Who? E. Alvin
What? Appetite
What they say? My producer Zachary Koval (ZTK) and I stayed in this old chapel-turned-Airbnb in upstate New York as a songwriting retreat. One night, after too many shots of Henny, I emotionally gutted myself and channeled it into ‘Appetite‘. It’s told from the perspective of a masochist who continuously feeds their abuser’s desires, realizing too late the psychological damage being inflicted upon them.
Why we love it? Dark and delicious, E. Alvin serves up an emotional ballad that drips with dark pop influences and buttery smooth vocals. A peek through the window into a masochistic love glittering beautifully through rose-tinted spectacles. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Banks, Allie X, Broods
Who? Forever Honey
What? Twenty-Five
Where? New York
What they say? Twenty-Five was a playful take on that first moment you realize you are becoming your parents. When I first moved to New York, I went without a mirror in my apartment for like 8 months. It was the first time in a while I didn’t have constant access or the ability to obsessively finesse/fixate on my appearance. I went home to visit my parents (where mirrors exist,) and one day I caught view of my full body. I was taken aback – it was like I didn’t recognize myself at first. I observed widened hips, broadened shoulders, cellulite, a softer frame, new moles, grey hairs. None of it was bad in any way, but it simply was not the body I remembered seeing last I looked at myself. Instead, it was the body I grew up seeing on my mom, and that was the first time I’d seen it on me – a mature, conventionally “womanly” form that seems to nurture years of experience. – Liv
Why we love it? Swelling and enveloping and ladled with a delightful summery shimmer. While Liv Price’s addictive melodic hooks meditate on aging. A rippling catchy chorus that crystallizes that moment when you look in the mirror and begins to see your parents starting back at you. (Bill Cummings)
FFO: Alvvays, The Sundays, Soccer Mommy, Haim
Who? Ant Antic
What? Good News
Where? Berlin
What they say? When I wrote ‘Good News’, I was paying close attention to the overwhelming amount of information available to me at all times, and its social effect on me as a human being. I consider myself part of the first globally connected generation, understanding humanity as one. At the same time, I can’t fail to notice how I’m often too overwhelmed by endless possibilities, slowly turning into kind of a superficial nihilist.
Why we love it? Low-key nihilism doused in spades of electronic synths and toned down drums, this laid back song oozes with attitude and lo-fi electronic vibes. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Troye Sivan, Lauv
Who? St Panther
What? Infrastrcuture
Where? California
What they say? Infrastructure was the first song I wrote after
getting home from my first US tour. I spent those following days at home gathering all of the surreal experiences that lead up to the tour, as well as post, and began writing/producing this new batch of songs inspired by those experiences. (Being picked up by management, all of those first meetings with different labels in different buildings) in a way, the assembly of the song was much like the assembly of my career in music, and the song served to reflect the infrastructure of that journey.
Why We Love It? Smooth retro-future vibes, dressed in charismatic attitude. This R’n’B/Hip-Hop/Funk mash-up is the perfect summer vibe we’ve been looking for. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Doja Cat, Brockhampton
Who? Haux
What? Heavy
Where? Berkshires
Why we love it? Soft, melancholic heartache against the backdrop of a haunting piano and ghostly percussion. Haux lays everything bare on this stunning track from his upcoming album Violence In A Quiet Mind. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: James Blake, Lykke Li
Who? TAFE
What? Prepper Rock
Where? Sydney
What they say? Singer/producer Jasper Clifford-Smith and multi-instrumentalist/producer Mikey Field use all manner of effects pedals, synths and wild sax solos to paint a perfect snapshot of 2020 Australian suburbia. Speaking on wealth gaps, doomsday prepping, cancel culture, sexuality and the squalor of the inner suburbs, his new EP ‘In Denial’ is a catchy piece of doom and gloom to dance to in ‘these uncertain times’.
Why we love it? Dabbing keyboards and a click-track house this spouting part spoken part sung Aussie stream of consciousness that’s both witty, introspective and exploring, almost like poetry trying to deal with utter confusion of modern life. When Clifford Smith sings the repeated refrain “everything’s gone/ all we’ve got is doubt” with a burrowing melody, it sounds like the soundtrack to the uncertainty of pandemic lockdown. Snaking jazzy horns burst through the sunlight in the final part, it’s a offkilter, confused and woozy soundtrack for our times. (Bill Cummings)
FFO: Talking Heads, Eels, Magnetic Fields, Courtney Barnett
Who? Ela Minus
What? they told us it was hard but they were wrong
Where? New York
Why we love it? A 90’s techno soundscape underlays a hauntingly beautiful vocal, despite dripping in references the track sounds surprisingly current. It sounds akin to holding a disco in the saddest corner of your mind. When the beat comes in relentlessly for the last chorus, it sparks a rush of adrenaline and excitement but constantly holds a tone of melancholy throughout.
FFO: Bjork, Billie Eilish
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