WE’VE got an especially eclectic edition of New Music Radar this week – featuring everything from Scottish folk to silky R&B to joyous indie-pop. Check out our highlights of the week below.
Hamish Hawk ‘The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973’
Hamish Hawk’s upcoming album ‘Heavy Elevator’ looks set to mark a huge leap forward for the Edinburgh artist. Every single we’ve heard so far has been as compelling as the last; ‘Caterpillar’, ‘Calls to Tiree’, ‘New Rhododendrons’ and now ‘The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973’. Every bit as captivating as its title suggests, the track is another example of Hawk’s novelistic style of writing – his literate flair is accompanied by a rich instrumental that draws from jangle-pop as much as it does post-punk. The new album is out on 17th September.
Bleach Lab ‘Real Thing’
Bleach Lab have shared a poignant new single called ‘Real Thing’. Arriving a couple of months after their recent ‘A Calm Sense of Surrounding’ EP, the introspective track is about ‘wanting to find a more meaningful and lasting connection with someone’. Full of romantic nostalgia, there’s airs of The Cranberries in its moody soundscapes and intricate guitar melodies.
Silk Sonic ‘Skate’
Bruno Marks and Anderson .Paak are back under their Silk Sonic alias with a new track called ‘Skate’. A silky smooth follow-up to ‘Leave the Door Open’, the pair describe it as a ‘summertime ham’ – appropriate given its buoyant, sunny vibes.
Wunderhorse ‘Teal’
Formerly known as the frontman of riotous indie band Dead Pretties, Jacob Slater has launched a new solo project through YALA! called Wunderhorse. Released this week, ‘Teal’ is his captivating debut single; raw yet musically refined, emphatic yet thoughtful, it balances daring vulnerability with nostalgic heartland rock influences. Delivering his thoughtful lyrics over distorted guitars and a shape-shifting instrumental, it’s a transfixing debut that shows Slater has matured his craft in all the best ways possible.
Parcels ‘Comingback’
A band who are able to conjure joy with each buoyant release,Parcels are back with another banger in ‘Comingback’. Delivering more of those sweet, satisfying grooves that fans have come to know and love, the jubilant track bursts with bright piano melodies, jangly guitars and a soaring string section. The Australian outfit are sure to win over a whole new legion of fans with their upcoming new album.
Lewis McLaughlin ‘Summer’
Scottish songwriter Lewis McLaughlin has teamed up with Andy Monaghan’s (Frightened Rabbit) label Monohands Records to release a new single called ‘Summer’. Inspired by Animal Collective, Bon Iver and Sylvan Esso along with the trad Scottish folk he was introduced to by his parents, the track is a beautiful and innovative ode to community and inclusivity. Blending vocoders and drum machines into the mix, McLaughlin’s delicate vocals are gradually joined by a troupe of voices as the track blossoms into a euphoric finale. It’s a real feel-good summer tune that grabs you by the heart.
Dictator ‘Mirror Mirror’
Scottish quartet Dictator have been going about their business for a couple of years, gradually amassing a cult-like following with their emphatic alt-rock anthems. New track ‘Mirror Mirror’ was produced by YUNGBLUD’s Adam Warrington and finds them pushing the boundaries of their eclectic alt-rock sound with dark, woozy electronics and atmospheric soundscapes. With a catchy chorus at the heart of it, it’s a menacing track about society’s unhealthy relationship with social media.
Downtown Kayoto ‘Hello World’
Downtown Kayoto, the moniker of Chiko Chinyadza, invites listener into an entirely new sonic world with the release of his aptly-named new single ‘Hello World’. Pushing his songwriting into a fresh new space, the new impeccably produced single finds him exploring some deeply personal feelings as he articulates his experience of emerging from a long pandemic-induced lockdown. Sonically, the track effortlessly blends R&B and soulful rap before an unexpected breakbeat surge takes us into drum and bass.
Ada Lea ‘damn’
Ada Lea, otherwise known as Alexandra Levy, has returned with a knockout track called ’damn’. Lifted from a newly announced album called ‘one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden’, the track feels both melodic and conversational – pairing Ada’s stream-of-consciousness delivery with a weightless indie pop instrumental. Transfixing from start to finish, it slowly gets more intense as she starts to unleash her frustrations.
LUMP ‘Gamma Ray’
Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay are releasing their second album as LUMP today called ‘Animal’ – the record was previewed earlier in the week by the prog-indebted ‘Gamma Ray’. More subdued than previous singles, the track stands out for its slinking instrumental – quite experimenteal and psychedelic, the playful lyrics never quite mask its dark undercurrents.
Check out our playlist below which features more updates like Billie Eilish, Oscar Lang, Zuzu, Jungle and more.
