Blues – MELT REVIEWS

Jordan Bussell Shares New Single “If You Let Me”

UK-based singer/songwriter Jordan Bussell has released her first single in three years titled “If You Let Me.” This follows her sophomore album What You Wouldn’t Do For Me. In true Jordan Bussell fashion, “If You Let Me” is a soulful acoustic ballad that offers a sense of optimism while it tackles heavy themes. About the track, Jordan says, “I wrote this sitting with a close friend just after both of our worlds had all but fallen apart. I’d just learned the relationship I was planning my life around had been full of deception, betrayal and manipulation. My friend had also lost his relationship, his home and the future he had envisioned. We sat shell shocked and lost. Trying to support with his pain helped distract from my own.” “If You Let Me” will appear on her upcoming third album Aftershocks, which will be released at the end of September/start of October. You can listen to “If You Let Me” below:

Album Review: Jordan Bussell – Wolves & Curses

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Artist: Jordan Bussell

Album: Wolves & Curses

Genre: Folk/Indie Rock/Blues

Label: Self-released

Rating: 8/10

When an artist can successfully convey the emotions derived from a sentimental concept and teleport you to the world they’ve built through their music, it’s an experience like no other. For Plymouth, UK based artist Jordan Bussell, it’s as if this is second nature to her. Her debut album Wolves & Curses is incredibly focused with a concept that can resonate with anyone. Written, performed, and produced entirely by herself, this is a concept album that tells the tale of a relationship gone bad. A relationship that reaches its long overdue ending, and Jordan unsparingly walks the listener through the myriad of emotions felt during the process of a relationship like this. She uses the “wolf” character to represent the curse that has been thrust upon her in this fading relationship, and she sings her woes in a way that is soothing yet dark. Instrumentally this music isn’t overbearing or overproduced. It’s subtle yet contains an atmosphere that reflects a desolate wilderness where Jordan works through her solitude. When hearing this music I can just smell the smoky campfire wood, but this isn’t just someone sitting around a campfire singing “Jimmy Crack Corn,” this is Folksy Blues with a darker and more melancholy edge that at the same time doesn’t sound too defeated. Her voice, fragile yet powerful, is beautifully comforting. It’s music that can sing you to sleep, but also captivate you with its sincere content and enthralling concept that invites you into the mind of an ambitious visionary. In a world now where the “concept album” is a rare commodity, it’s refreshing hearing an album with such vision.

Written By: Steven Sandoval

Track Review: Pragnya Wakhlu – Fallin’

Artist: Pragnya Wakhlu

Song: Fallin’

Genre: Jazz/Blues/Folk/Soul

Label: Self-released

New Delhi based singer songwriter and activist Pragnya Wakhlu is not the kind of artist who wants to be pigeonholed in one category. She recognizes the endless possibilities of having an eclectic style, and her refusal to be categorized is at it’s most evident on her new single “Fallin'” which finds her departing from her previous work and exploring the realms of “Jazz” and “Soul,” and it goes over stunningly well. Featuring New Delhi born “Jazz” musicians, “Fallin'” is a more personal track about an unrealized relationship and unrequited love. We’ve all been there before right? We’ve at some point faced the pains and uncertainty of a one-sided relationship as we fall in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate the love-driven actions you give them, and Pragnya beautifully expresses these feelings with a smooth and infectious voice that will soften the hardest hearts and make anyone swoon. While the subtle but captivating saxophone and piano soar, Pragnya questions if the person she desires will ever be hers as she sings with a bit of hope regardless of her uncertainty. You’re definitely on her side when hearing this track as you cheer her on. It’s a beautiful tune. “Fallin'” will appear on her upcoming third album Lessons in Love, which will be released later in the year.

Written By: Steven Sandoval