Album review: The Fireflys - Embers of The Autumn // Song review: The Fireflys - Release/Repeat. Glowing, atmospheric and sentimental rock music that sets the house on fire

Pure and natural. Artless and genuine. With its inimitable sentiment, its engaging honesty and warmth in sound, acoustic music strikes a chord in us. It reaches the hindmost corners of our mind, imbues each fibre of our heart and soul with euphonious melodies, unfolds atmospherically whilst its poignant and heartfelt tonal spirit evokes a tense atmosphere per se, whilst its natural and harmonic arrangement preludes to a story yet to be told within the music's vocal, lyrical guise. Acoustic compositions commonly come in with a minimalist yet expressive, impressive even, melodic conception, merge smooth but passionate, energetic, often guitar-driven, components to create an inspiring and unaltered sound. A sound that stimulates and sparks one's senses and imagination …

carmina charm #2

Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony? 

- Leonardo DaVinci

It's harmony that your soul and mind embraces again when listening to music. As sound surrounds you, only some melodies firmly resonate with you, get an immediate emotional response - whilst their approach is a smooth and soft one, whilst they slowly, carefully but steadily cling to you, these melodies eventually grab you with an intensity and force that overwhelms, that fully absorbs and stirs. It's these very melodies that are in chime with your mind and soul, it's music that leaves an imprint on your being and mesmerizes ... music that charms. 

III. Higher Laws 

Lovely liverpool 5-piece Little Grace graces 'Burn The Manual's 'The Critics Favourites' section

A gig review: Passionate psychedelic bliss - The Brew & Kismet Ryding in Bochum (March 20th) // An exciting and amusing interview with the Grimsby 4 piece rock outfit Kismet Ryding

It's dark, the venue is crowded and 'Last Night Stains' imbues the air, echoes energetically and sets in as a sonorous torrent of sound ... the Grimsby rock outfit is already more than halfway through their set, the energy is high, still, and so is the concert goers' eager expectancy. One that Kismet Ryding pleases, both boldly and brilliantly. Mike's voice comes upon the audience with a thrusting tonal might, resonates in an at times fierce and feisty, in an at times rasping and orotund fashion, his presence on stage features a refreshing ease and confidence, proves his vocation as the band's vocalist right (the occasional air guitar 'gimmicks' are a memento of Mike's erstwhile music ambition, are nonetheless carried out with contagious charisma and enthusiasm). The quartet's impetuous yet firm instrumental formula, their keen and stirring vibe as a whole takes the crowd in and by storm. Kismet Ryding are verily no 'one-man'- show! - it's quite the opposite: each member plays a defining part in the band's balanced, harmonic and passionate live performance, contributes to both their equally incisive as vivacious musical signature and their characteristically sharp and infectious music making. It's music making that thrills and stimulates the listeners' ear canals tremendously: dynamic and piercing riffage mingles with rousing and vigorous drum beats, coalesces with trenchant bass sequences and poignant, deep-toned backing vocals. As the foursome's vibrant and orotund, their avid but controlled live show evolves, it's Mike's (stage) spirit that insistently resonates with the crowd and leaves no room to wonder whether it has been his kismet to fill the role as Kismet Ryding's frontman or not: concert goers hang on his every word (Tom himself concedes great scope and appeal to Mike's lyrics and phrasing), are hooked by his vocal vigor and verve. Eventually, the immense tonal momentum created, is the sum of each ryder though, colouring the band's psychedelic and bluesy music by adding vehement, vibrant and edgy layers of sound - and this strongly shows in Kismet Ryding's live performance. 

carmina charm

There are these never-tiring, always fascinating and highly atmospheric, poignant songs you rapidly warm up, you inevitably lose your heart to and ever since are held captive by. It's the songs that linger on, that are absorbing in there mere presence, are endearing and haunting in sound to an extent that you find yourself humming their melody, whilst inviting and expressive vocals, vocals which tell of colourful, eidetic and inspiring stories, keep playing on your mind, might go unheard by others yet move and stir your soul. You're taken in by these heart-warming and expressive songs, by their catchy and dynamic rhythms and can't help but vocalizing your genuine affection and enthusiasm for the magical music moments these compositions have granted you. It's these very moments I want you to relive with me - accompany me on a musical journey and find what music gems have made a lasting impression on me, have struck a chord with me in the long run, have awaken the desire and wish to pay tribute to them in a decent manner. This is how carmina charm has seen the light of day, to pronounce and award songs which charm, enchant and involve, whose melodies resound and resonate with the listener, therefore are destined to indulge in. Now, let these alluring, deep-felt and thrilling melodies turn on their charm and be mesmerized ...

I. Michael's Garden

Tom Mitchell