WE’RE in the wake of some of the years biggest festivals and the general public’s love for music and revelry has been well and truly replenished. As countless British music fans no doubt make the journey over to festivals such as Benicassim for an another weekend of glorious live performances in the unflinching sun as we speak, there’s still plenty of incredible new releases for us to bask in back home.
A delectable mix of homegrown artists that sit perched on the edge of greatness to similarly forward-thinking acts from further afield, here’s the absolute essentials from the week that was.
Lewis Capaldi- Lost On You
For anyone who was in attendance at the TRNSMT pre-party on King Tut’s last Thursday, it couldn’t be any clearer that we were watching the origins of a genuine crossover star during Lewis Capaldi’s gripping performance. Having declared to the crowd that the single would be emerging at midnight on Friday, the prodigious singer/songwriter then burst into a rendition of ‘Lost On You’ that would leave goosebumps on the arms of the most cynical and biased music critic. It’s easy to have a predisposition that someone who’s being so widely touted cannot possibly live up to the lofty expectations but the heartwrenching and deeply sorrowful performance that can be found on Capaldi’s latest work is all the confirmation that we need.
CULTS- Offering
A band that has maintained a massive following ever since their arrival in 2010, Cults are back from what’s felt like decades with their new single ‘Offering.’ Still within the mode of the luxurious dream pop that made them such a massive attraction in the formative stages of their career, their first track since 2o13’s Static is categorical evidence that their blissful sound is still as alluring and enveloping as ever.
Strong Asian Mothers- Don’t Know Why
Creative to an extent that almost registers as maniacal and disconcerting, every new track that emerges from London’s Strong Asian Mothers is an exercise in pop subversion in the best possible way. Known for their readiness to throw caution to the wind and embrace any genre or trope that seems worthy of exploring, their new track ‘Don’t Know Why’ certainly encapsulates this modus operandi to stunning effect. Filled with percussion that wouldn’t sound of place on a Hudson Mohawke track teamed with disarmingly placid vocals and bittersweet synths, this is a necessity for anyone that’s looking for something that is heading on an uncharted path.
METZ- Cellophane
Chaos distilled into a studio and delivered in its unfiltered form to the world, fans remain safe in the knowledge that METZ are a band that always deliver upon their emergence from the shadows. Veering off in a more ‘melodic’ direction than we’re perhaps used to hearing from them but no less malevolent in nature, the first track from their upcoming new album ‘Strange Peace’ is an exciting opening gambit that could well signal a seachange in the band’s career.
Tyler, The Creator- Boredom
No longer as discontented or mischevious as he once was, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the heyday of Tyler The Creator had been and gone. However, all that’s emerged from his forthcoming record would suggest that he’s simply been making his way towards a new realm. As made evident on the soulful 911/Mr Lonely, the former Odd Future figurehead is now embracing the jazz-funk and soul influences that he’s long spoke to a much greater level and shed the anger that personified the earlier stages of his career. Resplendent with guitar and backing vocals alongside one of his trademark lo-fi instrumentals, ‘Boredom’ exhibits all of the signs that his focus has returned to the musical world and Scum Fuck Flower Boy could well be his best work since the early days of his career.
Breakfast Muff- Eurgh!
Released last week via Amour Foo, a special nod must be given towards the brand new album from Glasgow’s Breakfast Muff. A 13-track whirlwind that makes a mockery of taboos, restrictions and misconceptions with a malicious grin on its face, the record is a gratifying declaration of their independence from any pressures to rein it in and it’s all the better for it.
