Also featuring SILVERWINGKILLER, RIP Magic, Sarah Meth, Gem Stark, foot foot, Troutflies, Spirited Followers, Radio Free Alice, Pink Eye Club, Alien Chicks and Jude Brothers.
PISS – ‘you made me / skin on linen’
PISS use their relentless hardcore sound as the backdrop for an urgent and unflinching howl responding to experiences of assault, domestic violence and misogyny. Opening song ‘i wanted to be a singer’ reflects on the power and limitations of artistic practice as a vehicle for activism before the rest of the album lays out a vision for how this might be effectively achieved. Tracks are interspersed with recordings from interviews with feminist theorists and organisers, which sustain our perspective on the pain rage enacted by the songs themselves. This foil also allows more latitude for allusiveness in the lyrics, which are less straightforwardly didactic and more fragmentary in their storytelling. Nowhere is this more powerful than on ‘blocking a scene you can’t remember’, a tough, poignant listen intensified by the frantic self-editing ‘cuts’ in narration. Ultimately, this collection seeks to inspire action as much as it serves to process the trauma it describes, and seems already to be creating the desired effect.
HMLTD – ‘Fangs’
On their third album, HMLTD reclaim their theatrical 21st Century take on goth music on a record which arguably lives up to the band’s ambitions better than either of its predecessors. Embracing an aesthetic they described to us as ‘hyper/ÜberGoth’, HMLTD offer a cut-up commentary on the vampiric nature of late capitalism and lean in hard to every reference point on a sprawling collection which giddily collages styles. As such, the album ranges from the abrasive floor filler ‘Blitzkrieg’ to the reanimated cabaret of ‘Chateau Vamp Freestyle’. ‘I Used To Ride In Limousines’ is among pop highlights but throughout this is a record that insists upon itself and immerses you in its expansive palette from start to finish.
Cameron Winter – ‘Live at Carnegie Hall’
‘Live At Carnegie Hall’ leans into the hype which insists Cameron Winter’s incontrovertible status as songwriting great and voice of a generation, capturing his songs in their rawest form. The effect is completed by the accompanying Paul Thomas Anderson-directed concert film and repeated murmurings that only Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tim Buckley, Laura Nyro and James Taylor have played Carnegie Hall younger than Winter serve also to restate this. Set against these most imposing comparisons, this collection pales somewhat, though it offers much to enjoy too. There are tracks that particularly suit the format, like ‘$0’ and a take of ‘Try As I May’ with a little more grandeur than the studio version. Other tracks, however, will only send you searching back for the studio versions. ‘The Rolling Stones’ in particular falls foul of the same careless delivery we found disappointing in Winter’s vocals for Geese at this year’s End of the Road. The twists and punchlines of the opening lines carry none of the pathos of the record, and the suspended tension created by 25 seconds of one repeated note at the top of the piano is punctured by the best lines of the song but they are delivered with seemingly contemptuous flatness. Some new cuts offer up interesting seeds of ideas that could work well on future releases while others feel more like ‘Heavy Metal’ B-roll. So much of what is exciting about Winter’s recorded output is the sense of spontaneity to his associative lyrics and expressive delivery. In theory, then, the live album format should be perfect for him. This collection, however, feels inconsistent, its flashes of magic balanced out by an equal measure of anticlimax.
SILVERWINGKILLER – ‘DESPERATE STRUGGLE’
The second EP from Manchester duo SILVERWINGKILLER underlines their importance as one of the most exciting recording outfits in the UK right now, saying nothing of their thunderous live show. Industrial textures and multilingual lyrics cut together in a mind-bendingly hyperreal tapestry of constant reinvention. ‘WORLDSTAR’ makes for the pop highlight with its catchy title hook, while other tracks build tension and intensity within whirring, break-beat fuelled science fictional sonic landscapes. The result is at once the punk scream and desolate afterimage of the future which now surrounds us.
RIP Magic – ‘1, 2, 3’
RIP Magic’s highly anticipated debut album is finally here to release the bated breath of London’s indie scene. The four-piece, comprising of Marco Pini (also of Sorry), Felix Bayley-Higgins, Beth Boswell-Knight and Pedro Takahashi, have been garnering attention since the band’s inception. Tyler, the Creator was a conspicuous early fan after catching one of their London DJ sets. Now, following a string of sold-out shows and impressive opening slots – including for Fcukers, LCD Soundsystem, and, most recently, Tame Impala – the demand for RIP Magic to release something more substantial than a single could not be higher. ‘1,2,3’ lives up to the demand, a striking and dynamic record which proves that the act of finding your feet in your own sound can, in itself, be the sound. The band seem uninterested in working to the brief of any specific genre, instead carving out their own space between their guiding inspirations. As such, ‘1,2,3’ is hardly a slick record, and that’s one of the best things about it. This latest drop in the who’s who of indie up-and-comers secures the dominance of an exploratory electronic sound that’s definitely here to stay. Here, where the industrial meets the technological, the old meets the new, and the tried and tested meets the experimental, is RIP Magic. (Eve Morgan) [Full review here]
Sarah Meth – ‘Something Shameful’
Drawing on lived experience, fantasy and distant memory, ‘Something Shameful’ collides romance, heartbreak, desire, and shame, all twisted up in a wry, satirical sense of humour. Her debut is a patchwork collage in both the characters that influence her stories and in the recording process itself. Put together through a mix of Meth’s characteristic home mixing with help from 4AD studio engineer Fabian Prynn and Sorry’s Louis O’Bryen, ‘Something Shameful’ is born from a unique and intimate collaboration. Sarah Meth’s debut turns the quotidian on its head, conjures lullabies for the isolated and builds a world overcome by yearning, longing and eventual reconciliation. Imbued with open-wound lyricism, ‘Something Shameful’ encapsulates the complexities of being in your 20s. Tracks like ‘He’s not my baby, he’s nepo’s’ and ‘Lonely World Girl’ dispel the fantasies of dejected lovers, fragmented through Meth’s reflective storytelling. Alongside the poignancy of Meth’s storytelling, ‘Something Shameful’ revels in its experimentation with genre and sound. The crashing cymbals and distant bass notes of ‘I gave you a shell (because I felt like one)’ invoke a mystical scenery where her pleasure remains “sacred in the back of my mind”. Then in ‘Fun’, her wide array of samples, pitch-shifts, and synths embraces the disorienting deception of the song’s namesake. (Grace Palmer) [Full review here]
foot foot – ‘PREY TIME’
Bristol ensemble foot foot return with a four-track EP that captures all their ranging sonic ambition as they make their debut on esteemed label Memorials of Distinction. The orchestral builds and riffs of opener ‘the garden’ sets out the stall, urgent guitar and fleet footed drums upping the tension throughout. Across the rest of the EP, from the harsh sweetness of ‘callous wall’ to the seismic climax of ‘keira knightly hunger rage meaning’, foot foot pack every moment with intentioned and inspired details.
Troutflies – ‘Wild Troutflies’
‘Wild Troutflies’ is alive with a wonky, rough-edged charm that creates a whole self-contained universe around the surreal and fragmentary lyrics of Reuben Pugh. The duo’s music is restless and densely packed with insistent but implacable sounds. Where so many indie bands try their best to fake big budget polish with DIY setups, Troutflies show the virtue of leaning in to the rough edges of home recording. They further signal their resourcefulness with whatever instrument they have to hand, current favourites including melodica, glockenspiel and an array of toy instruments. There is a particular appropriacy to this sound on a collection of songs predominantly set on the threshold between waking and sleep. Yet another coup from Leeds label Private Regcords, this record is ultimately an inspiring and insistently idiosyncratic gem. [Read our interview with Troutflies here]
Spirited Followers – ‘I Am Yours’
The whirring enchanting power of Cardiff experimental folk ensemble Spirited Followers is captured here on their debut collection. This group feel so different to any other scene bands right now, working entirely on their own terms as they blend the influence of an international range of traditional music, spanning Appalachian, Indian and Greek traditions, and splice this with contemporary alternative references from Milkweed to Kiran Leonard. The whole album possesses a vibrant hum, but the highlight is perhaps closer ‘Through His Voice’, which contrasts the pure beauty of violin and soaring vocals against a crackling, glitchy loop before spiralling upwards in as the whole ensemble lock into a humming ascending groove.
Gem Stark – ‘A Dog Called Indifference’
The debut EP from London-based singer-songwriter Gem Stark showcases her knack for songs that sparkle with rich lyricism and intricate fingerpicked guitar. Strange currents pull beneath a surface of wordplay and whimsical imagery, typified by the shift from the helpless image of a ‘chocolatier in a heatwave’ to the darker payoff, ‘You buy me things I didn’t know that I wanted’. This dynamic is what makes ‘Thanks A Lot, Joseph Gordon Levitt’ the highlight of the EP, the veil of the extended metaphors of each verse lifted by the howling peal of the chorus line ‘Then we kiss for hours’, which recalls the most stirring moments of Aldous Harding’s early records. Musically, the songs shift seamlessly from Mississippi John Hurt-style fingerpicking to vibrant minor-key melodies evocative of ‘60s psych folk, all the while evoking the mysteries which lurk between the lines.
Radio Free Alice – ‘What’s In Between’
The debut album from Radio Free Alice plays like a charm offensive aimed at the British indie listener. The weapons are cleverly wry lyricism and addictive, guitar-backed melodies. ‘What’s In Between’ attempts to face the facts head on. It is natural to question at what point does following The Smiths or Pulp stop being devotion and start being a costume. At the same time, we should also ask how a new chapter can be written. “What’s In Between” doesn’t resolve its identity crisis so much as turn it into the point. Radio Free Alice have moved cities, polished their sound and crossed oceans, and they still sound unmistakably like themselves. (Bella Platt) [Full review coming soon]
Pink Eye Club – ‘Emotional Dance Music’
Windmill legend Pink Eye Club is back with a second album that adds depth to the pumping beats and sardonic humour which defined his work up to debut ‘Disco Reality’. The title is no mere pun, the aim on this record to be more sincere and autobiographical. Ultimately, the album forms a redemption arc wrought by the unifying power of music, the petty anxieties of ‘Small Talk’ and the alienation of ‘Cocaine Friends’ answered by the affirming closer ‘Disco Is My Religion’. Find out more in our interview with Pink Eye Club here.
Alien Chicks – ‘Toys Taken At Birth’
Did you ever wonder if your schoolteachers lived a double life? Well that is exactly the case with Alien Chicks, two of whom spend their days working as full time school teachers, getting their freak on after learning hours. Once more switching lesson plans for setlists, latest EP ‘Toys Taken At Birth’ captures the frustration of the 9 to 5 to political unrest and the strange little corners in between. The EP sees Alien Chicks throw together their chaotic mix of post punk, experimentation and restless energy, proving that there is much more to their double lives than just marking homework. Putting their teacher superpowers to use, Alien Chicks have somehow made nursery rhymes such as ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’ sound shatteringly ruthless. It’s like watching your childhood get smashed into millions of tiny pieces, before being thrown into a mosh pit for good measure. Safe to say, Alien Chicks certainly don’t abide by their Ps and Qs. ‘Toys Taken at Birth’ is a collection that should probably be kept away from the classroom. (Eloise Applebaum)
Jude Brothers – ‘Dogwood Maiden Voyage’
A formidable double album released by Gar Hole Records, a lightning rod for forward-thinking American alt-folk in recent years. The dazzling ‘Handsome Little Fountains & Little Ancient Mountains’ introduces many of the record’s key themes: mortality, memory, the sweet tumult of all forms of love. It is also among the tracks which linger on question of tradition – what to take from the past and what to leave behind, perhaps the decisive subject of modern American folk music. The rest of the album plays out these themes in lyrics and music. Winding harp-led arrangements invite inevitable but not unjustified comparisons to Joanna Newsom and moments of seeming pop polish establish a push-pull relationship with sound of the Old Weird America in which Brothers’ work is most strongly rooted. We shift between the lush, layered harmonies of tunes like ‘Sister Different and Sister Distant’ to exposed a capella tunes which refocus us on the messy human beauty at the heart of all of these songs.
