Sit yourself down. I know it’s only the beginning of the week, but it’s time for some you time. Go on. Relax. And whilst you’re doing that, why not stick on this list of the best tracks from the week? Listen below:
Kevin Abstract – Runner
Kevin Abstract’s 2016 American Boyfriend album seems to have gone under a lot of radars, and unfairly if you ask me. The young singer mixed the suburban angst of Tyler the Creator with the soft croon of Frank Ocean, tackling issues like race and homosexulaity with the bluntness that only a teenager could. ‘Runner’ is one of the album highlights, and the video provides the perfect backdrop for the song.
Jesuits – Pescatori
It’s a good job Jesuits decided to release the material they’d been sitting on. Even though it doesn’t sound like the band do currently, songs like ‘Pescatori’ are just too good to have been forgotten about. The bands blend of psychedelica and shoegaze shines through on this chiming single and help to create a wonderful snapshot of where one of Bristol’s most creative bands was two years ago.
HMLTD – To The Door
Like Adam and the Ants turned up to 11 and run through a sequencer, ‘To The Door’ is yet another mind bending hit from Londoners HMLTD. The spaghetti-western guitars of the verses are cut away by treacle-think trap beat. It’s absolutely insane and barely makes sense. But making sense is hardly the top of HMLTD’s agenda, and that attitude is what makes them so intriguing.
Tamu Massif – Iron Lights
My gut reaction when I hear a Tamu Massif song for the first time is to close my eyes and hold my breath. More than any other artist, I feel that the only way I can truly absorb the sparse, shimmering layers that he creates in his songs is to try to deprive myself of every other sense. ‘Iron Lights’ is no different. The latest track off upcoming EP ‘Bala’ has Tamu’s deep voice nearly cracking, whilst the layers of guitars, samples and drum machines swirl underneath him.
Diet Cig – Barf Day
Birthdays are a bit over-whelming aren’t they? All the build-up and pressure, you can’t help but feel disappointed. Poor old Alex seems to have had the worst bday ever though, only getting one card. “Blow the candles out, wish all of the pain away” she laments on this new cut from album I Swear I’m Good At This with so much anguish it’ll break your heart.
Flamingods – Kewali
This is possibly the most stripped back and lo-fi version of Flamingods that have emerged with so far. Gone are the layers of instrumentation, gone are the reverb-heavy vocals and in their place is pulsating garage rock psychedelia, like Ty Segal with no fuzz pedals. An interesting glimpse of what the band’s new EP may sound like.
Alex G – Bobby
A simple new effort from Alex G. Nothing like the glitching, half whispered soundscapes that peppered last album Beach Music, ‘Bobby’ is a violin led, acoustic stomper, that has him straining his vocals to the limit. The beautiful songwriting is still there however, and with the layers washed away, is able to shine.
The Drums – Blood Under My Belt
It seems like deacdes ago that The Drums charmed us with their lo-fi hit ‘Let’s Go Surfing’, and, though the three albums since have each had their merits, they’ve been a band that dropped off many peoples radar. ‘Blood Under My Belt’ boils the group’s sound into its core elements; the reverb heavy guitar lines, the simple motorik drumming and Jonny Pierce’s pained vocals. Whilst it’s not going to pull up trees, the song is a good reminder of how The Drums sound still like no one else.
SCALPING – Conduit
This explosive first offering from Bristol four-piece SCALPING is a melting pot for noise rock, techno and everything inbetween. Recorded live, the skittering synths and gut-shaking basslines lay a bed for the tribal drumming and heavy guitar to dance over. Dark, intense but enthralling, ‘Conduit’ is otherworldly.
Girlpool – 123
Newly signed to ANTI- Records, Girlpool are back with their beautiful, synchronised take on punk. ‘123’ combines both them at their tenderest, and shows a new, almost anthemic side to the duo. It’s an exciting teaser for their new album Powerplant.
Come back next week, same time, same place for different great songs.