OUR 136th edition of New Music Radar features another batch of exciting releases from around Scotland beyond. Check out our essential tracks of the week below.
Fauves ‘F’
Following the release of ‘Bathe’ and ‘Wither Away’ in lockdown, new single ‘F’ finds Fauves shifting things up a gear once more. Transporting us back to the infectiously smooth sounds of the 90s, the track opens with warm dreamy synths, breakbeats and funk-inspired bass lines before Ryan Caldwell enters with his playful signature falsetto.
A wholly intoxicating sonic journey ensues, one that traverses through a melting pot of funk and soul-inspired R&B influences under the stewardship of Jamie Holmes’ masterful production. Built around another memorable chorus, it’s their meticulous attention to detail that continues to surprise with little sonic gems revealing themselves through waves of dreamy psychedelia – from the twinkling synth lines to the mystical sound of Lizzie Kiyoko’s flute floating over the post-chorus to Matthew Devlin’s occasional sax flourishes, gradually becoming a hallmark feature of their sound.
Brimming with atmosphere and gradually easing its way onto the dancefloor, the track finishes in absolute euphoria with a full band jam. ‘Goodbye…’ Caldwell whispers as they ease their way into an exciting new chapter.
‘F’ is an ambitious statement of intent from one of Glasgow’s most inventive outfits. With a long list of credits that spans Jamie Holmes and drummer Ciaran Devlin on production duties, Gianluca Bernacchi and Ryan Caldwell on additional production, John Davis on Mastering, Humble Film Studios on visual direction and Sarah Alexander on artwork, it’s a product of real collaboration and innovation from a band whose creative inspiration seemingly knows no bounds.
Declan Welsh & The Decadent West ‘Useful’
Following the announcement of their new EP ‘We Wish You All The Best’, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West have shared a gentle new cut called ‘Useful’.
A far cry from last month’s ‘Ghosted’, ‘Useful’ is one of Welsh’s most tender and introspective offerings to date. With only an acoustic guitar and ghostly harmonies for company, and briefly a rousing guitar solo, Welsh reflects on his own place in the world, what he brings and where he will go next. Written and recorded in lockdown, it’s a song that captures the very visceral uncertainty and self-reflection of the time.
Man Of Moon ‘When We Were Young’
After making a rousing return with the pulse-quickening ‘Strangers’ last month, Edinburgh’s prolific duo Man Of Moon are back with another new single ‘When We Were Young’.
While ‘Strangers’ was a fine example of the band’s ability to bridge the worlds of rock and electronica, the new track leans further into their rock influences than ever before – big grungy sounding guitars dominate the mix over stomping rhythms and a dark, fuzzy layer of feedback to create a track brimming with atmosphere and passion.
“It’s a coming of age tune” the band tell us, an uplifting message to send back to their younger selves at a time of change and uncertainty. “In time I’ll see who I really am”, Bainbridge sings over the towering instrumental with a charge of optimism.
Carla J Easton ‘WEIRDO’ (ft Honeyblood)
Two of Scotland’s most acclaimed songwriters, Carla J Easton and Stina Tweeddale (Honeyblood), have linked up for the release of a brand new pop banger called ‘Weirdo’. Set to feature on Easton’s upcoming album of the same name, ‘Weirdo’ is an absolute powerhouse of a track – an anthemic ode to weirdness that climbs and soars with pop ambition. Driven by big beats and bassy synths, she wastes little time in inviting us into her colourful, glitzy world – a world that thrives on chaos and musical rebellion as she sings of breaking free and flying away.
Sharing vocal duties with the inimitable Tweeddale, it’s a collaboration we didn’t know we needed until now; a big, bold and ambitious track that will surely be filed alongside the biggest pop bangers of 2020. Carla notes “I’ve often been told I am weird – like that’s a derogatory word. Let’s be clear – normal doesn’t exist. The things that make me weird are the things that make me, me.”
Jack Brotherhood ‘Friends’
Glasgow band and Tenement Trail alumni Jack Brotherhood have returned with a new track called ‘Friends’. Drenched in the kind of melancholy that has become synonymous with Scottish alt-rock, ‘Friends’ is described as a “pithy and upbeat ode to petty hatred and toxic intensity”. Led by frontman Logan Stewart’s brogue, a solemn piano melody gradually builds into a cathartic slice of alt-rock, driven by a pulsing drumbeat and jagged guitars.
Confidence Man ‘First Class Bitch’
Confidence Man have shared their first track of 2020 in ‘First Class Bitch’ and it sums up everything we love about the Australian dance-pop duo. Fun, eccentric and with its tongue firmly in cheek, Janet Planet and Sugar Bones share vocal duties over a dancefloor-ready instrumental that never quite lets up throughout. The duo have described the track as Hot. Sexy. Cool.” and “The miracle you’ve been waiting for.”
Arlo Parks ‘Hurt’
Premiered on Radio 1 as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World, ‘Hurt’ follows Arlo Park’s recent breakthrough single ‘Black Dog’ and finds her dealing with the “temporary nature of suffering”. “It is supposed to uplift and comfort those going through hard times” she has said of the track.
With an ability to render a spectrum of emotions through her evocative poetry and tender, soulful musical arrangements, there’s a simultaneous universality and specificity to her passing observations that give her songs such a timeless feel. Shifting the tempo up a gear, on ‘Hurt’ she reminds us that no pain is permanent over an insistent drumbeat and a defiantly optimistic chorus hook. It’s like a warm hug that even transforms into a bit of a bop.
Angel Olsen ‘Whole New Mess’
Angel Olsen has sharing a stunning new version of her song ‘Waving, Smiling’. Set to feature on her upcoming album ‘Whole New Mess’, the intimate track ties together many of the record’s central themes such as heartbreak, grief and acceptance as she comments “‘Waving, Smiling’ in my head is the last scene, a slow-motion realization of love not lost but at peace somewhere within myself. It’s the bittersweet end of a chapter of my life — it is the final acceptance that despite coming to an end, all of that time was not lost or wasted.” Centred around an unadorned finger-picked melody, it’s a heart-wrenching track that lays Olsen’s immeasurable songwriting talents bare.
Father John Misty ‘To S./ To R’
Josh Tillman returned this week with new material for the first time since 2018’s ‘God’s Favourite Customer’. Given the similarities of their titles, ‘To S’ and ‘To R’ appear to be linked – both sitting on the more meditative and mellow side of his catalogue. The former is a gorgeous ballad that finds him reflecting on a loved one with depression, augmented by a haunting, otherworldly string arrangement while ‘To R’ explores similar themes against a more calm and downbeat backdrop.
Phoenix ‘Identical’
French indie-pop stalwarts Phoenix unveiled an exuberant new single ‘Identical’ this week, set to feature on Sofia Coppola’s upcoming film ‘On The Rocks’. Marking their first release since their 2017 album ‘Ti Amo’, the track is full of club-ready beats and slow-building synthesisers that groove and swell withe emotion throughout.
Hugo Paris ‘Music Saves The World’
Django Django’s Dave MacLean has launched a new house music project under the alias Hugo Paris. Teaming up with house legend Roland Clark, the track is a beautiful, uplifting track that calls for love and unity over a raw, sun-soaked instrumental.
London Grammar ‘Baby It’s You’
London Grammar are officially on the comeback train with the release of their new single ‘Baby It’s You’. Co-produced by electronic producer George Fitzgerald, the track opens rather unexpectedly with a swirl of pulsing club-focused beats before focusing back in on Hannah Reid’s instantly recognisable vocals. It’s a glorious return that marks their first release since 2017.
