IN a week that will see each us make one of our most crucial decisions in a generation, it’s easy to see why many people have likely been distracted and not had their ear to the ground for new music. In spite of the political climate and its continuously increasing temperature, the steady stream of fantastic tracks that permeates through any socioeconomic situation has carried on unimpeded and yielded a number of offerings that will unquestionably enrich your life.
Encompassing bands that are far removed from the UK’s current situation and others that are wading into the thick of it, here’s the essential tracks that will satiate you during this momentous period in our history.
Sheer Mag- Need To Feel Your Love
Following up the incredible ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ was going to be no easy feat but it’s a task that American rock ‘n’ rollers Sheer Mag have met with the similarly brazen ‘Need To Feel Your Love’. The title track from their long-awaited debut length, it is jampacked with the lyrical sincerity and classic rock and pop inspired haziness that has garnered them such an emphatic response at every turn. An ode to the irrepressible desire that is part and parcel of a love affair in its infancy, the track is propelled forward by mastermind Kyle Seely’s rugged yet melodic riffs that bridge the gap between Nile Rodgers, Steely Dan and Mick Jones at his most funky.
SHAME- Visa Vulture
Dating back to the days in which Theresa May was merely the home secretary of the steadily sinking ship that is Tory Britain, SHAME have marked the news of their deal with Dead Oceans by making live staple ‘Visa Vulture’ available to the public. A satirical yet harrowingly apt send-up of the current PM’s unbending outlook towards refugees and the disadvantaged in general, the band have clarified their reasoning behind releasing the track on the eve of such a crucial election:
“We wrote Visa Vulture when May was only Home Secretary and we’re happy to make it widely available on the eve of probably the most important election we’ll ever vote in as a rallying cry, a wish that we’ll never have to pen another Tory bashing song for at least another 5 years come June 8th”.
Bubbatrees- Pendulus
A band that recently emerged on our radar, Bubbatrees may have evaded your consciousness for now but that shan’t be the case for long. Stalwarts of Glasgow’s music scene that have adopted a number of guises over the years, it appears that the long-time kindred spirits known us Bubbatrees’ have happened upon the right chemistry with new track ‘Pendulus.’ An immensely melodic slice of shoegaze indebted rock that harbours a sense of subversion from the norm in its lingering, menacing textures, it is a track that bewitches and inspires with every self-analytical lyric or seamless twist in musicality.
Alvvays- In Undertow
It’s been several years since Canada’s Alvvays graced us with their quintessential dream-pop sound and it’s clear that our patience is set to be rewarded. Every bit as poignant and heartfelt as the tracks that have been so widely embraced from their eponymous debut album, ‘In Undertow’ is a divine piece of C86-inspired indie that is likely to resound in our ears throughout the summer months. Judging by this track’s considerable charms, their forthcoming album and show at Saint Luke’s can’t come quick enough.
LaKyoto- Runaway
A Scottish group that has maintained a considerable aura of mystique and intrigue during their formative months, Lakyoto have maintained a tangible buzz right from their first tentative steps into the industry. After getting proceedings underway with a sold out show at Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s, the elusive four piece have now provided those that weren’t in attendance with a sample of the auditory delights that were on offer with debut single ‘Runaway.’
Constructed around a self-assured, radio-friendly aesthetic that harbours allusions towards more hard-edged electronica and rock, the band’s first offering has all the makings of a breakout track and have ensured that they’ve began their career with none of the early jitters that so often befall a new project and have firmly placed themselves on fortuitous ground.
Slotface- Nancy Drew
Emanating from Norway, Slotface have continued to assert themselves as a group with unending potential on the empowered ‘Nancy Drew.’ An amalgamation of uncompromising, punk rock instrumentation and incendiary vocals from frontwoman Haley Shea, it is a whirlwind journey into the band’s imagination that you won’t soon forget.
Speaking of the concept behind the track, Shea has stated that “The lyrics are an attempt at making a song that has a more positive spin on an album that is mostly about things I’m nervous about, or things that are worrying in general. For this song I wanted to create a kind of super hero saviour, so I drew inspiration from Nancy Drew and tried to imagine a bad-ass super hero who crushes the music industry’s boys’ club and the patriarchy with one punch.” Let’s hope that all of her ambitious manifesto is brought to life on their upcoming debut album.
