THIS week has seen another influx of new music from some of our favourite artists at both sides of the Atlantic. Check out new offerings from Aaron Smith, Pelican Tusk, Barrie James, Alison Mosshart, Phoebe Bridgers, The Strokes, Laura Marling and more.
Aaron Smith ‘Brother’
Six months on from the release of his debut EP ‘Loveless’ which has now amassed nearly 29 million streams, TTV 2020 Vision Artist Aaron Smith is back with his first new song of 2020. In the short space of a year, Smith’s distinctive talents have not gone unnoticed – his astounding vocals and astonishingly stirring lyricism have thrust him in front of a global audience with the help of Spotify and Apple Music. ‘Brother’ is set to be another massive hit – one that sees him flesh out his usual stripped back piano ballad style with delicate harmonies, a sweeping string section and steady rhythms. Reminiscent of Coldplay in its more pop-focused production style, it is Smith’s ability to penetrate to the core of a deeply sensitive subject like addiction with such honesty and authenticity that proves so uniquely powerful.
Pelican Tusk ‘Rhubarb’s House’ EP
After inviting us into their deeply alluring world back in January via the brilliant ‘Freaked Out (Inside The Machine), Pelican Tusk have unveiled their debut EP ‘Rhubarb’s House’. With the band’s primary songwriter and producer Sam Bancroft divulging that the collection was over a year in the making, its meticulous recording and mixing process have resulted in a series of thoughtful and intricately crafted tracks – the kind that reveal new layers of sound and meaning with each and every listen. Inspired by the “places you go in up and down relationships”, the EP opens with its wistful lightly picked title track before ‘Hide Under the Rug!’ adds experimental flare with brass and electronic flourishes. ‘Make Up’ is a wandering dose of loungey psychedelia that brings saxophone and trumpet to the fore before the underlying sense of anxiety and angst that permeates the EP fully manifests itself in the concluding track ‘Freaked Out (Inside The Machine)’. Anchored by Sam Bancroft’s deep and alluring vocal, it’s an EP that veers off in many intriguing directions, winding through a compelling mix of enticing melodies, dreamy melancholy, loungey psychedelia, jazz, indie, funk and more. Marking them out as a unique addition to the local music scene, it’s a collection that has greater depth and context when consumed as a whole and it deserves your full undivided attention.
Barrie James ‘Float’
Over the course of his storied career, Barrie James has shown time and time again his ability to test new ground and experiment with both sound and genre. Recently signed to Glasgow-based label First Run Records, the enigmatic singer-songwriter is back and challenging expectations once again on new single ‘Float’. The first indication of what to expect on his upcoming album ‘Psychedelic Soup’, slated for release on 8th May, ‘Float’ is built around a vibrant 90s acid house keyboard riff which in turn plays off syncopated rhythms and electric guitar licks. Alleviated by a lysergic psychedelic breakdown around its halfway mark, James’ vocals and the presence of electric guitars lend the track a familiar alt-rock grittiness that has informed his previous work but overall, it is far more immediate and pop-leaning than anything we’ve heard from him before. Harking back to the time of 90s dance-indebted rock, it’s a track that sees him career towards an unpredictable yet entirely transfixing destination as we approach the release of his next album.
Two Tone Television ‘Twisted Animator’
Channelling influences such as Eagles of Death Metal and The White Stripes, Twisted Animator stands out as Two Tone Television’s most musically ambitious song to date. Bursting with the same unhinged aggression that was present in previous single Cab Driver, the track’s verses are contrasted by an anthemic chorus that immediately seizes the attention. Twisted Animator definitely shows an increased sophistication in Two Tone Television’s approach to composition with duelling vocal lines and synthesisers woven through the fabric of the song.
The Strokes ‘The New Abnormal’
Today marks the long-awaited arrival of The Strokes’ appropriately titled sixth album ‘The New Abnormal’. Already widely acclaimed as their finest full-length in some time, the album sees the band push their classic sound into new territories once again – eighties new wave, futuristic disco grooves, post-punk and Krautrock all find a space across the album’s nine tracks. There’s still evidence of the long-standing tug of war between tradition and experimentation that has informed most of their work since the early noughties with many of the album’s ‘Room of Fire’ style bangers sandwiched in-between long, wandering numbers that eschew traditional structures. However, unlike on 2013’s ‘Comedown Machine’, their mix of indie-rock, pulsating new wave and electronica is far more convincing this time around. ‘The Adults Are Talking’ is vibrant and euphoric, ‘Selfless’ is quiet and introspective, ‘Bad Decisions’ is the catchiest song we’ve heard from them in some time and ‘Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus’ is a dose of glittery, disco, tinged new wave. They remain the best riff-makers in the world while Julian Casablancas puts in one of his strongest vocal performances in a long time – offering rawness, introspection, self-awareness, nostalgia, palpable melancholy and more. And it’s all done with new levels of self-confidence and that all-important effortless cool. ‘The New Abnormal’ may not be an instant classic but The Strokes sound the best they have in years – cementing their continued relevance when many had written them off.
Laura Marling ‘Held Down’
With many artists choosing to delay the release of their albums due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some good news arrived this week courtesy of Laura Marling who revealed she would be releasing her’s early. Originally slated for release at the end of this summer, Marling’s seventh album ‘Song For Our Daughter’ arrives today.Lead single ‘Held Up’ was a gorgeous introduction at the start of the week. One of her more accessible, pop-leaning offerings, it’s a dreamy, billowing track with ascending vocal harmonies and a beautiful melody. It’s certainly a promising indication of what’s to come.
Willie J Healey ‘True Stereo’
The consistent, always-evolving Willie J Healey finds a happy medium between rock and pop on the new single, adding further nuances to his whimsical, scuzzy bedroom pop sound. With boisterous waves of baritone guitar coming together with endearing melodies and Healey’s timeless vocals in exquisite fashion, it’s a refreshing and punchy slice of pumped up pop that has us eagerly anticipating the full-length album.
Phoebe Bridgers ‘Kyoto’
Phoebe Bridgers is back with news of her second album ‘Punisher’ which will be released on 19th June via Dead Oceans. Alongside the announcement, she has shared a brand new track called ‘Kyoto’. Written after her first trip to Japan in 2019, the song’s verses are tight and tense in delivery before the singer takes flight on the cathartic chorus. Featuring flourishes of euphoric brass by Bright Eyes’ Nathaniel Walcott and input from Warpaint’s Jenny Lee Lindberg, it’s another gorgeous reminder of Bridgers’ lyrical prowess, pairing her lovely turn of phrase with upbeat, rumbling guitars and a yearning hook.
The Beths ‘Dying to Believe’
The Beths have announced the release of their second album ‘Jump Rope Gazers’, out on 10th July, as well as unveiling its lead single ‘Dying to Believe’. Inspired by the breakdown of a relationship, it’s another instantly infectious powerpop gem from the group with peppy rhythms and driving, fizzing guitar parts.
The Aces ‘Lost Angeles’
After the release of ‘Daydream’ a few weeks ago, The Aces are back with another glittering pop banger called ‘Lost Angeles’. A bittersweet yet upbeat track, it sees the outfit lament over love and loss in Los Angeles. They say “‘Lost Angeles’ is about the dark sides of LA,” they explain, “and that experience of being infatuated by Hollywood and a new city, but then having the excitement and romance of it ripped away at the hands of heartbreak.”
Ghostpoet ‘Nowhere to Hide Now’
Set to feature on his upcoming album ‘I Grow Tired But I Dare Not Fall Asleep’, this ominous track feels incredibly prescient in these fractious, anxiety-inducing times. Obara Ejimiwe’s idiosyncratic vocals are driven by fear and anger, delivered against a menacing backdrop of crunching and imposing alt-rock. It’s a typically daring and visceral return from the artist – one reminds us what a unique and essential talent he is.
Alfie Templeman ‘Happiness in Liquid Form’
Over the last couple of years, Alfie Templeman has shown a knack for releasing zesty indie-pop bangers and his latest outing is no different. Written alongside Justin Young of The Vaccines who helps to amplify Templeman’s melodic flair, the new track is the kind of colourful and joyous indie-pop richness we all need at the moment. Tailor made for the spring season, it’s brimming with fizzing guitar lines and bubblegum choruses.
Alison Mosshart ‘Rise’
Best known as the dynamic frontwoman of The Kills and The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart has never released music under her own name until now. Recorded specifically for the Facebook series ‘Sacred Lies’, Mosshart began sketching out the idea for ‘Rise’ back in 2013 before finishing it more recently. She said in a statement: ““I didn’t ever forget it. I remember right where I was when I wrote it, sitting at my desk in London, missing someone badly.”It’s a slow-burning guitar-driven track that builds up to a fiery chorus.
Gum Country ‘Somewhere’
Courtney Gavin, of the Canadian indie rock outfit The Courtneys, has joined forces with multi-instrumentalist Connor Mayer to launch a new band Gum Country. The duo make their debut with a glorious helping of fuzzy guitar pop called ‘Somewhere’, taking inspiration straight from the nineties with their droning guitars and jangly melodies.
Other Humans ‘Valley’
Just weeks after the release of ‘Demons’, Other Humans have continued their return from self-imposed exile with another soaring synth-pop number called ‘Valley’. A track that has been a firm fixture of the duo’s live set for some time now, it finally gets the studio treatment thanks to Bruce Rintoul at 45 A-side Recordings – all shimmering eighties-indebted synths, driving rhythms and euphoric choruses.
