Zachary Mason is a 28-year-old artist from the UK who is very good at music. “5…4…3…2…1…” is his new three-song record, and it’s a great piece of work. It tells a big story about space to talk about simple human feelings, like the hard but necessary move toward change. Even big music sites like Rolling Stone En Español have checked out Mason’s music! His songs have been doing great on music lists, even hitting lucky spot No. 13 on Groover’s charts. Also, cool movie and TV folks have used his music, which just goes to show that his creative ideas are top-notch and people really love them.

Mason’s dedication to making music is clear. Since 2021, he has created more than 200 rough song ideas, working with both acoustic and electric guitars, as well as keyboards. This huge amount of effort has given him the ability to mix many different music styles. He builds detailed songs with deep meaning, often reminding people of great music artists he loves, such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and The Beatles. This EP is clearly the result of years spent learning how to build strong, clever songs.

The first track, “5…4…3…2…1…”, sets up the record’s main story. It uses a mix of rock and spacey, dream-like sounds to create a feeling that is both huge and immediately urgent.Even though the song describes a serious situation—leaving a dying world—the music is surprisingly fun and full of quick energy. This clever contrast, where a heavy idea is matched with a cheerful sound, is a key part of the song’s style. It features a fast, powerful beat and a strong, grooving bass line that gives the feel of a ship pushing off into the sky. The guitar sounds are bright and full of effects, helping to paint a clear picture of high speed and cosmic movement.

This opening track is really a deep look at a very important moment of choice and self-reflection. It uses the idea of leaving a planet to talk about all the big changes we have to make in our own lives. It’s all about that moment when you just know you have to walk away from something bad—like a messy habit or a relationship that’s over—because staying just won’t work. The main point of the song is a loud little shout to protect yourself. It says that real, fresh starts happen when you finally choose to face a scary new path instead of staying cozy with an old situation that was hurting you. It is a loud announcement that you are moving on toward a new hope, no matter how scary that first step feels.

5…4…3…2…1…

Next up is “The Funky Martians,” and this one changes the whole vibe, fast! The EP goes from deep thinking to straight-up, happy fun. This song is awesome right away, showing off a super energetic and skilled version of funk rock. What makes it so cool is its quick, bouncy, and busy beat that just sticks in your head and is crazy fun. The bass is the real hero here—it keeps the whole song dancing with a busy, bouncy rhythm that makes everything sound so funky. The guitars are quick and punchy, adding a little feel to the beat before they blast off into beautiful, soaring rock melodies.

The deeper message of “The Funky Martians” explores the powerful feeling of new ideas and total life change. It uses the “Martians” as a clear symbol for anything outside the normal, expected parts of life—a new person, a new way of thinking, or a new intense hobby. The “funk” is the loud, happy energy that comes from meeting this strange, wonderful new viewpoint. The main thing the song is saying is a big, fun shout to ditch what’s boring and safe. It’s basically saying, “Lighten up and just dance!” It wants you to forget the plan and ride the happy wave of whatever fun surprises pop up. The song is cheering for the idea that if you always follow the straight lines, you miss out on the big joy and freedom that comes from saying “Heck yes!” to the cool, weird stuff in the world.

The Funky Martians

The very last tune on the album, “Earthsick,” gives the whole thing a sweet, quiet finish. It’s like the music takes a deep breath and chills out. The sound kind of floats back to a dreamy, spacey vibe. We stop thinking about the actual trip and start focusing on the little heavy feelings that are hiding inside. The music feels big and a bit wistful, with slow, cozy chords and instruments that seem to whisper back, giving you a lovely feeling of vast, open space. The drumming is easy and steady, like a soft heartbeat. But the guitar is the main focus—it plays slow, sweet, and beautiful melodies that just seem to float gently through the big, open sound. It nails that feeling of really wishing for something and having a huge, quiet spot that wants to be full.

This last track gets real honest about feeling a bit sad and that weird feeling when you miss your old stuff. It’s not just about being miles away from a house, but about feeling out of touch with your old life and who you used to be. The music is a gentle whisper that even if leaving was absolutely the right move, packing up always costs you a tiny bit of your heart. It taps into that universal feeling of wanting what’s familiar, even if that familiar spot was a little rough or blue. The deep takeaway here is that starting a better, new story is never a totally clean page; it’s always followed by the quiet, sad reminder that you can never truly hit rewind on the history you walked away from.

Earthsick

The “5…4…3…2…1…” EP is just a super good and complete bunch of tunes. Zachary Mason is clearly great at this, putting together clever ideas with a sound that is seriously polished. This music takes you through three main vibes: the strong urge to get moving, the happy kick of a fresh start, and the calm, gentle sadness of looking back. It’s a well-made piece of music all about making big life changes, growing up a bit, and taking that tough but needed road toward something better. If you want music that is smart and feels real, you should totally listen to this EP. It’ll stay with you long after the last song finishes.

For more, follow Zachary Mason on Spotify, Zachary Mason on Instagram, zacharymasonmusic.com

Rebecca Downes, the Birmingham-based powerhouse of modern blues-rock, has released her sixth studio album, A Storm Is Coming, and the title is less a warning and more a defiant declaration. This ten-track collection is the most complete and fearless expression of Downes’ artistry yet, offering a thunderous journey from intense emotional pressure to ultimate self-preservation.

For fans of artists like Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, and Beth Hart, this album is a contemporary rock essential with a deep, soulful heart. At its core, this record is a perfect example of telling a modern story. It focuses on how strong people can be (resilience). The songs were written with Steve Birkett, who they have worked with for a long time.

These songs look at hard relationships, not just between people, but also with the world around us. Downes and Birkett create a story that everyone can relate to (universal narrative). In this story, the “storm” means things like a broken heart, problems at work, and the worry that comes with hard times. The journey is about getting through the storm to finally see things clearly.

Falling Into You

The album is strong because of its careful emotional path. This path takes the listener through the journey, starting with a feeling that a fight is about to happen. The loud music immediately starts the feeling of stress and pushing back. The album kicks off with the big song “A Storm Is Coming.” This first song is like a big statement. It has huge guitar parts (riffs), loud organ music, and Downes’ powerful singing. It announces the choice to stop just watching and instead stand up to take back control.

This defiant energy is pushed forward by tracks like “Never Gonna Take You Back” and “Hold The Reins.” These high-velocity, muscular blues-rock moments focus entirely on self-possession and grit, celebrating the strength found in walking away and setting firm boundaries with choruses clearly meant to be shouted from a festival stage.

But the record is not just loud and angry music all the time. In the middle of the album, Downes steps back for a quiet time of thinking (introspection). This allows for moments of honest, deep feeling (soulful vulnerability). The slow song “These Days” gives a moving, quiet break for thinking. It uses high, powerful singing and light, gentle music, including bright-sounding strings, to speak honestly about losing some belief in yourself and the hard time keeping connections going.

Hold The Reins 

This emotional core deepens with the melancholic “Bitter Taste.” Driven by a haunting Hammond organ and beautiful guitar lines, this song wrestles powerfully with the inner difficulty of keeping belief in oneself even when facing perceived failure. Downes’ vocal performance here is atmospheric and deep, channeling the rawest aspects of soul and blues authenticity.

The last parts of the album move towards a big emotional release (catharsis) and clear thinking (clarity). This gives us the needed break from the stress that has been building up. For example, the song “Falling Into You,” even though it sounds like a safe, easy drop, is really more about working through doubt. It’s a track that cleverly flips self-doubt into a feel-good, romantic rush while thematically exploring the painful, but necessary, anticipation of leaving a relationship where the partner is simply “not the one.”

The record ultimately concludes with “Let You Down Slow,” a final, cathartic moment that trades drama for quiet power. It resolves the album’s emotional chaos with a forceful acceptance, leaving the listener not in the middle of a struggle, but on the other side, looking toward a clear sky.

These Days 

Beyond the songwriting, the album’s identity is cemented by the exemplary production. Steve Birkett’s near-total command over the instrumentation—handling the guitar, bass, and Hammond—lends a tight, organic, and dynamic coherence to the sound. The production is a triumph: it perfectly balances the classic Hammond glow and blues lineage with a sharp, contemporary alternative rock edge, all anchored by Downes’ ability to transition seamlessly between a bluesy whisper and an arena-ready roar.

A Storm Is Coming is, therefore, far more than just an excellent new rock album; it’s an empowering, resilient, and expertly crafted body of work. It confirms Rebecca Downes’ place as one of the UK’s most formidable and authentic independent artists. If you need a soundtrack to face life’s unavoidable challenges—the sound of turning personal chaos into personal triumph—this album is the answer. Start your journey with the title track “A Storm Is Coming” and follow it through to the cathartic close of “Let You Down Slow.” This record is a necessary listen.

For more, follow Rebecca Downes on Spotify, Rebecca Downes on Instagram, rebeccadownes.com