WITH spring in the air, vaccinations being rolled out and music festivals moving with more confidence, this week has given us reason to be hopeful. It’s also been one of the busiest weeks of the year for new music and we’ve got it all lined up for you in this week’s New Music Radar. Check out our top tracks of the week below.
Wuh Oh ‘Saxy Beast’
After a week in which we saw light start to appear at the end of the lockdown tunnel, there seems no better time to introduce a new Wuh Oh track. The Glasgow producer is the absolute antithesis of monotony and his new single ‘Saxy Beast’ is testament to that as he brings together the worlds of jazz and dance in typically jubilant fashion. A track that has long been part of his live set, it’s the burst of sax-led euphoria we all need.
Washington ‘Yungin’
After seizing our attention with last year’s ‘Rookie’ EP, Paisley rapper Washington is back with a new banger called ‘Yungin’. The Zimbabwe-born star says “this is a little story about how I haven’t lived in Paisley for long but have somehow, managed to find ways to live and maintain”. Pairing his incisive flow with Gillieson’s effortlessly cool production, ‘Yungin’ is the sound of an artist moving with the utmost confidence. Washington challenges the listener to sit up and take notice and we suggest you do exactly that.
LVRA ‘DEAD’
After receiving acclaim for her distinctive debut EP ‘LVCID’ back in 2020, Scottish-Chinese alt-pop star returned this week with ‘DEAD’. It’s a compelling track that takes her innovative songwriting to new heights with a vibrant display of synths and thumping bass mixed in with echoes of traditional instruments such as the xiao and the bianzhong. LVRA’s vocals remain the focal point though; letting off a delicate sigh one minute and exuding supreme confidence the next.
John Rush ‘Maybe It’s True (Darlin’ It’s You)
John Rush’s new single is a far cry from the folky guitar-driven tracks we’re used to hearing from the Paisley singer-songwriter. ‘Maybe It’s True (Darlin’ It’s You)’ is a deeply moving piano ballad that puts all the focus on Rush’s emotional vocals and heartfelt lyrics as he depicts in the rawest sense, a destructive relationship destined for closure.
Hannymoon ‘Come With Me’
Following the release of his debut album ‘Blood On Soap’ last year, Glasgow-based rapper Hannymoon is back and already teasing the release of a follow-up record. ‘Come With Me’ sees Hanny continue to put his own idiosyncratic stamp on Scottish hip-hop – his instantly recognisable flow delivered over warm R&B keys and a crystalline trap beats.
Greentea Peng ‘Nah It Ain’t The Same’
Produced by long-term collaborator Earbuds, Greentea Peng’s new track ‘Nah It Ain’t The Same’ captures the incredible chemistry she has with her live band The Seng Seng Family. Carrying an effortless cool, hip-hop and jazz inflections flourish into a classic drum & bass beat while Greentea Peng’s smooth, beatific vocals envelop the whole thing. It’s a fluid number that hypnotises from the very first bars.
Wolf Alice ‘The Last Man On Earth’
Along with the announcement of their third album ‘Blue Weekend’, Wolf Alice have shared ‘The Last Man On Earth’. It is subtle yet powerful, putting all the spotlight on Ellie Rowsell’s emotive vocals as she dissects the self-importance of our society. “You’ve really missed a trick when it comes to love. Always seeking what you don’t have, like what you do ain’t enough” she sings in a half-whisper.
It’s not until about halfway through that the simply piano melody changes course as the rest of the band delicately build up layers of sound around her with Beatles-esque psych riffs and the kind of soaring atmospherics that are built for arenas. Taking their sound to serene new heights, what started off as an intimate moment builds masterfully into something bigger and more anthemic.
Indoor Foxes ‘Mr Yellow Eyes’
Edinburgh’s Indoor Foxes deals in the kind of introspective lo-fi guitar pop that will appeal to fans of Soccer Mommy, girl in red and Beabadoobee. New track ‘Mr Yellow Eyes’ balances wistfulness with shimmering, upbeat melodies as she reaches out to her father for advice on a relationship. She says “I wanted to talk about how it feels to watch something so beautiful start to feel so heavy and to acknowledge that I don’t know what I’m doing or how to make it work – and that’s ok”.
Pelican Tusk ‘Miserable’
Pelican Tusk are enticing us back into their unpredictable world once again with the release of ‘Miserable’. Perhaps their most accessible release to date, lead singer Sam Bancroft breathes melancholy over the deeply atmospheric tune before it takes a turn around the halfway mark with a rapturous guitar solo.
Check out our New Music Radar playlist below which features more additions such as MOY, The Horrors, NewDad and more.
