Robert O'Connor - Real Good Fight

The more and more I think about it, the more I gravitate toward music that stands for something. Whether it be catharsis, expressing emotions that we are able to connect with, or empowering people and reminding us that we aren't alone out there. We get so wrapped up in the day to day grind that we forget that through it all, we are fighters and we are survivors. Robert O'Connor is here to remind us that as many shots as life and the universe want to take at us, as long as we're willing to stand tall and continue the fight, we're never really alone in this world. It takes perseverance and determination but with drive and people in our lives that matter; there's not much we can't do.

I think the video for this song is an incredible representation of what it's like to walk around this world as an adult with all the stresses we have on us. At the same time it's a spectacular reminder of how we can dig deep within ourselves and find that ounce of hope to keep climbing. We never really know just how strong we are until we're put in a position to find out on our own. We often let all the little things that are simple annoyances pile up and then they become seemingly insurmountable but they're not. We just have to take a step at a time and we can get through them. It's not a flashy video. It's not over produced. It's like the song in that manner. It's exactly he treatment the song needed. I feel like there's a whole lot of Robert's heart and soul in this video and this single.

Now, let's talk about Robert as an artist. In this video, and his performance, he's every man. His voice is familiar and there's barely any post production on it. It's honest and it's full of conviction. It's like having a conversation with a friend you've not talked to in a while but everything just falls back into place. He believes in what he's saying and it comes through in his singing. He's approachable and he does this with no pretention. You can hear that he does this because there's no where else he'd want to be and nothing better that he'd rather be doing. He's not doing it because it's going to bring him fame and fortune, he does it because it's part of who he is.  I wasn't familiar with Robert before this video but I've stepped back through his other works and it's just honest songwriting and the world needs a whole lot more of that.

Robert O'Connor on the Web

Matt Taylor - Volatile

"...when did the all this silence get so loud / give me a second, I need a second to breathe before I lose my mind"

Hearing voices, opinions, attitudes from all over the world from people of all ages is one of the best things about having international access to music in today's technology driven society. Getting to hear 21 year old singer/songwriter Matt Taylor's new track, "Volatile" all the way from Brighton is one of the coolest things that's happened to me this week. Releasing his EP on 7 June, Matt is surely going to make a name for himself with his upbeat and effervescent brand of pop music. As a matter of fact, I think this track and the EP as a whole are pop perfection. Generally when I hear music that's this up, it's female vocalists I want to hear as in my ears, I appreciate more stripped down production from male vocalists but this dance/pop brand of music that Matt has created is brilliant. This can absolutely stand beside the Jonas Brothers, Bruno Mars or any other pop artist out there and this guy is 21....he's got a long career ahead of him if he keeps creating music this damn good. I am honestly in awe with this album.

So let's talk about the single, "Volatile"... The build up on this track is nuts. From his vocals from kind of speak-singing stand point to the track build up to the first pre-chorus and then just taking off. The "drop" is crazy good and the track as a whole makes me think of a roller coaster. Climbing up that first hill and then just holding on until it comes back around to the station. Matt's vocals are amazing and this song is just great. I want so much for this song to be gigantic because it's that good. The song is about a relationship that's on the rocks and that if both partners come together and talk and have open and honest communication there is still something there that can be salvaged and made good but as it stands, things are just so volatile. And as volatile things tend to do, if not cared for, they'll explode. I cannot stress how good this track is. He's doing amazing things after he charted on the Irish Singles Chart on iTunes and has actually has written songs for Ariana Grande and Charli XCX. I'll have a full review on this album when it releases June 7th.

Charli XCX - Blame It On Your Love (f. Lizzo)

I've been a fan of Charli XCX since she released her mixtape, "Heartbreaks and Earthquakes". I think she's a brilliant performer and producer. With the fame she's garnered in the past and events like sharing the stage with Miley Cyrus at the Big Weekend recently only serves to remind the world that she's a force to be reckoned with. So to have her collaborating with Lizzo is honestly the most logical step in her progression. Two powerful female artists with nothing to prove to anyone, just out there making the music they want and creating a legacy that is incredible.

"Blame It On Your Love" is Charli's latest single and it's a bouncy banger of a pop song that is so familiar in the pantheon of the world of Charli's work that it's a welcome addition to any playlist. It's about the dangers of finding yourself in a relationship that's progressing too quickly. Self sabotage is something I think we've all experienced from time to time and while it's not a positive defensive mechanism it's something that we have fallen into easily. We make decisions based on emotion that aren't necessarily positive and we explain it away because we're afraid to take ownership of those emotions. This song is a great example of those times in our lives and it's massive.

Lizzo's rap is amazing and I hope we get to see so many more songs with her included in the middle eight. Whether she's singing or rapping, she's dope af and it makes her being included so cool. I'm glad to see her getting much more recognition. I think the lyric, "I'm tryin' to catch millions, I ain't tryin' to catch feelings (bitch)" is one of the coolest I've heard in a long time. I hope she gets to be the new Nicki Minaj of including artists in tracks.

Rosie O'Sullivan - Take Me As I Am

Day after day, we are so wrapped up in presenting ourselves in the most perfectly curated view to our friends, family, fans, followers on social media and it can be toxic. It becomes pervasive in every aspect of our lives and we have to make sure we are smiling correctly, we aren't struggling too publicly with our inner demons, we are being the absolute best version of ourselves even if that means we sacrifice who we are in order to be the person that we think we need to be.

Birmingham, England native, Rosie O'Sullivan has been on a helluva journey from losing almost 250 pounds to being a semi-finalist on Britain's Got Talent, this young woman is on a journey of self discovery and self love and it's one that we all can identify with. She's being compared to Adele and Kelly Clarkson and while I see those I would say she's more Paloma Faith or Sophie Ellis-Bextor or Lizzo like. Honest, soulful, and true to herself; Rosie says, "Take me as I am or watch me walk away" and that's a lesson that we all need to have echoed daily. We spend so much time trying to be the person that everyone else wants us to be we forget that we're perfect as we are regardless of how many likes we get. This is the only life we get and chasing validation is exhausting and there are many other pursuits we need to focus on.

Songs of self empowerment are my absolute jam. They are uplifting, they're powerful and they bring light and joy into this world in a manner that we all need to hear often. We are so caught up in the daily grind that we don't have time to remember that we are loved and we are beautiful and we don't have to change or compromise to be the person that we were intended to be. Thank you, Rosie for sharing your experiences with us. Thank you for holding up a mirror and reminding us that we are strong and we are powerful.

SMALLTALK - So It Goes

 

"i’ve got nostalgia toward the time before a simple bait and switch"

 

It's not often that an existential crisis is presented in such an upbeat and poppy manner but Smalltalk has done just that with his latest single, "So It Goes". What comes after this? What does our faith tell us? What do our beliefs say? Is there a promise of a better tomorrow in an infinite lifetime of paradise or will we be sent to a "darker place"? It's not often that I tackle matters like this on the site. Most of the time, I tend to work more with music that doesn't go straight into this particular discussion but what if I didn't? What if I actually used this platform to make a dent in the taboo nature of the conversation? I spend a lot of time talking about mental health issues and looking to destigmatize that topic so why not other topics that are on the "do not talk about in public list"?

SMALLTALK aka Jakub Vanyo is a Nashville based singer/songwriter originally from Cleveland and you can hear the best of the Midwest and the South in his work. He's got that Walk the Moon feel to his work that makes him immediately accessible and it makes you smile as you're doing some introspection. "So It Goes" directly discusses what comes next. When this life is said and done and you've been interned forever, what happens next? I think we all spend a lot of time in our lives consciously or unconsciously wondering these exact questions; whether or not we discuss them openly. We are brought up in our parents particular faith or absence of and we have to make the decision when our lives become our own how we're going to proceed in life. Are we going to continue the study, are we going to explore other options or are we going to walk away from it all?

We spend so much of our lives studying who we are and what we stand for and it feels good when we find other people that have similar questions. We become part of something bigger than ourselves and it give us a renewed purpose to look for answers to those huge questions in our lives. I don't think there's a right or a wrong answer as long as we are honest with ourselves. Maybe in the end, we'll get it right or maybe we won't but at that point there's not much we can do either way. It's still good to know we aren't alone in the quest for knowledge.

SMALLTALK on the Web

Justin Ferre - Life on a Wire

It's not very often that I have a legitimate visceral reaction to an artist. It's rare, actually. But when that one out of a million artists comes along and pours every single bit of who they are and what they stand for in their music; it's magic. Lightning in a bottle. Justin Ferre is one of those very few artists that I've had to listen to his album for days on end just to be able to fully grasp what it is he's done and what this music means to be because it's special. It's raw. It's honest and it's so minimally produced that it shows just how real what he's doing is.

His voice, sonically and idealistically, is beyond reproach and what he's weaving together through his outpouring of emotion is one of the most beautiful things I've heard in a long time. He's created something that people chase all their lives and it's here in eight songs. This isn't all there is to him and I know that with this much swirling around inside of him; I would be honored to say he's one of the most important singer/songwriters of our time.  It goes to prove that sometimes all you need is a desire and a guitar and the rest falls into place. Justin Ferre is an artist from Albuquerque and I have absolutely fallen head over heels for his voice. There's so much passion and honesty to every syllable he utters. It feels like he's taken every emotion I've felt and found the most amazing way to wrap them all up in these eight tracks.

The rasp in his voice is one of my favorite things ever. It's like the raw edge of fabric or the edge of paper after you've torn it apart. When you close your eyes and listen to what he's saying and just how precise he is with his inflection it feels like everything. It's a light in the darkness. It's guiding you through your blackest days and it's pulling you up after you've fallen. It's salt of the earth. It's roots and it's leaves and it's all of those things. It's sometimes frantic and it's like there's just so much he has to say that the words are coming out at a rate he's not expecting but he's fighting to keep them all in order. It's every thing you've waited for him to say to you as you've made your way across the trials and tribulations life has thrown at you and he's wrapping his arm around you telling you that every thing will be ok.

I may be biased. I may have swooned and have had to take a minute after each of these songs to compose myself but what he's given the world is so much more than glitz and glamour. It's not sold out stadium shows. It's sitting in Grand Central Station listening to a street performer because if they don't get this out of them they'll explode. It's the tear stained notes you passed in high school to the first person that ever took your heart. It's the laughter you share with your best friends as you've had one too many drinks and you know that the next day's hangover is going to be worth it. It's the quiet moments you share because you know that there's nowhere else you should be than sitting there with them while they fall apart and are crying on your shoulder. I think this is the most important album I've heard this year. So let's talk about these tracks.



Finding
This song comes in easily and gently. It's almost as if he's asking permission to be part of your life for the next little while. And the fact that in the song he actually says he doesn't want to be a bother echoes the sentiment of the quietness of this song. Justin builds a landscape of emotion in minutes that so many people can't do in their lifetime. There's a politeness to this song that's honestly heart wrenching because it feels like he's willing to walk away from everything to give you the space to find yourself in spite of how he feels about you. He knows he doesn't want to and he knows that it's not what is necessarily easy but it's best.

Once a Day
Uplifting doesn't do this song justice. When I heard this for the first time, it was every affirmation I'd ever needed in my life. It was all the emotions I've felt in my smallest of moments when every bit of self doubt and every single feeling of worthlessness fell over me but there he was. Sitting with me. Letting me breathe. Letting me exist and reminding me that I'm not alone in this fight. It was every thing I've ever needed to hear and it was the unequivocal feeling that yes, things would get better. Every ounce of darkness was wiped away from my eyes and I could hold my head high and take that healing step forward again.

All I Hide
Simplicity and emotion. Acoustic guitars and violins combined are two of the of the most humanistic of all the instruments and he uses them like a genius in this track. There's a give and take in all relationships. When communication fails and all you have to rest on are actions and deeds, there are times when you lean on those feelings and the effort you've spent building toward today. And you are left with hope that even though you've made the best decisions you can through out it all; sometimes you have to let it go.

Fight for You
This album feels like it came from a place in Justin's life where he had to pick up the pieces of a relationship that was in the process of being dismantled. While he's heart broken that everything he's worked toward is slipping through his fingers, he knows that the best thing to do is walk away and let this man that he's loved walk away. He doesn't want to. He wants to fight. He wants to be reminded that there's something worth fighting for. That underneath all of it, there's still something there worth it all. All the pain. All the self doubt. All the conflict. It's all been worth it but he just has to look at Justin and tell him that yes, there is something there.

Under the Weather
The way the vocals are layered in this song gives so much weight and depth. They feel like the small voices in your head when you're being swallowed with self doubt and insecurity but when you think about those people in your life that have been there with you through it all, it doesn't seem so insurmountable. This song feels like so many times in my life where I've felt like I've lost my way and don't know which way to turn.

Dead Ends
The production in this song is perfection. It's Justin and his guitar. And it's beautiful. I'm taken to a time in my life when you miss someone so desperately but through geography or loss or heartbreak it feels like the whole world has fallen away. It feels like there's a person sized hole in your heart that you want to fix but you just don't know how. It's saltwater tears and hundred yard stares out across the horizon.

Falls Away
"I watch you look for tomorrow / while I'm standing right here"
Fuck. The words in this song just absolutely wrecked me. It doesn't matter how many times he walks away, you're going to take him back. This is it. There's nothing more. But he just leaves every time and you're left watching it all fall away. You know that this is right and this is good but it's never going to be enough.

Life on a Wire
When you're spending so much time balancing everything; love, career, adult responsibilities, relationships it's easy for your life to get out from under you and to feel like there's nothing left but the tightrope you're on. It feels like there's no one else that understands what you're going through and even though you stumble and fall, you have to get back up and do it all again. You brush off the bruises and the hardships and you continue fighting but when you know that you aren't alone. When you know that some one is there to catch you; it makes all the difference in the world. We all live our lives on a wire and most of us operate without a net and it's terrifying but the other side of the void isn't too far away when you've got support.

I feel like this album was a process of catharsis for Justin. I think it's going to touch a lot of people and it's going to resonate with anyone that's found them in a situation similar. I don't know any of the particulars in this album as to what his meaning was other than what I was able to personalize and infer into. I may have been in a totally different ball park of emotion but what he's been able to do is allow me the space to explore my thoughts and emotions while he lays out the soundtrack to my introspection and I'm thankful and grateful to him for that. I want you to listen to his album. I want you to buy this album. I want you to support this man because I think he's expressing things and telling stories like no one else in the music industry right now.