MUSIC: Jonny Carroll - Leaving On The Light

I was introduced to Jonny Carroll's debut album 'Leaving On The Light' set to be released on the 17th June and after listening to a single song I couldn't wait to tell  you guys what I think. The US singer has created a wonderful folk album with pop hooks. The album is heart-breakingly beautiful. Written at the time when the artist was struggling with a broken engagement, you can hear in his songs the pain that he's suffered and how he's struggled.

The seven track album demonstrates Jonny Carroll opening up about his feelings whether that's at the beginning of a relationship with 'Sound of Falling' with lyrics like 'I was gone as soon as you saw it in my eyes, its the sound of falling in love' which is an incredibly romantic track. Or a slower and more tear provoking song like 'Words Unspoken' where he sings 'if you've give up hoping just let me believe'. 'February' is definitely my favourite slower track on the album, even though it's upsetting I feel like it's much more heart breaking than the rest as it's talking about the good times in their relationship and how that's now ended, 'just remember February was the best month of my life' and you realise how much pain the singer must be going through.

'Leaving on the Light' is also the name of the single from the album, this a little more upbeat in music than the rest of the album. With a more optimistic approach to lost love and not dealing with it and still wanting to stay loyal to his previous partner, 'throw away those numbers, like you through away our plans'. To me, the song is hoping that they will return with the lyrics, 'I'm staying sober and I'm leaving on the light'. But towards the end of the track it's almost as if they've come to terms with the end of the relationship, 'I'm staying sober and I'm calling it a night - wishing you goodbye'. This is probably my favourite track on the album as I just like the message of the track. The opening track, 'Painted Jars' is another upbeat track on the album with the music. In style its very typical of folk and country music with hand claps and the tone. However, again, the lyrics are still quite sad with lyrics like 'all the broken pieces on the ground'
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'When I'm Alive' is very guitar driven, and demonstrates well, Jonny Carroll's tone. He uses a very deep and sultry tone with a lot of grit behind it before switching to a much softer and gentler tone. I really like this balance and it suits the song perfectly.

The final track is 'Joshua' and I think this is the perfect end to the album. It's incredibly powerful track, in my opinion, and written beautiful as well as sung wonderfully too. I love the lyric of 'we are puppets clinging to our strings' because I feel like that's how life can get you sometimes too'. I would recommend listening to Jonny Carroll's album, 'Leaving on the Light' when it's released on the 17th June. It's a powerful album, full of heartache and will leave you feel really emotionally if you're anything like me.

Check out Jonny Carroll's lyric video for 'Leaving on the Light' below:

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MUSIC: Joshua Luke Smith - Carry Me

Today's music comes in the form of a young male artist called Joshua Luke Smith with his new single 'Carry Me'. A song about coming home and being free to be who you are, Joshua has said,
'Along my own journey I've defined home as living as the person you were born to be, free from pressures of other perceptions and your own self-depreciation. 'Home' is a identity without illusion, without the confusion of trying to be someone we are not. We all get distracted, disappointed and at times disillusioned with who we are and where we're at but there's hope in knowing you can change direction, there's hope in knowing you can always return home'.

'Carry Me' is a song about appreciating the people who stand by you throughout. Using his beautiful soulful voice for the chorus to sing about being 'free' and 'walking in the wrong direction' we can hear how gorgeous Joshua's tone is. He then raps the verses, he's captured the right balance between the two and shows off how much talent he has. With a song that has a lot of depth behind it and has been so beautifully crafted its hard to believe that Joshua has never physically written a single line of his songs but has clearly not allowed his dyslexia hold him back when it comes to his poetry and artistry.

A song about peer pressure as a teenager the music video portrays this message beautifully. We see a group of teenagers out late at night getting drunk and fooling around until someone takes things too far and one of the boys can't handle the pressure to be someone he isn't even if it means fitting in. The video is beautifully shot showing clips of the boys mother crying at home looking at pictures of him as a  young boy before he returns home sitting on the door step visibly upset with the person he's become. It's an incredibly inspiring song and music video. I love that the message is powerful and something that we can all relate to. Joshua Luke Smith is definitely someone we should be keeping an eye one as he simply oozes talent.

Check out Joshua Luke Smith's music video for 'Carry Me' below:

MUSIC: James Robb - Flamethrower

Today's music post, introduces British singer-songwriter James Robb to you with his single 'Flamethrower'. With a musical family, James Robb learnt from a young age to craft his song writing and musical style to what suits him best which is demonstrated beautifully in Flamethrower taken from his upcoming EP.

The song describes 'the horrible feeling when you know one of you cares more than the other' with lyrics such as 'you're love it hurts, why don't you want me now?' the song is heartbreakingly beautiful. Reminding me a little of Shawn Mendes but a little more broken hearted, James Robb's music has a pop/r'n'b feel and with his soulful voice he makes you feel everything that he's feeling too.

Having created a go to break up song with r'n'b beats which also has a soothing lullaby feel to it, James Robb 'Flamethrower' will help you through a tough breakup. With a topic that is so easy to relate to, be that being in a relationship where  you're being burned or dealing with unrequited love, this is definitely you're new go to song.

Check out James Robb's 'Flamethrower' below:

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