IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: BEL – MELANCHOLIA: Producing alternative electronic pop with emotionally charged lyrics that are designed to pierce the soul, Melbourne’s 20-year-old singer-songwriter, BEL (aka Isabelle Rich), is being hailed as a creative force to be reckoned with. Her music is both thought-provoking and deeply moving. New single Melancholia suggests a descent into something quite depressing. But while the lyrics are certainly tinged with the sadness inherent in the title, there’s an ethereal pop quality that draws favourable comparisons with artists like Sia or Lykke Li. Hence, Melancholia makes an instantly striking impression: BEL’s vocals are lovely and hypnotic, the emotions are genuinely stirring and the atmospheric instrumentals convey a cinematic quality. BEL says of the track: “Melancholia provides an introspective depiction of what it’s like to be inside my head. Lyrically, it’s rich in raw emotion and personal truth. Our minds can make us think and feel all sorts of interesting and strange things, but it’s how we consolidate these sentiments that defines us as people.” BEL’s six-track debut EP will be released in the Australian summer.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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BEATY HEART – RAW GOLD: Co-produced by friends Jungle, South London trio Beaty Heart’s Raw Gold doesn’t leave the listener hanging, rapidly opening with its infectious pop hook and compelling chorus. It then proceeds to combine slick beats with falsetto soul vocals and a smooth groove style that’s as laidback as it is infectious. And once that chorus lands, it’s hard not to be swept along. Beaty Heart are Peckham-based alt-pop trio Charlie Rotberg, Joshua Mitchell and James Moruzzi, who released their acclaimed debut album, Mixed Blessings, in 2014, championed by the likes of Huw Stephens, Phil Taggart, Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy. Now they return with a reinvigorated new sound, influenced by the likes of Lee Scratch Perry, Arthur Russell, Roots Manuva, Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points. Raw Gold is a fine example of what to expect. The video stars renowned Brazilian longboarder Ana Maria Suzano, showcasing her gracefully free-steppping on her longboard in a warehouse, on a rooftop, and in the streets under a hazy sky. About Raw Gold and working with Suzano, Beaty Heart’s Charlie Rotberg says: “We saw some of her clips online and reached out about collaborating on a music video. We felt the elegance of her longboard dancing would work beautifully with the down tempo vibes of ‘Raw Gold.’ We wanted to convey her as this ethereal spirit character that we observe effortlessly floating around these abandoned spaces that eventually open out into an otherworldly empty highway.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
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ROONEY feat SOKO – WHY: LA alt-rockers Rooney make available Why as the latest offering from their forthcoming LP Washed Away, which drops on July 29. It’s a breezy slice of alt-pop that is high on super-charged, synth-fed melodies and a zestful optimism in the lyrics about never giving up on love – despite being in the middle of a break-up!. And it certainly boasts a toe-tapping, summery quality that’s easy enough on the ears without ever really blowing you away. If anything, it’s lightweight pop-rock fare that endears without living long in the memory. The accompanying romantic and carefree video is notable for featuring admired French actress and musician Soko. In the video Rooney’s Robert Schwartzman and Soko tell the story of a playful couple in the sunny streets of California. Deceptively bursting with hooks and bubbly melodies, the lyrical undertone speaks of love and emotions during a break-up. Schwartzman explains, “The lyrics are about a couple realizing maybe this is it, maybe it’s over, my tears have all dried up, and we both accept this. The beat and music seems to say the opposite, creating some conflict in the song, which is actually true for love and our emotions. We have so much inside of us during a breakup, even if we know it’s right and must embrace this feeling.”
Rating: 3 out of 5
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MATT JOHNSON – GET OVER YOU: Matt Johnson has released Get Over You as the debut single from his forthcoming album Chaplin Road – but it does rather beg the question of just how familiar is it? And do we need another ballad-style singer like this? If you imagine elements of Take That mixed with Olly Murs or James Morrison in ballad form, then you’ll know exactly what you’re going to get. There’s a classic soul crooner style thanks to the cute guitar licks and laidback beats, while the earnest lyrics and similarly earnest delivery make for a song that knows how to tug at the heart-strings, albeit manipulatively so. And therein lies the problem with the record: it’s just so familiar that it sounds like we’ve heard it so many times before, right down to the gospel-tinged backing singers. Johnson has a decent voice but he’s very definitely under-served by the material.
Rating: 2 out of 5
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TWIN WILD – MY HEART: My Heart marks the first new release from Twin Wild since the young band signed to the Play It Again Sam label. Billed as an anthemic, power-driven track that showcases frontman Richard Hutchison’s distinct falsetto and the band’s rousing musicianship, it’s a notable offering that has shades of both Pearl Jam and Twin Atlantic. If anything, the track gets better once the falsetto drops and Hutchison employs a more gruff, throatier style that enhances the power of the siren-like guitars and the brooding drums. It’s a powerful track that suggests Twin Wild have their hearts set on filling stadiums in their near future. Richard says of the song: “My Heart is a reflection on the sacrifices involved in achieving your ambitions, but equally the rush that comes with it. It’s definitely the song that resonates most with us as a band.” The climax, when the drums really kick in, is particularly invigorating.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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MOLOTOV JUKEBOX – IF I KNEW: Molotov Jukebox aim to deliver the type of music that conjures up the heady atmosphere of festivals and fiestas; the carnival and the gypsy camp. Their sound is best described as an intoxicating fusion of Latino-influenced horns, accordion and violin, underpinned by guitar, bass, and drums, fronted by the powerful, passion-filled vocals of Natalia Tena. It’s all evident in breezy summer single If I Knew, which immediately invokes a carnival atmosphere, complete with sharp stabs of brass, samba-style beats and that very Latino influence. It’s a rollicking slice of pop that thrives on its ear-pleasing melodies and infectious energy. “The seeds of If I Knew came about as I was singing to myself loudly to rid myself of regrets at 4 a.m. cycling back from my friend’s house,” explains Natalia. “Two thoughts then developed it. One: Nietzsche’s theory of living life with eternal recurrence in mind, so living your life as if you would be happy to go through it eternally, again and again. Two: this Jamaican matron that helped a silly 17-year-old me, on her birthday, pissed and sobbing, wearing only mermaid shells as a bra in November, after being dumped for the first time outside Clapham South Station. She gripped me in her large arms and momentarily made it all so much better. She inspired the character in the song, reassuring a younger woman that nothing is as bad as it seems in the moment, and not to waste your youth.” Many will recognise Natalia’s striking looks, presence and primal energy from her rôle as the Wildling Osha in the international hit series Game of Thrones. But she’s also appeared in About a Boy and the Harry Potter films. The video for If I Knew was created by talented animator Amo Jones, known for his work with Ed Sheeran, SB:TV, Stella McCartney, Facejacker and Samsung.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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SHALLOWS – HOUSE OF LOVE: Liverpool three-piece Shallows have returned from 12 months hidden away working on new material to release Pale and House of Love as a limited edition, double A-side vinyl release this July. Of the two tracks, the latter is designed to evoke memories of classic indie-pop acts of days gone by and gets by on some of the strength of its guitar riffs. But the vocals pose a problem as they’re not really distinct or strong enough to really excite or hold the attention. And while the chorus has a catchy element and is high on melody, it’s also fairly routine for this kind of thing – and not in a good way. It’s a shame because instrumentally, especially, Shallows display plenty of potential, even if they could do with pegging back the retro elements a little more and really forging their own identity. Pale/House of Love is released on strictly limited edition vinyl on July 29, 2016.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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AUGUST WELLS – SHE WAS A QUESTION: August Wells is a musical project formed in New York by Dublin native Ken Griffin (formerly of highly underrated cult Irish band Rollerskate Skinny, Kid Silver and Favourite Sons) and New York pianist John Rauchenberger. With their critically acclaimed debut album A Living & A Dying Game already under their belt, they now simultaneously release new album Madness Is The Mercy and new single She Was A Question on the same day. The latter is a psychedelic chamber-pop track with strange brass, haunting piano and a vocal akin perhaps to something Lou Reed wrote for Sinatra to sing – or if Willie Nelson borrowed Johnny Cash’s voice for a song. It’s an oddity for sure… the piano offering moments of beauty that are sometimes negated by the monotone style of the vocals and the generally downbeat nature of the lyrics. A lazy sax that drifts in and out is also distrating. It’s just too strange to really enjoy – but it’s not without ambition. The song deals with a man left alone “ her pillows they lie here like loyal dogs” left alone with a stream of stark and brutal realizations “ one day you wake up, as the man that you are, and not as the one, you thought you’d become” all leading to the aching line “ now i know, she was a question not an answer”.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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