Iris - Single Review: Bold
At just twenty years of age, singer/songwriter and producer Iris has burst onto the scene looking and sounding like an almost fully formed pop star. Her debut single, Bold, is part of a collaboration with producer and filmmaker Charles Lutman made of videos that are as much short films in themselves as they are music videos.
While Iris cites a wide range of artists as influences - including David Bowie, Kanye West, and Sia - it’s more the modern minimalist, synth-driven indie sound that shines through. The beginning of the video for Bold, with soft strings in a minor key and an opening shot of waves on a beach, definitely has echoes of Lana Del Rey.
There are many young pop stars with that same indie feel to their voice that Iris could be compared to, but she separates herself from the crowd by being unafraid of her higher range and by letting her voice speak for itself. Even vocal harmonies are few and far between, and the instrumental arrangement is uncluttered and soft.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Bold is that its hook is completely wordless - Iris’ pure, breathy voice soars through a the same few trills over fuzzy, abstract sounding chords. Iris herself describes songwriting as a supernatural experience, and she shares that with the listener. With or without the video, this pensive but hopeful reflection on technology’s effects on human interaction is a fresh and beautiful debut.
Other Reviews By emilyriordan
Lexytron - Single Review: Couples
24 Oct 2019 // by emilyriordan
Auckland singer-songwriter Lexytron’s fourth single Couples is a catchy, upbeat song about the loneliness that singledom can bring. Lexytron says “sometimes being alone is liberating but sometimes it downright sucks”, and Couples embraces the downright suck side of being alone, in a song with a much lighter feel than her releases to date.
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Ashley Alexander - Single/Video Review: Nicotine
18 Oct 2019 // by emilyriordan
Paraparaumu’s Ashley Alexander introduces his second single, Nicotine, a jazzy, slickly produced number accompanied by a delightful music video.Following up from debut single Best Song, Nicotine builds on Ashley’s funky sound with a piano-centric arrangement featuring lush backing vocals and infectious beats.
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The Kendals - Single Review: Passion
08 Oct 2019 // by emilyriordan
Auckland three-piece The Kendals have released their debut single Passion, a dreamy synth-pop track looking at the experience of falling in love from a different angle. The Kendals are Lucia Zara, Michael Redwood, and James Dalton.
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Gig Review: James Reid @ 4th Wall Theatre, New Plymouth - 18/09/2019
29 Sep 2019 // by emilyriordan
On a quiet Wednesday night, singer-songwriter James Reid (best known as the frontman of Kiwi icons The Feelers) brings his Songbook Tour to the 4th Wall Theatre in New Plymouth.The theatre is packed and the stage is set sparsely with a chair, an amp, two guitars, and a songbook on a stand.
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Gig Review: Hunt the Witch @ The Mayfair, New Plymouth - 20/07/2019
14 Aug 2019 // by emilyriordan
Auckland four-piece rock outfit Hunt the Witch brought their 'Strange Gods' tour to New Plymouth’s Mayfair on July 20th, promoting the album of the same name. Strange Gods is Hunt the Witch’s first full-length release, following 2015’s EP Into the Black and 2017’s single Afterburner.
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Gig Review: Albi & The Wolves @ Kakaramea Hall - 27/07/2019
14 Aug 2019 // by emilyriordan
Alt-folk trio Albi & The Wolves, led by vocalist and guitarist Chris Dent, have been making waves throughout New Zealand in the last several years - and for good reason. They brought their show to Kakaramea Hall, just south of Hawera in Taranaki, supported by Swiss-Kiwi loop artist Sonic Delusion.
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Unknown - Single/Video Review: Gambling on Love
08 Apr 2019 // by emilyriordan
Three Feathers are an Oakura duo established in 2013 and made up of Mike Lee and Mae Silver. Gambling on Love is the third single from their debut album, which is due for release later in 2019.
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Fanfickk - Single Review: Pity Party
27 Feb 2019 // by emilyriordan
Fanfickk describes herself as an idealist. Since her debut EP Stay Shy in 2016, she has released a handful of lush, dreamy synth based songs with punchy drums and rich harmonies that let that idealism shine through.
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