I love spending my free time mining through YouTube and Spotify looking for brilliant musicianship. No matter the genre, if it connects with me, it goes on my playlist.
Here are 4 artists that I think deserve more attention:
4. Devon Gilfillian
Devon Gilfillian is an artist I just discovered very recently. After hearing his Al Green-esque track "Hear and Now" on his EP, I knew immediately that the sky's the limit for him. He has an honest voice, and some serious guitar talent.
"Travelin' Blues" is a rootsy song, featuring intense slide guitar work. "Lucy" is another one of my favorites, a passionately sung track with affective backup vocals and a wonderfully twangy acoustic guitar. He's recording his full album at Capitol Records right now, which I am highly anticipating!
3. Curtis Harding
Curtis Harding's music is vintage soul supercharged for the 21st century by featuring an eclectic mix of other influences (gospel, rock, and blues, just to name a few). His first album was released in 2014, aptly titled "Soul Power." Driven by a versatile voice, its highlights are the excellent opening track "Next Time," the wonderfully upbeat "Keep on Shining," and the optimistic "Heaven's On the Other Side."
Harding's 2017 album "Face Your Fear" is another banger. The title track features a dreamy falsetto vocal and a brilliant orchestral arrangement. "On and On" might be my favorite track from Harding; I love the Curtis Mayfield-esque use of bongos and the catchy falsetto vocals. Then again, "Need Your Love" is an instant classic, and features brilliant bass guitar work.
While Curtis has sung back-up for CeeLo Green and opened for Lenny Kravitz, he has the talent to be a headliner.
2. Alvvays
I'd best describe Alvvay's style as "dream pop," because their knack for writing gorgeous melodies is almost unbelievable. They released their self-titled debut album in 2014, but I had not heard it until a few months ago. Their debut has been in heavy rotation ever since, along with their 2017 release "Antisocialites."
The lead vocalist, Molly Rankin, has an irresistible voice, equal parts calming and compelling. The guitar work from their debut, especially on songs like "Archie, Marry Me" and "Party Police," is affective without having to be overly complex. Both albums are a brisk 33 minutes each, but they're chock-full of gems. My favorite may be "Dreams Tonight," from their 2017 release, a magnificently produced song.
1. Durand Jones & The Indications
Durand Jones & The Indications, a retro-soul group, released their self-titled debut album in 2016. I stumbled upon their album on Reddit, under the category of "Sounds Vintage." Within the first 30 seconds of their opening track "Make a Change" I was hooked. The Indications personify soul music, and are the reason why I've come to absolutely love the genre. The vocals are heartfelt, and the instrumentation is top-notch. The drums are vibrant, guitar and keyboards skillful, and the horns are indispensable.
A couple of my favorite tracks are "Can't Keep My Cool" and "Is It Any Wonder?" The former is a passionate slow jam; it's a track that would've fit right in at 1960's Stax Records. The latter is sung by the drummer, Aaron Frazer, and his silky-smooth vocals would undoubtedly impress the great Smokey Robinson.
I HIGHLY recommend listening to the deluxe edition of their debut album, which features brilliant live performances.
Check out the artists on Spotify here. I hope you've enjoyed reading, and let me know what you think of my selections!
