There's a breathy vocal, and then there's Hongza. A British Asian singer songwriter, Hongza combines ethereal guitar sounds with his vocal softly woven in, creating music that feels like you're floating on a sea of sound. The Noise is his latest offering and it stays true to his sound in both name and nature. I have to admit that I can't hear the lyrics so I don't really know the context of this song, but that seems to be almost the point of the dream-pop shoegaze vibe these days - a vocal so breathy that the consonants are a second thought, with the main feature being the arrangement that ebbs and flows like any good arrangement should. I had the pleasure of seeing Hongza live during the Great Escape in Brighton, performing as part of The Smithereen Takeover, and he sounds just how you would expect in a live context. The only time I would use the word 'soundscape' (that word usually grates on me) but it really is - such a combination of sounds that all reverberate together, creating an energy that carries the listener on a journey throughout. You can catch Hongza live several times this month on tour - see hongza.co.uk for details.
Listen to The Noise and other new songs on my playlist: