DURING times of strife, music can act as the greatest source of solace we have. Even when things look interminably bleak and the prospect of staying in isolation with your co-inhabitants of your home feels as though it rests on an uneasy truce, one great, life-reaffirming track can be enough to serve as the great equaliser and keep the despondency at bay.
With that in mind, here’s the latest edition of New Music Radar and, as is customary, there’s no shortage of treasures awaiting your ears.
Catholic Action – Celebrated By Strangers
Three years on from their incredible debut album In Memory Of, Catholic Action are back and on uproarious form with Celebrated By Strangers. A deft leap over the dreaded sophomore slump that harnesses the best components of their trademark sound and adds in a whole host of new, boundary-prodding embellishments, it’s an album that is as whip-smart as its predecessor but comes with a much-needed bite to it. Left bedraggled by the world around them, the rigours of the music industry and the systemic inequalities that plague the world at large, Catholic Action are playing with a purpose throughout this album and it manifests in the vitality that springs forth throughout its rowdy 40-minute run-time. Reconstructing the world in playfully hedonistic solos and acerbic wit, it’s an album that holds a mirror to society at a time where we’ve all got plenty to reflect on.
Neon Waltz ‘Huna’
Although their upcoming run of tour dates was nixed by the virus, Neon Waltz have ensured that their adoring public will have all the more reason to renew their love for them with the Huna EP. Possessing a sound that’s at once instantly recognisable but reflexive and receptive to change, tracks such as “Strung Up” and “Thanks For Everything” Meld chamber-pop and dreamy soundscape as only they can. Billowing with ideas that could appeal to both the docile muso and manic festival crowd with similar effectiveness, it’s one to listen to in wonder at the boundless horizons before them.
WEB ‘Haze’
‘Haze’, while fitting with the canon of Kieren Webster’s previous work with The View, has a fresh vitality and style that is uniquely its own. There are shades of early punk, reminiscent of the likes of The Stooges or Buzzcocks, while the timbre of Webster’s distinctive voice and rock and roll drawl lends itself to the raw, vintage style. It is sure to go down a storm with fans old and new and marks the band out as a vital addition to the nation’s flourishing guitar music movement.
Alice Bentley ‘Perfect Stranger’
Proving that the success of her debut was no mere flash in the pan, ‘Perfect Stranger’ reinforces Alice Bentley’s pop credentials tenfold. As we heard on her debut single ‘Come Up’, the same kind of bombastic eighties melodies, dreamy synths, soaring guitars and big pop choruses are employed but this time there is an underlying sadness to the lyrical sentiment. Turning to the age-old formula of pairing emotive lyrics with big, catchy synth-pop melodies, it’s harnessed brilliantly by Callum Wiseman’s gleaming, full pop production.
Lucia & the Best Boys – BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale Mash Up
Lucia & the Best Boys have finally released the mash-up video from their recent BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale Session, recorded back in February for Jack Saunders. Pulling out all the stops, it’s a killer performance that features snippets of ‘Edge of Seventeen’ by Stevie Nicks, ‘What You Waiting For’ by Gwen Stefani and ‘Gone’ by Charli XCX and Christine and the Queens – a gargantuan task if it wasn’t in the hands of one Scotland’s most ambitious artists. The mash-up itself is a celebration of women Lucia believes have helped to shape pop music across their different generations and it goes without saying that she pulls it off masterfully. Featuring fellow Glasgow artist Lizzie Reid on backing vocals, its appearance online has been well worth the wait.
State Actors- Brina
Although it may draw inspiration from a teen-drama protagonist, State Actors’ debut single ‘Brina’ goes far beyond Netflix-caliber histrionics and crafts something darker from its core elements. Invoking the ambiance of The Walkmen circa-Bows & Arrows and The Back Room-era Editors, this Paisley-based singer/songwriter contorts post-punk’s melodramatic tendencies to his will and retools it in his own uniquely sardonic style. Steeped in wistfulness , this stirring rumination on unrequited love will stand you in good stead throughout these seemingly endless nights.
The Snuts ‘Summer in the City (The Pool Session)’
In the midst of celebrating their massive chart success with last week’s ‘Mixtape EP’, The Snuts have treated fans to a cover of ‘Summer in the City’ by The Lovin’ Spoonful. After landing at number 14 in the UK Album Chart, Number 1 in the Scottish Album Chart and Number 1 in the Vinyl Chart, the band have repaid fans by putting their own Scottish stamp on the classic anthem, giving us the kind of bright, catchy dose of summer we all need at the moment.
Talk Show ‘These People’ EP
Talk Show’s debut EP, out today on Council Records, is one of this week’s most essential listens. Unveiled nearly a year on from their inaugural single for YALA! Records, cult favourite ‘Fast and Loud’, the four-track EP solidifies their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting new outfits, boasting a richer palette of influences while perfectly capturing the frenetic energy of their now renowned live shows. With a masterful turn of phrase and authoritative delivery, Harrison Swann is a riveting presence throughout but the band aren’t judgemental in their lyrical content – instead they hold a mirror up to the way we live, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions. From the insistent, larger-than-life attitude of ‘Stress’ to the twisted dancefloor filler ‘Atomic’ to the more introspective ‘Banshee’, it’s a must listen.
Sorry ‘Rosie’
A band we’ve followed for some time now on these pages, London outfit Sorry unveil their eagerly anticipated debut album ‘925’ today. Featuring standout singles like ‘Starstruck’, ‘Rock N Roll Star’ and ‘More’, one of its many highlights include ‘Rosie’ – a fuzzy, surreal track that plays on the record’s recurring motif of dreamscape vs hellscape. Earnest but with underlying sinister tones, Ash Lorenz trademark soft vocal is delivered against unnerving guitars and a woozy, processed saxophone to create that dark, apocalyptic feeling that permeates the whole record. With reference points spanning from 90s punk-rock and grunge to jazz, it’s not often you come across a guitar-driven album like this – genuinely brimming with innovative ideas and with a blatant disregard for genre. Bringing disparate sounds and influences together through intricate layers of instrumentation and fuzzy, surreal soundscapes that border on the dream-like and the nightmarish, Sorry have managed to create a debut album that is immediate and accessible yet undeniably in their own image.
Squid ‘Sludge’
It’s been a while since we’ve heard something new from Squid but that changed this week with the release of ‘Sludge’. Following the announcement that they’ve signed to Warp Records, the band continue their rich vein of form with more funky, off-kilter rhythms, post-punk guitars and psychedelic embellishments. It’s the kind of calculated chaos that the band have excelled in over the last 12 months.
Egyptian Blue ‘Nylon Wire’
Signed to YALA Records, Brighton-based outfit Egyptian Blue have been gathering momentum with their intoxicating brand of post-punk. Their next ‘Body of Itch’ is set to land on 10th April on Felix White’s label and they’ve given us our latest preview with the release of the exhilarating ‘Nylon Wire’. Built on an intensely infectious groove, it’s a track that demands your attention with its commanding vocals and gripping immediacy.
Tamzene ‘Best of Me’
Following on from ‘Soldier’ earlier this year, Tamzene is back with one of her most honest and heartfelt tracks to date. It’s a powerful display of raw emotion as the singer reflects on a past relationship, allowing her stunning vocals to shine against a stripped back piano melody. Describing it as her ‘picking up the pieces’ moment she says” I wrote this song at home on my very old and out-of-tune piano, after one or maybe three glasses of red wine…I kinda wanted to both remember and forget about the past.’
The Aces ‘Daydream’
The Aces gave us another glimpse into their ever-evolving sound with the release of ‘Daydream’ earlier this month. Ushering in a bright new era for the group, the tune marked their first piece of new music in two years and while it is every bit as sleek and vibrant as their previous material, it’s a more playful track that brings their electronic influences to the forefront. Euphoric, nostalgic and reflective all at once, it triumphs in its infectious basslines, catchy chorus and sleek harmonies.
Marsicans ‘Sunday’
Bringing the feel-good vibes that we all need at the moment, fast-rising indie stars Marsicans have unveiled a brand new track called ‘Sunday’. Featuring stand-out harmonies and the kind of fizzing guitar lines and bouncy choruses we’ve come to know and love from the group, it’s all about going to new places and experiencing new things as a band.
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