IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: DJ SHADOW feat NILS FRAHM – BERGSCHRUND: With the release of his highly anticipated new album The Mountain Will Fall only weeks away (June 24), experimental hip-hop pioneer DJ Shadow shares his collaboration with Berlin-based musician, composer and producer Nils Frahm, with the pair teaming up on Bergschrund. The track is a slight departure from the more piano-led compositions the Erased Tapes artist is famous for, with bombastic percussion melding with icy, layered synths to stunning effect. It’s a real mood-piece that somehow combines the hip edge that DJ Shadow is famous for with something a little more out there and possibly cinematic (as opposed to dancefloor orientated). But it’s another useful indicator that we could be in for something quite special with the new LP. Speaking about the collaboration, DJ Shadow commented, “Nils Frahm is an insanely smart composer. He created a sinewy, gated vintage synth line which I then expanded upon, hopefully to complimentary effect. Our track is called Bergschrund, an obscure German word for a particular type of crevasse, or ice cliff, usually found on mountains at very high elevations.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: GLASS ANIMALS – LIFE ITSELF: Glass Animals’ new track Life Itself has already generated buzz by being turned into Annie Mac’s Hottest Record. It’s easy to shear why. The track is an immersive, exotic and characteristically off-kilter earworm, re-introducing the band in the wake of their sensational ascent into a force to be reckoned with. Dave makes a point of not listening to his contemporaries when making music, preferring to look inwards to the world Glass Animals have built. Hence, on this there’s a rousing combination of big drums, bass and a high tempo that builds towards a big, layered chorus that’s utterly inspiring. It looks set to become a massive anthem for them and could well be one of the higlights from their forthcoming LP, How To Be A Human Being. The album, due for release on August 26, is being hailed as a scrapbook of their time spent on the road, gathering memories and perceptions of different types of people from all around the world. Many of lead singer Dave’s lyrical ideas came from live recordings of people saved on his phone, as though he’d been operating as some sort of roaming journalist all this time.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 3: MYSTERY JETS – BOMBAY BLUE: Bombay Blue is the latest track to be taken from Mystery Jets’ fifth album Curve of the Earth, which was released earlier this year to critical acclaim. It’s also one of its undoubted highlights. A laidback, beautifully constructed offering, this combines melodic verses with epic choruses and some exhilarating guitar work. The vocals also provide a brilliant accompaniment, hitting some nice falsetto moments, while easing you along on its deeply satisfying journey. The guitar solo is also superb. Always a favourite, Mystery Jets are maturing nicely as a band. The video, shot by Tobias Ross-Southall in Jodhpur, India, follows the band’s drummer Kapil Trivedi as he travels to India to prepare for his own wedding celebrations, whilst at the same time re-discovering the innocence, warmth and magic of the culture from which he sprang. It features an amazing shot of Kapil jumping 100 feet from the top of a step well, as Ross-Southall remembers: “A highlight was watching Kaps psych himself up to jump off the top of the top of the water temple. After the jump, he was genuinely celebrated by the locals and the whole temple erupted with cheers and laughter. It was an amazing moment.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
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THE STONE ROSES – BEAUTIFUL THING: Yet another new single from The Stone Roses… and yet more debate over whether they’re trading on past glories or enjoying a second coming of genuine quality. It’s actually a bit of both. By not straying too far from their signature sound, the band can be said to be giving the fans what they’ve been craving all these years. But at the same time, they have tweaked the formula to sound a bit more contemporary. It’s whether or not that’s enough to win over new followers that remains to be seen. Beautiful Thing is actually more of a throwback to their heyday than its predecessor, with Ian Brown’s vocals more hazy than ever. The epic length has that Fool’s Gold vibe, while the guitars and drum shuffles are all resolutely from the Madchester era. What is beyond question, however, is the quality of John Squire’s solo guitar moments, which – as ever – provide the standout moments of any Stone Roses track. Here, they’re expertly included to deliver a brilliant reminder of why he’s regarded as one of the world’s best players. The chorus, too, takes on an anthemic quality by the time the track reaches its climax, and is liable to have those arms in the air and fans singing along in giddy abdandon. All in all, another successful return then.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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AUGUSTINES – WHEN THINGS FALL APART: When Things Fall Apart is the second single to be taken from the New York-based Augustines’ upcoming third album This Is Your Life (to be released on Caroline International on June 10). The track is a typically emotional offering from the band that contains big choruses, impassioned vocals (that accompany the empowering lyrics) and a sharp mix of guitars and electronics (that combine a contemporary sound with something a little bit ’80s). The sentiment behind the track is all about picking yourself up when things don’t quite go your way and it’s admirably delivered so as to feel inspiring rather than preachy. It’s a strong comeback single for the band. The video for the new single, directed by Jack Lightfoot, features 1300cc Stock Car World Champion, Will Morphey. It captures the raw passion and emotion found throughout the Augustines’ music and is channeled through Morphey’s dedication to his sport in this visual offering. As Lightfoot explains: “I’ve been in awe of their (Augustines) unparalleled passion towards their music and performances. I wanted to create something that mirrored these emotions – a raw, endearing video that takes us inside a relatively alien sub-culture, and showcases passion and dedication within a completely different environment.” The video takes us inside the life of champion, Morphey and shows us his devotion to racing, from his garden / scrap yard hosting a variety of car parts to the pre-race preparation and rituals.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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FOALS – NIGHT SWIMMERS (MURA MASA EDIT): Foals are currently preparing for the biggest summer of their career to date, with their headline shows at the Reading and Leeds Festivals as well as a Pyramid Stage set at Glastonbury and live dates in a further 23 countries. The quintet will release a brand new Mura Masa edit of Night Swimmers on June 10. The BBC Sound of 2016 finalist’s edit of Night Swimmers is a radical reworking of the What Went Down album track. Whereas the original blended afrobeat-tinged rhythms with the atmosphere of a summer’s evening, Mura Masa’s futuristic production focuses upon warped bass, chopped vocals and chaotic grooves. It takes a bit of getting used to and has a dance element that isn’t always in keeping with Foals more rock sound. But after a few listens, it actually takes on a very persuasive life of its own and works quite well as a late night, remixed variation on the Foals sound. If nothing else, it shows how willing Foals are to play with their sound and remain diverse.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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APEMAN SPACEMAN – SPACECATRAZ: Apeman Spaceman describe their songs as ranging from ‘brutal reflections of modern society to stories of sex, drugs and lost loves’. Sleazy, manic, confrontational, romantic, they are both fed by – and a reaction to – the fucked up times we live in. Apeman Spaceman is Johnny Cooke on vocals/guitar and Rikki Mehta on guitar (both from noughties post-punk band Dogs) and Carl Dalemo on bass (original member of Razorlight), with Ethan Kennedy on drums and art. New single Spacecatraz is an appealing entry point to their sound. It combines heavy fuzzed guitar with snarling vocals to emerge as an angry visceral post-punk The Jam, albeit with a more contemporary vibe. Cooke’s vocals certainly are Weller-esque but the guitars are more akin to something heavier, while still managing to sound scuzzy and cool. It’s the sort of record that continues to get better with each listen.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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CHARLOTTE CARPENTER – BURN: Burn is the tender closing track from Charlotte Carpenter’s new EP, How Are We Ever To Know?. Built around a sombre piano arrangement and some melancholy vocals about the end of a relationship and the feelings that accompany it, this is nevertheless a striking new offering that makes you think. Burn is laced with guilt and frustrations, though glowing with a sense of calm and closure, as minimal atmospherics and delicate chords slowly intertwine as Charlotte’s affecting vocal soars. The video is equally poignant. And here’s what Charlotte had to say about it: “So much of me was poured into writing this song that when it came to the video, I didn’t want to tell my story at all. The film was made by my good friends Ruth and Ross, also known as Penny In The Arrow, they wrote and directed this beautiful short film from the perspective of a man, trying to move on after the demise of his relationship. It’s shot in Bangor, Northern Ireland and it looks and feels so real, as though we are looking in on something we shouldn’t be, but something which we’ve all experienced or felt before.”
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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TUSKS – TORN: Tusks has released the seductive new track Torn as the second song to be taken from her imminent False EP (also out today). The brooding track centres around Tusks’ ethereal vocals and sees waves of percussion and ambient sounds weave themselves around her beautiful voice. It’s a subtle concoction, with the surrounding instrumentals kept to a minimum, so as to allow Emily Underhill’s vocals to really take the spotlight. And it’s by doing that that the sense of longing in the lyrics shines through. The singer says of the track herself: “The production of Torn was quite experimental – it evolved over a few years from a couple of sampled chords to this progressive, dream like vibe with dark undertones. It’s like a dark love song that reflects on semi subconscious doubts about love and relationships.” The resulting track is well worth checking out.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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HAUX – SEASIDE: Fusing dream-folk with lush electronic textures, Haux has delivered a memorably subversive listen with new single Seaside. We say subversive because songs with beach connections generally veer towards the shiny, shimmering pop, or indie-rock, whereas this has a gentle, laidback feel that is more about creating a mood. The track features ambient guitar harmonics and explores themes of escapism with intense emotional and musical craft. It kind of washes over you like a small wave, encompassing the dream-folk elements with some ambience. As a result, it won’t be to everyone’s taste, particularly if they’re looking for something more resolutely upbeat for a summer soundtrack selection, but there is a great deal of beauty here. And it does intoxicate the more you hear it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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