ANOTHER massive week for releases has seen new tracks from Aaron Smith, The Vegan Leather, Parliamo, Gallus, Easy Life, Working Men’s Club and more. Check out a bumper edition of New Music Radar below.
The Vegan Leather ‘The Hit’
Along with the announcement of their debut album ‘Poor Girls / Broken Boys’ and a show at King Tut’s on 2nd November, The Vegan Leather have shared ‘The Hit’. Rather than being buoyed by the spirit of those ‘French touch’ standard-bearer that have always anchored the band’s sound, ‘The Hit’ strays from Parisian backstreets and heads directly for the hustle and bustle of New York City. A vibrant missing link between ESG and the heyday of James Murphy’s DFA imprint, ‘The Hit’ is a conduit for the band to not only show off the sheer magnitude of their rhythm section but for the duelling vocals of Gianluca Bernacchi and Marie Collins to have one of their most compelling dialogues to date. As if that wasn’t enough, the track culminates with a riff that would leave the staunchest purveyors of desert rock with plenty to smile about. Exemplary in their complete and utter inventiveness, ‘The Hit’ not only demands incessant replays but leaves you fascinated by what they’ve got waiting in the wings.
Aaron Smith ‘Unspoken’
There has been an air of mystery surrounding the artist who has cultivated a slow-build hype thanks to word of mouth and a series of stunning live shows at Live at Leeds, The Great Escape and Barn on the Farm to name a few. But today is the day that Aaron Smith finally unleashes his debut single into the world and it has certainly been worth the wait. With an extraordinary voice that has the ability to stop you dead in your tracks thanks to his incredible range and beautiful falsetto, ‘Unspoken’ is the perfect introduction to an artist who is seemingly destined for very big things indeed.
Written about a relationship that is moving faster for one person than the other, and that person’s fears of commitment, his stunning voice, so moving in every affectation, is delivered over a minimalist piano melody in what is a deeply emotional and poignant listening experience. There’s something almost James Blake-esque in its stunning simplicity.
Parliamo ‘End to End’
Perth indie upstarts Parliamo are back with the release of a thrilling new track by the name of ‘End to End’.Jack Dailly has said of the track: “End to End discusses throwing yourself into the nervousness, sexual excitement and infatuation of a new relationship with a girl from Glasgow”
The feeling of infatuation Dailly talks about manifests itself in a rush of fast-paced rhythms and guitars as the frontman excitably spits out his words in excitable fashion. A sense of youthful abandon and unpredictability permeate the early stages of romance and they all come to the fore here in the track’s thrilling three minutes. ‘End to End’ is sure to go down a storm when the band headline King Tut’s on the 27th July as part of the venue’s Summer Nights festival.
Crash Club ‘Transmission’
After the release of the transcendent and layered composition that was ‘Boost’ at the tail end of last year, on which they coalesced with none other than Jagz Kooner, there was evidence that Crash Club were ready to take their transfixing hybrid of dance and rock into exciting new territories. Eight months on from that release and the outfit have re-emerged with the utterly compelling ‘Transmission’; a six minute sprawler which opens with a mesmeric wave of synths before evolving into a muscular, pulsating piece of dance music driven by a powerful rhythmic backbone. Joining up with long-term collaborator Iain Mackinnon of Medicine Men once again, his emphatic vocal lends an impassioned quality to the track which becomes increasingly intense as it progresses, culminating in a massive trance-like breakdown. With the muscular rock tones of Kasabian’s debut album, Soulwax’s ‘Nite Versions’ and the psychedelic electronica of Chemical Brothers latest LP, it’s a heady amalgamation of sounds that repositions Crash Club next transmission at the forefront of our minds.
Gallus ‘Making Tracks’
Known to favour ideas of their own devising over reductive imitation, their latest work is a hail of buzzsaw riffs and meandering rhythms that channels that very same urgency that’s distilled in its core sentiment. Structured around periods of reprieve that give way to impulsive spikes in activity, vocalist Barry Dolan’s guttural tones allow you to experience the need to secede from the humdrum life that so many in the central belt are earmarked for in favour of a world of his own devising. An aspirational track by an aspirational band, it’s sure to go down a storm during forthcoming shows at King Tut’s Summer Nights and Tenement Trail 2019.
Girl in Red ‘I’ll die anyway’
An artist who has impressed with every impressive release thus far, girl in red has added ‘I’ll die anyway’ to her rich and varied repertoire. Much like its predecessor ‘dead girl in the pool’, the track finds Marie Ulven from Oslo revisiting the darker corners of her mind against upbeat new wave inspired guitars and infectious melodies. Breezy meets the melancholic as she faces an existential crises head on in this latest slice of bedroom pop perfection; a track which she has described as the most honest thing she’s written so far.
Working Men’s Club ‘Teeth’
Another band who have been causing a stir around the UK music scene are Working Men’s Club. Recently added to the impressive roster at Heavenly Recordings, the quartet have unveiled the dark and synth-heavy ‘Teeth’. While their debut ‘Bad Blood’ looked towards Talking Heads, this latest offering turns all expectations on their heads and goes down a darker, more electronic route with a driving drum machine and an onslaught of synths which get more incessant as the track goes on. A commanding Mark E Smith type vocal leads the way in this dancefloor ready stomper.
Squid ‘The Cleaner’
‘The Cleaner’ is a key point of the band’s live set and is a natural progression from the tracks which came before it ‘The Dial’ and ‘Houseplants’. However this time Squid have gone big, bordering on epic. Just when you think they have settled themselves into a groove and aligned themselves to a sound, they unleash this seven minute sprawler which twists and turns from post-punk to funk with nods to Talking Heads, Television and more. It’s organised chaos with a massively funky beat and singing drummer Ollie Judge rides the wave with his insistent distinctive bark.
FUR ‘Nothing (Until Something Else Comes Up)
Arriving as if from a bygone era, with one foot in 60s rock and the other in peak Britpop, the band have followed up their debut EP with a brand new single called ‘Nothing (Until Something Else Comes Along). It’s an infectious pop bop that revisits their penchant for swooning melodies, jangly guitars and candid lyrics. Imbued with the kind of sepia-tinged nostalgia that has become the bedrock of their sound, it’s more direct and immediate than anything we’ve heard before, heightened with emotion and heartbreak.
The Streets ‘How Long’s It Been’
Much to the delight of their dedicated fanbase, The Streets unveiled a new offering this week called ‘How Long’s It Been’. Recorded live to vinyl at Abbey Road Studios and featuring fast-rising buzzy London rapper Flohio, the track will feature on a new mixtape later this year. Sparring over a sparse, UKG flavoured beat, Mike Skinner said: “”Flohio’s energy is insane. She adds colour to a quite serious trap energy and makes something just as unpredictable and homespun as anyone from Atlanta. She has the juice on stage.”
Charli XCX and Christine & the Queens ‘Gone’
Charli XCX and Christine & the Queens have teamed up for perhaps one of the biggest pop songs of the year. After it was initially premiered at Primavera in Barcelona in May, the colossal track has officially been dropped and has predictably received a massive reaction from both artists’ sets of fans. Bolstered by some hefty beats from AG Cook, ‘Gone’ is built around a rather slinky and capacious groove, adopting some rather retro aesthetics in its pulsating beats and 90s synths in a slice of instant pop gold. A heartfelt admittance of deep insecurity, Charli’s signature pop stomp work wonderfull with Chris’ intensity as they transform social anxiety into forceful, muscular pop bop.
Easy Life ‘Earth’
Following the release of their ‘Spaceship’ mixtape earlier this year, Easy Life returned this week with the environmentally conscious ‘Earth’. It’s another subtly funky offering from the hotly tipped outfit that revisits their penchant for synth filled R&B, indie and gentle beats. A track for those who feel at odds with the planet, there’s a lost-at-space kind of feel to the song that is brought to life by its zany synths, electronic sounds and reflective vocals. Another smooth, vibrant offering from the band, its full of clever lyrics and an endlessly catchy chorus.
