I fall in love with books very easily, but it's very rarely a book sticks with me and I want to read that book over and over again. However, Jane Costello's'Girl on the Run' is one of the few that I have this relationship with. I first read this book a few years ago and I just loved it. The characters are incredibly believable along with their relationships with each other. Okay, so parts may be slightly over dramatised but then it's a book, they're supposed to be otherwise they'd be boring.
Abby Rogers is my hero. She works hard but exercise isn't really her thing until hunky Oli suddenly makes a running club appealing. She's funny and has plenty of awkward moments that make me love the character as she isn't all sophisticated. Not only is it the characters that stick with me, but the reason to the novel. There are some heavier topics within the book and I think Jane Costello explores the topics really well and it's this story that has stayed with me. She also knows how to make small moments stay with you too.
If you're looking for something to get you back into reading then this is definitely one of those books. It's easy and quick to read and I was addicted to this when I was reading it again. It's the perfect 'chick lit' book but with more (does that even make sense?) You will love Abby and Mau along with all the other wonderful characters that Jane Costello created. It's definitely worth the read and won't disappoint.
Have you read 'Girl on the Run' or another of Jane Costello's novel's? What did you think?
The other night I was contacted asking if I wanted to write a post about Delaney Gibson. In all fairness, I hadn't really heard of her before, but when an opportunity rises to discover new music, I have a very open mind. I was sent some information about her work, but I always like to do my own research and so this post is all my own thoughts and opinions on Delaney Gibson's latest single 'Stars'.
Delaney Gibson has a very unique quality to her voice, similar to that of artists such as Florence and the Machine and one of my favourite singers, Paloma Faith. It sounds very theatrical which I actually quite like in this song, as it portrays very vivid images. You also cannot deny the fact that Delaney Gibson sounds absolutely amazing on the track. She has that very powerful and strong voice that is very easy to identify as she sounds like no one else. I also like the message behind the song. It's upbeat and positive about chasing your dream and there's a lot of lyrics that stand out to me. 'You've got the stuff that stars are made of, yeah you've got the stuff, you're enough," is a line from the chorus and I think that's one thing that we forget about. If there's one lyric that helps you accept who you are and accept other people it's this. The song is also encouraging to chase your own dreams.
This is a song that will stick with you and not in that annoying catchy way, but it's so honest and powerful that I think it's going to be hard to forget about. I imagine this song to really blow you away when you see it in concert too. It's anthem like in a theatrical way which is different to what we usually hear on the radio. To accompany the song, a campaign was also launched to do something bold and vulnerable on your social media sites and use the #STARSCAMPAIGN. I think this is a really good idea, so if you haven't already, why don't you join the campaign yourself?
I've also listened to other tracks from her album 'Tall Like the Tree'. My favourite tracks were 'Be', 'Give Up the Ghost' which I thought had a Caro Emerald feel to it. I also really liked 'I Deserve Love' a ballad with a lot of emotion and theatrics once again. Her songs have very strong characters and stories behind them which is very different to what I'm used to, but I really like it. I feel if you're into musicals you'd really love Delaney Gibson. She has that indie folk vibe to her sound on songs too, which is personally my favourite genre of music. I'd definitely recommend checking Delaney Gibson out. She's very different to any other artists that I've listened to before but it's a breath of fresh air and her voice is astonishing.
Check out Delaney Gibson's music video for 'Stars' below:
Are you already a fan of Delaney Gibson? Why not check her out on SoundCloud?
Lilygreen and Maguire hinted last night that they had a big announcement today at 5pm, and to say I was excited is an understatement. They are possibly my favourite band/duo/artists. They have this tendency to write songs that are so relatable and beautiful that I can't help but get excited about their new projects. Plus, they are incredibly lovely guys that are passionate about their music.
Their announcement was of their new EP 'Hologram' being available on iTunes now. As soon as I realised this I loaded up iTunes and instantly downloaded it. I'm never disappointed by these guys releases, because I know that they will always be amazing. I honestly don't think they've released a song that I haven't absolutely loved yet.
'Hologram' includes three tracks, the title track, 'Little Hearts' and 'Counting Cars'. 'Hologram' has that country, folk sound to it once again, and sounds a like the perfect song to sing around a camp fire. The lyrics are beautiful, about a lost love but they have this upbeat sound to it which gives the song an uplifting and positive sound to it. On the first time I played this I couldn't stop smiling knowing that these guys are doing exactly what they do best. Their songs are incredibly catchy too, and they hold that authentic acoustic sound that they absolutely own every time. I like all the hand claps too.
'Little Hearts' depicts the story of someone having to chose what they want and your normal relationship troubles. In my opinion the song is too short, I'd love to hear more but that's probably because I'm greedy and can't get enough of their sound. It has that same folky sound to it, their voices seem to have matured a lot since their previous releases and you can definitely hear their growth in the lyrical content. I like all the little 'la, la, la' parts, it makes it sound more authentic and personal, rather than just having music filling the gaps.
'Counting Cars' the guys placed this song on their YouTube channel a while back now and I've been obsessed with it since I first heard it, so to be able to own it now, makes me very happy. It is such a beautiful song. I get shivers listening to this song, and its one of those songs that you sit and really listen to the story being told, which is one of my favourite things about it.This is probably one of my favourite songs I've heard this year.
I'm so happy that they are back and with new music. One thing guaranteed with Lilygreen and Maguire is that what ever it is you hear on their studio releases, going to see them live in concert, they will sound exactly the same. They don't use any gimmicks, or hide behind anything. If you like that acoustic, folk approach to music then I would definitely check these guys out. I can't wait to see what Lilygreen and Maguire have in store for the future but if these new songs are anything to go by, I know that it will be amazing.
Check out Lilygreen and Maguire's 'Counting Cars' below:
If it hasn't been clear, growing up I was obsessed with One Tree Hill. Not only did I love the characters and stories on the show, but it also had really good music on the show too. A lot of those artists I have followed through their career, such as Tyler Hilton, Gavin DeGraw and Kate Voegele. Recently, Kate Voegele released a new EP called 'Wild Card' and I thought I'd share my thoughts.
It's been a couple of years since she released 'Gravity Happens' and I've been eagerly waiting for some new music from Kate and her latest EP doesn't disappoint. The opening track, 'Just Watch Me' sees her delve into a more country folk vibe. It's definitely a sort of reflective song about where you are and where you want to go. Kate isn't afraid of changing styles with her music and somehow it doesn't come across as her changing to fit what people want to hear or what will be popular, but it just seems to show the growth of her music and where she is. After listening to this song a few times, I really love this song, it's like a reminder that you've got plenty of time to figure out where you want to be and who you want to be.
'Carousel' the track is a little edgier than everything else that appears on her EP and has a hint of the vibe that she had in her debut album 'Don't Look Away'. It's a little quirky, but has that country hint to the sound once again. If there was a single thing that I love about Kate Voegele it's her 'break up songs'.
'Ooh La La' is perhaps one of her sweetest songs, it's almost describing that moment when you fall in love, the melody of the song demonstrates that for me. Kate has a unique sound to her voice, in my opinion, and that's what got me interested in her music. She doesn't have the classic pop voice that you hear everywhere, but has this very unique quality that manages to captivate you and draws an audience in. Her songs also tell a story but their stories that we can all relate to, this is also shown in 'Caught Up In You (Feat. Inland Sky) which is incredibly romantic. Their two voices melt together heavenly. It's like nothing that I've heard Voegele do before and shows a softer side to her voice. It's almost angelic when they join together on the chorus.
The final track on the EP is a cover of 'When I'm Gone' from 'Pitch Perfect'. I actually really like her version and how she's changed the song. It's been slowed down and sounds a lot more meaningful, Kate seems to have more power behind the words she's singer. I may just prefer this to the original which is saying a lot.
This EP, for me, shows how versatile Kate Voegele's talent is, even though she doesn't demonstrate that power from songs like 'Kindly Unspoken'. It's definitely got me excited for what she'll be doing next. To me, she's got a lot more to say and this is just the beginning for her return.
Check out Kate Voegele playing 'Just Watch Me' live below:
Are you a fan of Kate Voegele? What's your favourite song off the new EP?
Honestly, I have literally spent the entire day listening to Taylor Swift's'1989' on repeat. There's not many albums where I just sit and listen to the album back-to-back for hours on end but this album is incredibly addictive. Taylor Swift is always ahead of the game, in my opinion. She made Country Music cool, and after owning that she switched it up to pop and experimented a little with an indie style with 'Red'. Her latest release, '1989' shows her exploring sounds of the 80's and making it cool again.
The opening track, 'Welcome to New York' reminds me of 'The Carrie Diaries' every time I listen to it, which is a good thing suggesting the type of style she has aimed for. I wasn't too fussed on the song when I first heard it but now it's one of my favourites. I dare you to sit still whilst listening to the track, it's near enough impossible. She also teamed up with Ryan Tedder on the track so it's no wonder that the song has grown on me.
The album is full of dance beats, but not like the techno and dub-step sounds that we've heard in recent years, it's for me, that classic pop sound. Despite it being the perfect soundtrack for getting ready for a night out when you listen to the lyrics it's actually really amazing and relatable too. There's no doubt that Taylor is one heck of a good story teller with her lyrics. With this album she's not only switched up the genre of music that she's tackled, for me her lyrics show growth. No longer does she seem to have that naive girl sound to her. She seems to have grown up and whilst the songs are fun and innocent they no longer seem too cheesy, however they hold on to that optimistic approach.
'Style' is quite possibly my favourite dance track on the album, I just love 'you've got that James Dean daydream look in your eye' lyric, I've been singing it all day. 'All You Had to do was Stay' is another favourite. I don't normally like it when artists use that synthesised sound which she's used for 'stay' but I think it works incredibly well with this song. 'I Wish You Would' its a very optimistic song, in my opinion, almost like a daydream. It's like when you've been sat thinking about that person who you once had something with and just hoping they'll come back. I also love the lyrics again of 'you always knew how to push my buttons'. That's what I like about Taylor Swift's music, no matter what song you listen to you always pick up on a particular lyric which you love or relate to.
If you were to ask me what my favourite track on the entire album is, normally it would be a hard question for me to answer. But for me, the stand out track is 'Wildest Dreams'. It's sounds incredibly romantic and haunting, it's literally like a dream. It also sounds more grown up. We see a lower side of Swift's voice at the beginning which I love on the song. I hope that this is released as a single because I genuinely think it would fly. If it does, just reflect back to this post where I called it.
'This Love' is another slower track. It gives me chills listening to it. Again it shows growth and maturity in Taylor. It's the first album of hers where I haven't been trying to guess who each song is about and I don't know if it's because she's kept her private life, private. But I've found I've enjoyed the album a lot more. I haven't wanted to know who she's writing about and I know a lot of other articles are trying to guess, but my question is, who cares? Every love song written is about someone but we don't question who other artists are writing about. So can't we get over this?
Obviously you can't write a review about her album without talking about 'Shake It Off' it was definitely the right song to promote the album. It shows just how 'pop' the album is and also has that 80's beat and edge to it. I would definitely recommend this album regardless of what you're usual taste in music is. It doesn't really sound anything else out there currently and you will no doubt not be able to turn the album off.
Check out the music video for Taylor Swift's'Shake It Off' below:
