Town’ below…

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Song of the Day: Twin Flame – Moniah

Melodic, bold and forthcoming, MONIAH‘s latest single ‘Twin Flame’ pulls the listener into a deep-water experiential love. The song’s dark tone is coupled with her airy and soft vocals as the synth bass will no doubt takes the prospective listener to a vulnerable place.

Written and co-produced by Moniah with Rob Wilks and Oli Middleton, the release of ‘Twin Flame’ follows on from single ‘Spaceman’, which featured on BBC 1Xtra for several weeks. Moniah landed a gig at AllBright’s Mayfair in August 2022, confirmed as the rising star performance of the night. Listen to ‘Twin Flame’

Moniah says of her single:“This song was written in my truest and honest self. It used to be scary being so vulnerable
but it’s getting easier. I hope it resonates with al open hearts.”

Have a listen to ‘Twin Flame’ below…

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