THIS week’s New Music Radar has a strong focus on homegrown talent with new tunes from kitti, Joesef, Catholic Action, Vistas, MOY and more.
kitti ‘Kandy Kissin‘
After blowing us away with her debut single ‘Chasing the Crowd’, TTV 2020 Vision artist kitti is back with her next incredible offering ‘Kandy Kissin’. Putting her own stamp on Valentine’s , the track is an ode to self-love, female pleasure and self-acceptance – a reminder to be good to yourself and to indulge. In a post ahead of her release, she said: ”Why is it such a big deal to talk about female pleasure? why is our womanhood questioned when we talk about getting ourselves off?! why is there still a stigma attached to females indulging in a little something something?! it’s a subject not many want to talk about publicly, and when we do we are frowned upon and viewed as sexually obsessed, nymphomaniac women.
”No one should be ashamed of what excites them, and no one should feel harsh judgement when it comes to things like making yourself feel good – no matter how you go about it. Remove that anxiety that’s underlying and show yourself some lovin’!”
In an age where artists are prone to falling into the trap of style over substance, Kitti is an artist who backs her talent with integrity and a vital message. This time she delivers it through a slice of 90s indebted R&B – combined with stunning harmonies, a slinky groove, jazzy inflections and a wonderfully rich production.
Man of Moon ‘Rust’
Just under a year on from the release of their gripping Chemicals EP, the Edinburgh outfit are back and in a contemplative headspace with new single ‘Rust.’ Setting off with hints of the unrelenting, motorik rhythms that had pricked ears up all those years ago on ‘The Road’, their latest offering sees Chris Bainbridge and Mikey Reid twist and re-purpose melancholy into something guiltily compelling. Much like its cover art, Man Of Moon have taken themselves into a monochromatic world of confessions and searing, explosive interplay between their core foundation of guitar and drums.
Burdened with the need to purge the darkness, Chris Bainbridge excels himself from a vocal standpoint across this riveting 5 minutes of brooding and beautiful noise. Exposing their hearts, minds and innermost thoughts to the cold light of day, the end product is something that’a all at once an exhilarating rush of catharsis, but hints towards an even darker underbelly that’s waiting to seep out.
Joesef ‘Think That I Don’t Need Your Love’
Joesef’s debut EP may feel like it’s still hot off the press but he’s back with another enchanting new offering. Written in the wake of a breakup, ‘Think That I Don’t Need Your Love’ is about the moment things started to feel a bit brighter for the singer. He says “it’s about feeling like myself again after a big period of feeling fucked up and spaced out after a break up. I just woke up one day feeling a bit better and I sort of wrote this tune as a knee jerk reaction to finally feeling normal again.”Crackling with the same vintage jazzy influences and soulful vibes, Joesefs distinctively raspy vocal is adorned with peppy horns, dreamy guitar lines and a funky rhythm. Debuted on Annie Mac last night and just announced for TRNSMT, it goes without saying that Joesef is primed for a massive 2020
Catholic Action ‘Another Name for Loneliness’
With three teaser tracks now released, all signs seem to indicate that Catholic Action’s upcoming second album ‘Celebrated By Strangers’ will be a very different proposition from the first. The kinetic energy and massive guitar licks are still present and correct but this time the band have enhanced their sound with vibrant synths and even more incisive lyrics. New track ‘Another Name for Loneliness’ displays this shift wonderfully – it’s more bright and optimistic than the previous two singles with its twinkling synths and feel-good melodies.
stmartiins ‘Bad Friend’
Freshly added to this years TRNSMT lineup, stmartiins are back with a stirring new single ‘bad friends’. A track about “environmental anxiety”, the duo push the parameters of their sound once more as Katie Lynch ruminates over twinkling, almost cosmic verses and dreamy chorus swells. Drenched in melancholy and that very distinctive stmartiins sound, there’s a sadness to the tune in its thoughtful lyrics and almost hazy, otherworldly instrumentation as they reflect on what’s going on around them. It’s an intimate and thoughtful return from one of our favourite bands ahead of their headline show at The Poetry Club on 13th March.
One Nine ‘Bloodrush’
After making their debut last year with ‘Difficult Days’, One Nine are back with an appropriately love-themed tune for Valentine’s Day. With their three singles so far, the duo have showcased their variety in spades – from the short, punchy indie-pop of their debut to the soaring, anthemic and frankly massive-sounding ‘Lost Satellites’ to the more restrained and intricate ‘Bloodrush.’ With guitars pushed to the background this time around, the band opt for a more electronic sound on their latest offering – bringing together a mixture of buoyant beats, close harmonies and wavy melodies to create a more intimate yet equally vibrant sound. Produced by Chris Zane whose work with Passion Pit echoes throughout, it makes for a fun and flirtatious track they say is about “being absolutely rubbish at romance”
MOY ‘Techno Party’
Having already enticed our interest with tracks like ‘Start Me Up’ and ‘Aeon Island’, Glasgow-based newcomer MOY is back with ‘Techno Party’. Drenched in vocoder, this new offering is another intriguing step in the artist’s sonic progression – different from everything we’ve heard so far but every bit as captivating and deeply alluring. Thick with electronic effects, nothing takes away from MOY’s emotive and expressive delivery – his impassioned lyrics later joined by big beats and fuzzy melodies. With echoes of 808’s and Heartbreak, it’s a distinctly modern yet affecting sound – one that marks him out as one to watch.
Vistas ‘The Love You Give’
Following the announcement that they will play TRNSMT’s Main Stage this summer, Vistas are accumulating a large number of festival anthems that are sure to go down a storm in July. Sticking to their trusty formula, ‘The Love You Give’ is a relentlessly upbeat number that comes armed with plenty of hooks and singalong refrains.
Arlo Parks ‘Eugene’
The immensely talented Arlo Parks battles complicated feelings on her latest heartbreaker ‘Eugene’. Known for her relatable lyrics and gorgeously soft vocals, this time the singer zeroes in on the “agony, jealousy, and confusion that comes to light when the lines between platonic and romantic love blur.” With her cool vocals delivered over a 90s indebted pop and R&B instrumentation, it’s a strikingly intimate and confessional number that reveals a new layer of vulnerability to her songwriting.
Sam Fender ‘Hold Out’
Surprising everyone with an out of the blue new tune drop this week, the mighty Sam Fender lays his heart and soul down on ‘Hold Out’. A slow jam with the now signature brass parts elevating the track to another level, Sam will be back in Scotland playing The Barrowlands in March and TRNSMT Festival this summer.
Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever ‘Cars in Space’
A track based on the “swirling words and thoughts after a breakup’, Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever have continued their prolific streak with the release of ‘Cars in Space’. Featuring all the trademark elements we’ve come to know and love from the band, vocals and guitars later on top of each other before it reaches a climactic finale.
The Strokes ‘At The Door’
After weeks of rumours and tantalising teasers, The Strokes finally confirmed the news we had all been waiting for this week – that their sixth album ‘The New Abnormal’ will be released on 10th April. New song ‘At The Door’ is our first taster of what’s to come and if you’re expected scrappy, sweaty garage rock in the same vein as ‘Is This It?’ then you’ve definitely come to the wrong place. With each member spending their intermittent years pursuing different projects, The Strokes have returned with expanded musical horizons and fresh touchpoints. It’s a track that refuses to retread past glories but instead looks forward – opening with a looping synth line while Julian Casablancas controls the pace with his iconic and instantly recognisable vocal delivery. After an understated first half, tension builds in the second without flexing too much. It’s an effortlessly cool and heartfelt return and an intriguing insight into ‘The New Abnormal’.
Working Men’s Club ‘White Rooms and People’
After some re-configuration and sonic exploration, post-punk four-piece Working Men’s Club have returned with a track that oscillates between the worlds of Talking Heads, Chic, The Fall and Fat White Family. Driven by a feverish and infectious rhythms section, synths and disco beats soon collide to create that a track that feels as anthemic as it does primed for the club dancefloor.
ZUZU ‘Skin and Bone’
A few months after making her Barrowlands debut at our very own Tenement Trail, Zuzu has unveiled one of her most striking singles to date in ‘Skin and Bone’. “S imo kin and bone is a song I started when I was a kid but took me a long time to pluck up the courage to finish and put out.” she says “It’s about the subtle and not so subtle forms of abuse through the eyes of a teenager.” Pairing her hard-hitting lyrics with an indie-pop backdrop, it’s a track that bears an empowering, yet deeply emotional impact.
