fourty two: Charlene Soraia

Charlene Soraia has a simply heavenly voice. Having wanted to seriously pursue music since getting a guitar at 7, she has honed her skills at Brit School, home to commercial greats such as Adele.

Bike, a personal favourite, edges its way up to a point with Charlene's vocals and a serene guitar riff before launching into a chorus, accompanied by drums and what sounds like sublime backing synths...or possibly strings? Very soothing.
Another shining example of Charlene's talent is Daffodils, which reportedly reached no. 5 in the US Folk charts on iTunes. Nice! The combination of Charlene's voice and a sleepy guitar becomes reminiscent of a slow morning wake up, drifting in and out of sleep, aware that you've got stuff to do, but not really caring.

Don't think that Soraia isn't afraid of speed though. In tracks such as Lemonade she takes it up a notch and adds a tumbling, stop and start pace to it that ear marks the slightly twee title as something to remember.

Listen to Bike here.

fourty one: Alan Pownall

There's no denying that Alan Pownall is extremely good-looking, but let's just take a break from all that tireseome swooning and consider the oh so wonderful music he makes!

Although on the face of it, Alan may seem to fit into the fashionable, gentile male singer/songwriter persona, he seems to have come out of his shell in months of late.
Earlier this year tracks such as Colourful Day and Heart of Hearts graced his page. Colourful Day was quiet and shy but at the same time had something to say. Lyrics such as "It's rude to point/But attention's what I want/And she told me that I look like David Bowie" really caught the attention and moved you, the listener, with an ease that I still personally find completely addictive.

Heart of Hearts ran in the same vein, Pownall's lyrics retaining a simplistic memorability that seems to be unique to him and him alone. The content seems to be about not quite knowing what's happening around you, there are several questions raised throughout the duration, that act as witticisms, bound to play a smile across your face ("Do you wear those big boots to keep your feet on the ground?"). There's also a certain rhythm to the track that makes it a shoe in for any slow dance you'd like to introduce to a party.

A fair few months ago however, Alan introduced a couple of new songs to listeners. Slide Through The Walls stuck out like a very bolshy, very different thumb. It had an edge to be reckoned with and certainly stands out in any context. Danger and intrigue shine out as Pownall plays and this sustains throughout the whole track. The 'breakdown' towards the end is very effective in raising the song out of its, already high, grounding. Once again the lyrics are strong, but this time calculating and snarling "I was cold, you were shy/You were never one to turn it on".
The second of the more recent songs, The Others, is more comparable to the earlier material. With added violins and what sounds like a record on a turntable, The Others has a crooning, wistful likeability to it that is delicious and relaxing all at the same time.

Listen to Slide Through The Walls here.

fourty: Bark Cat Bark

Bark Cat Bark is an odd name for what Josh Todd is up to. Inspired by greats such as Beirut and Final Fantasy, you'd expect something to do with geography or literature when you hear his music. Mostly instrumental, Josh has made two albums to date, Puzzlewood and Rest In Tale, released on Still Muzik.

Poi in Puzzlewood, the first track from Puzzlewood is a bouncey opening to the album that perks up your ears and spreads a smile of your face, ready for any adversities that may crop up during your day.

Josh Todd's myspace home showcases a few of his tracks. One of these includes Lac Pavin, which Josh personally reccomends in his blog. The song itself is rather mysterious, as if looking for something deep within. The rusticity of Todd's roots really shines through as the strings pick up pace, and a delicate piano whisks across the soundscape. There's also a feeling that you are being lifted up and flown across a vast area of land, as all the components of the music duck and dive into a harmoniously askew form, that will send any listener reeling.

Fallen Star is as presumed, a slow, melodious track. It appears relatively close to the end of Rest In Tale and features a beautiful vocal, like the sumptuously dizzy I Saw A Wolf amongst others.

My reccomendation would be to listen to all of Josh Todd's music, there's a huge diversity in the material, so there's most likely something in there written just for you.

Listen to Lac Pavin here.

thirty nine: Blue Roses

Blue Roses is something truly, truly gorgeous. Like a limbo between Joanna Newsom and a waterfall, Laura Groves (a former solo artist) has morphed her old material into a living, breathing being.
I managed to see Laura Groves at the Night & Day way back when, and despite the fact that on record she melted into the sea of female singer/songwriters, she stood her ground with a vocal range to strike fear into the hearts of rivals and brilliant musicianship on both the guitar and piano.
I loved her music even then (to the point that I'm suprised I didn't blog her earlier), but when I heard her new stuff played at an Emmy The Great gig in November I was flipping head over heels. Accompanied by her friend Diane (I think!) on strings and drums, Laura projected her voice a hundred times more effectively and it was more than obvious she had enthralled a fair few members of the audience.
Blue Roses is now in full swing. Two new tracks were revealed today and they do not disappoint by any measurement. I'm completely at odds as to which one is my favourite!

Does Anyone Love Me Now? flows with a sublime ease and all the elements compliment each other flawlessly. It's also a wonderful treat to the ears to hear Laura's arching and swooping vocals at the heart of the song. Does Anyone Love Me Now? is a track with a secret passion that can only be heard through the sincerity of lyrics such as "I believe in plans/I believe in maps that you drew sitting next to me".

Doubtful Comforts sinks its fingers into your muscles to relax a tense shoulder or two as Laura's voice once again dominates the foreground of the song, pulling you gently into hanging onto her every word. The use of what I think is thumb pianos also gives the impression of time, and that it is simply melting away into the background of your life. This is certainly a song to forget your cares to, mug in hand, eyelids shut.

Listen to Doubtful Comforts here (but please, please for your own good, go and listen to Does Anyone Love Me Now? on the myspace!!).

thirty eight: Paul Dixon

Paul Dixon is currently based in London "via Manchester", so I'm half assuming he's at University right now, correct me if I'm wrong.
Stumbled upon in the process of organising a new project, I instantly took to Dixon's ditties.
The two songs available to stream on his myspace are beautifully crafted and catchier than the cold I have at the moment (back off, seriously).
My personal favourite (and current "walking to college song"), Constellation, is a slow burning love song that builds on the simple beginning that Dixon marks out in the shape of a piano and his distinctive vocals. When the chorus kicks in, a bass drum, handclaps and chopping strings have joined the ensemble to create a melancholy coolness that hangs over your shoulders and may even evoke a sigh or two, the lyrics certainly reflect this idea anyway, "All we face is heartbreak/And all of this will be left".

Second track, The Hill is much more cheery and rather like the title, gets more and more delightful as it progresses, just like a hill gets higher the more you walk...see? And despite a soft opening has the pace to remind us in the dismal Winter what that thing called Summer was like all those months ago. Once again, the subject appears to be a relationship of days gone by, but there's more optimism there as Dixon croons "Why can't we stay together?"

Paul's touring in '09 and I for one am keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be gracing Manchester with his presence.

Listen to Constellation here.