South East London group ALASKALASKA, signed to the Marathon Artists label (home of, amongst others, Courtney Barnett) after a series of well-received shows. Their two debut tracks ‘Brittle Winter’ and ‘Familiar Ways’ from their forthcoming EP released this August, show an imagination, craft and creativity that makes their signing unsurprising in the least. With languid percussion informed by the hand of working Jazz musicians dappled this pared back airy production suite that’s effortlessly brilliant. There’s an artful pop nous to the dynamic sound of both tracks, that’s perhaps representative of the fact that this six-piece, don’t come from a traditional alternative music background thus the approach sounds less cliched, less obvious.
‘Familiar Ways’ is just my favourite, its enveloping atmosphere rife with funky bass, clicking drums, slinky keyboard notes, that shifts into a sublime earworm that wraps itself around your eardrums and won’t let go. Bringing to mind comparisons to the stripped pop harmonics of Warpaint and the surprisingly abstract lyrical couplets of Tune Yards. Like the artwork with its white background decorated in multicoloured sweeps, there’s such a sense of space and lucidity to their modern sound, each part is uncluttered and allowed space to breathe little wonder they cite the likes of Talk Talk and Arthur Russell as influences, it’s fresh, clever and exciting.
Welsh vocalist Lucinda’s lyrics snapshot how a figure in her life makes her feel like escaping, in vivid and poetic imagery that tumbles out in notes, dipped in her doe-eyed dream pop sensibility. Then gives way to an affecting playful crescendo laced with sax, that possess the kind snap, pop, and attitude that characterises the best kind of RnB. These are infinitely refreshing artful shots of pop music, brimming with exciting intrigue, gleaming with future potential.
Live
Tuesday 13th June, Hoxton Hall, London, w/ Ardyn
Tuesday 20th June, Miranda at Ace Hotel, London w/ Eera
