(Trumpet blast) It’s Monday again!! No, don’t be like that! The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the birds are singing etc etc I rest my case. Good weekend? Was it a heavy one? Well soothe those aching heads with this lot. Granted, some don’t soothe exactly, more blow the cobwebs away. ‘Ave it!!!!
Winter (feat. Hatchie) – atonement
Why We Love It: Samira Winter is Winter and What Kind of Blue Are You? is the forthcoming album from this most illustrious of Los Angeles’ dream-poppers. Due out on the 14th of October through the cult indie label Bar/None Records, it certainly promises much if the record’s lead single ‘atonement’ is to be our yardstick.
On the single, Winter says “Every time I hear this song a new version of the story plays out in my head – an escape, a mystery, a forbidden love. By the time it reaches full climax there is a big reveal – the secret is out, the we discover who committed the crime, the two lovers find each other.”
You would suspect that such is her talent Winter would not ordinarily require much in the way of additional help, but ‘atonement’ also features Hatchie’s Harriette Pilbeam and Joe Agius, whom Winter will join on tour later this year as a bandmate and supporting act.
Speaking about the collaboration, Pilbeam says the track “really wrote itself and was a lot of fun to make.” Agius adds, “The concept for the video immediately came to mind when working on the song together. The dark and talkative verses contrasting with the bubbly hopeful choruses really conveyed the kinda energy I wanted to translate.”
The song’s narrative – immersed in feelings of reparation and loss – is built upon a solid foundation of dreamily discordant guitar and a ’90s-sourced drum beat over which Winter and Pilbeam’s voices blend beautifully. (Simon Godley)
Marina Allen – Or Else
Why Do We Love It: Marina Allen’s new album Centrifics is set for release on 16th September via Fire Records and to further whet our appetite for its arrival the Los Angeles-based musician has just revealed ‘Or Else’, the next single to be taken from it.
Talking about ‘Or Else’, Marina Allen says “I wrote ‘Or Else’ in the voice of an old version of myself. By making it into a caricature and distancing myself, I was able to process the close up feeling of grief in a dissolving relationship.”
‘Or Else’ is the latest single to herald the highly anticipated follow-up to last year’s debut album Candlepower and it is undoubtedly something else. It affirms Marina Allen’s “love of singers who really sing” as she belts out this top tune over what is such a delightfully expressive melody. (Simon Godley)
Happy Accidents – Lighter
Why Do We Love It: because Happy Accidents are purveyors of such beautifully crafted pop songs that have the charm and quirkiness that defines the duo. Their last LP Sprawling was supposed to be their last so thank God that seems not to be the case.
The combination of sweet soprano from Phoebe Cross and the London drawl from Rich Mandell meld together so effectively, even though they almost shouldn’t. This track has quite a few tracks of guitar, bass and keys going on but creates such a cohesive and beautiful thing.
They have said on various social media posts that this is the first cut from a new LP that they aren’t giving anything away about. Based on this it’s going to be another belter, with layers of instrumentation and textures. Exciting. (Jim Auton)
The Allergies – Vamonos
Why We Love It: We need The Allergies in our lives. Music to make you smile and wonder, just how does Andy Cooper rap so fast? Their new single is ‘Vamonos’ and the funky duo from Bristol are joined by regular collaborators the aforementioned Andy Cooper and Marietta Smith. This is the sound of summer mixing old school boogaloo with Latin-infused beats.. If music can be sunshine then The Allergies are blazing down. A salsa rhythm throughout ‘Vamonos’ speaks of summer holidays, of ocean breezes, of margaritas, of sunscreen and of leaving the rat race behind.
“I don’t know what to do, I’m surrounded by half-wits”
There is such humour in The Allergies music, as well as funky beats of course, after all its what they do best. The beat-making dynamic duo provide an escape route from the drudgery of the everyday, so let’s get The Allergies on the turntable, pour a cool refreshment, get your dancing shoes on and party. (Julia Mason)
Breanna Barbara – Diamond Light
Why We Love It: A completely different vibe here with a glorious slice of psychedelic rock. Breanna Barbara has released her new single ‘Diamond Light’. The New York based artist has here moved away from her hard-driving blues-rock to encapsulate a rockier sound, and boy oh boy her vocal is phenomenal.
‘Diamond Light’ is taken from her second album Nothin’ But Time which is out on 11 November via Fuzz Club. For the recording of the album Barbara and her band returned to Nashville’s Bomb Shelter studio with Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray For The Riff Raff), and you can definitely hear the raw edge in the atmosphere. Thematically the song is speaks of the perils of looking back. As Barbara further expands:
“’Diamond Light’ is a song about memory and how it can change through your perception of time. Someone once said that life is like riding on a train backwards, you’re moving forward but you can only see where you’ve been. I have these memories from when I was a little girl and the older I get the more I start to see them in different ways. I equate ‘Diamond Light’ to those shimmering moments that stick out in your brain and continue to move through time with different facets and faces, sort of like a diamond.” (Julia Mason)
Enola – Strange Comfort
Why We Love It: It’s a bumper week for new music and Melbourne-based singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist ENOLA shares new single ‘Strange Comfort’ via Our Golden Friend. What is immediately striking are the lyrics:
“You’re not the only one, Hold on, Hold on
You’re not the only one, Hold on, Hold on”
“There’s a strange comfort in us all going through the same”
With the isolation of the pandemic this is a universal theme. There is absolutely a strange comfort in acknowledging that so many of our challenges and difficulties are also experienced by others. ENOLA finds cues in the music of, amongst others, Joy Division and Idles, and uses the experience of a background in electronic music production to produce hard hitting tracks with a stinging vulnerability. Open and honest the music of ENOLA is informed by personal exploration. Musically this track is driven by fuzzy guitars and a vocal which grows in its power and strength, thus confirming the comfort of experiences which are shared..
ENOLA says of the track:
“There is a comfort in knowing that suffering can be a universal experience. We are alone, yet together in our aloneness.”
They also share that music is where they put their joy as well as their pain. As with many artists it is where emotions can be exposed and can thus be served by them, not destroyed:
“Whatever it is, I want to do it honestly. I don’t want to hide. You can’t connect when you’re not willing to be ugly and sweaty, I try to let go of any of that.” (Julia Mason)
The Lounge Society – Upheaval
The Lounge Society demonstrate their versatility on new track ‘Upheaval’. It’s taken from their forthcoming debut album Tired of Liberty released via Speedy Wunderground on 26 August. On ‘Upheaval’ they take a more measured pace, and only adds to the interest in their soon to be released album. With added vocals by Noush (Honeyglaze) and Jojo (Heartworms), the vocal harmonies are delicious and demonstrate that The Lounge Society are not just about a frenetic pace but can also deliver gentler yet still captivating songs. There are such thought-provoking themes in the lyrics of The Lounge Society.
“All that they had is in the past,
All that they had is lost”
The 4-piece from Hebden Bridge opened for Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C. and The Strokes at the Lytham Festival earlier in the summer. With numerous instores for the album release, and their own headline UK and EU tour I suggest you see them now before they inevitably command much bigger stages. (Julia Mason)
TV People – Circle
Dublin’s TV People have released their second single of 2022 ‘Circle’. The 4-piece have created a dark and brooding track full of atmosphere with a bassline which adds to the texture of this track. However there is no melancholy here, the tempo will not allow it. The pace moves between loud and quiet throughout, and takes unpredictable paths. The quality and depth of the vocal is a standout and creates the drama within ‘Circle’. The production of this track is so striking, just listen to that crescendo in the outro.
Of their new single, singer Paul says:
“We wrote ‘Circle’ as a tribute to our loved ones and friends and to the countless times that we have relied on each other in times of difficulty. It explores the feeling of being lost within yourself and how you can find identity and meaning in the shared experiences and compassion of those around you.” (Julia Mason)