ANOTHER busy week in Scottish music has seen new releases from Lucia & the Best Boys. Dev Green, Pelican Tusk, Moskow Mule, Savage Mansion and Be Charlotte while we’ve also got new offerings from the likes of Declan McKenna, Gorillaz, Noel Gallagher, Diet Cig and more. Check them out below.
Lucia & the Best Boys ‘ETERNITY’
From their very first releases as a four-piece garage-rock band back in 2016 to the formidable powerhouse they are today, we’ve been with Lucia & her newly minted Best Boys from the very start. Nearly three years on from the release of their ‘Best Boy’ EP, today marks the release of their third extended collection called ‘Eternity’; a record the frontwoman created over in LA with none other than producer Carlos De La Garza, known for his work with Paramore, Wolf Alice, Best Coast and more. Barely recognisable from those early days, the fiery energy, big pop melodies and strong riffs may still be present and correct but Lucia dives into her eighties influences more than ever on her new material with strong electronic undercurrents making themselves known throughout. It’s an ambitious move to a more widescreen sound, one that pays off in spades with opening track ‘City of Angels’; a rousing, anthemic call to arms to celebrate originality and individuality. Recent single ‘Good Girls Do Bad Things’ shines as bright as ever while the heart-wrenching ‘My God’ and swooning ‘Flames’ showcase another side to their songwriting
Declan Welsh & the Decadent West ‘As I Am’
Declan Welsh and the decadent west may have had a quiet start to the year but they have resurfaced this week with the release of ‘as I am’. Featured as a hidden track on cheaply bought expensive sold, our top record of 2019, the track is is a softly stroked ballad dedicated to the one he loves – poignantly delivered and lyrically incisive as ever
Dev Green ‘Waterfalls’
Emerging from the ashes of former up and coming indie band Model Aeroplanes, Dev Green is the solo project of Dundee’s Grant Irvine. After teaching himself piano a couple of years ago and utilising it as his primary songwriting tool, Irvine has found his new focus – crafting dreamy and beautifully textured pop tunes. Reminiscent of C Duncan and Parcels, ‘Waterfalls’ is his debut single – a track he says is “about how people often get bogged down and think only about the negative aspects of life and are just generally pessimistic, and how if you change your perspective on things, life can seem a whole lot better”. Built on a foundation of warm keys and subtly funky guitar licks, it’s an optimistic track – one that captures the imagination with its wispy melodies, airy vocals and rousing guitar solo.
Moskow Mule ‘Planeta Opic’
Having already caught our attention with ‘Infidelity is Key’ in 2019, Moskow Mule push the parameters of their sound once more on ‘Planeta Opic’. Embracing their love of French pop and electronic music, citing La Femme and Flavien Berger as influences, the track is another strangely unsettling yet compelling listen –one that keeps you captivated from start to finish. Steeped in a dark, gothic atmosphere and full of theatrics, a commanding lead vocal delivers a stream of consciousness-like narrative over foreboding rhythms and organ-like keys before it charges to a finish.
The band say: “Produced by Ronan Fay at Greendoor studio; Planeta Opic mainly focuses on how those in power are susceptible to give into their own worst impulses, leaving the rest to suffer”
Fourth Daughter ‘Vision of You’
Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Fourth Daughter has dropped the first in a long line of singles, with dream-pop track, ‘Vision Of You’.
Formerly EMILIE, ‘Vision Of You’ marks the next step on a journey of reinvention and innovation for this singer-songwriter, an exploration of dreamy synths and choral vocals create a sound that is as inventive orchestral as it as pure pop. “I used really airy synth pads, sweeping backing vocals and a house-feel to try and create the right atmosphere for quite a melancholic topic.”
GRAVELLE ‘Waste Your Time’
With deep, harsh, arpeggio synths setting the tone of the track from the outset, GRAVELLE take listeners on a haunting portrayal of desire. With echoing, almost choral, vocals weaving throughout the verse, everything is building to an incredible chorus. “Waste your time with me… spare a moment to share with me”, lyrics that could be from a starry-eyed, full-hearted 60s love song, are instead melted down into an industrial sound of lust rather than teenage romance.
This sense of obsession is further personified in the lead up to the final chorus. With percussion and the orchestral sounds dropping out, leaving murmuring vocals, repeating sentiments of desire, as synths start to build and percussion follow the same path, the crescendo to the final chorus is nothing short of mesmerising.
Pelican Tusk ‘Freaked Out (Inside the Machine)’
TTV were delighted to bring you the premiere of Pelican Tusk’s brand new single ‘Freaked Out (Inside the Machine)’ this week, lifted straight from the band’s upcoming ‘Rhubarb’s House’ EP.
A fascinating sonic journey from start to finish and absolutely brimming with creative ideas, it offers a compelling mix of strong rhythms, loungey psychedelia, jazz, indie, funk and enticing melodies, all while moving entirely at its own pace and offering an intriguing insight into the band’s upcoming EP. Not only does it mark a significant shift in their songwriting and production, it’s also different from anything we’ve heard from their local peers. Without a doubt, Pelican Tusk are a band who will take listeners by surprise.
“There really is no one thing or style that’s brought us together and what makes the band so fun is that it feels any song can go in any direction” they tell us when we catch up with them about the track. It’s a statement that sums up the single perfectly.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds ‘Blue Moon Rising’
The older Gallagher brother has been mightily prolific over the last few months – bringing out a string of single and EP releases. His latest is ‘Blue Moon Rising’, another dance-inspired track that boasts strong 70s undertones and a cinematic flare. “How it manages to combine the influences of Metallica, the Jesters Of Malice, Mantovani, Robinson Crusoe as well as Bob Marley AND The Wailers is literally beyond me,” Gallagher says in a statement. “Oh, and it’s not about City by the way.
Diet Cig ‘Night Terrors’
Three years on from their debut album ‘Swear I’m Good At This’, punk duo Diet Cig are back with the sweetly infectious ‘Night Terrors’. Driven by powerhouse drums, there’s a vulnerability and sugary sweetness to the vocals which sit aloft a nice garage groove and understated anthemics.
Gorillaz ‘Momentary Bliss (feat slowthai and Slaves)
When Gorillaz started teasing a new project a couple of days ago called ‘Song Machine’, there was a sense that something exciting was on the way. This was confirmed when it was revealed that this new project would involve a series of collaborative singles – the first of which features Slaves and slowthai. Released with a video that documents the song’s creation in the studio, it’s a rambunctious yet melodic track that flits between woozy synths and pop punk.
Declan McKenna ‘Beautiful Faces’
Two and a half years on from the release of his hugely popular debut album, Declan McKenna is back with ‘Beautiful Faces’ and news of his second LP ‘Zeros’, slated for arrival on 15th May. Debuted on Annie Mac last night, the lead single is a typically catchy and socially conscious number from the young star which focuses on the social demands placed on young people in the modern world.
Blossoms ‘If You Think This is Real Life’
Blossoms embrace their power pop sensibilities more than ever on new album ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’, out today. Previewed earlier this week with one final single, ‘If You Think This Is Real Life’ is undoubtedly one of their most vibrant releases to date. Bringing their 80s-influenced sound into full technicolour, it features booming synths and a massive chorus that will stay in your head for days.
Mystery Jets ‘Petty Drone’
After delaying the release of their new album due to lead singer Blaine Harrison’s ill health, Mystery Jets have announced its new release date on 3rd April and have unveiled ‘Petty Drone’. Continuing very much in the same vein as the singles that came before it, the new track is a politically charged number that takes aim at the modern phenomenon of surveillance capitalism. A band who have consistently evolved with each album, it looks like they will continue to push the parameters of their sound on ‘A Billion Heartbeats’ while delivering an essential message about personal responsibility and the power of being politically engaged. This time they play their dystopian lyrics against vibrant psychedelic vibes, harmonious textures and a call to arms chorus.
Savage Mansion ‘Karaoke’
Almost a year on from the release of their debut album, Savage Mansion have shared ‘Karaoke’, a track frontman and chief songwriter Craig Angus describes as “an homage to Glasgow, a magical and intoxicating city that captivates and frustrates in equal measure”. There’s a kind of fuzzy nostalgia and warm romantic feel to the country twang of the guitars, the slacker pop melodies and the frontman’s lyrics – once again showing his deceptively clever ability to flit between the heartfelt and witty as he depicts a night out on the town.
Be Charlotte- Rumours Don’t Work
No longer reeling from the heartache that’d informed the plaintive pop of ‘Do Not Disturb’, Be Charlotte is back and unencumbered by the back-biting on ‘Rumours Don’t Work.’ Built on luscious synth that brim with a sense of cautious optimism, this latest offering from the Dundonian singer/songwriter turned international pop prospect takes any niggling doubts and insecurities and drowns them in a current of self-assurance. Harbouring a soaring vocal performance that displays the range of her talent, each syllable comes from a place of hard-earned emotional maturity and makes for an empowering addition to her catalogue.
