A bumper edition of essential new singles from the past two weeks featuring The Healing Power of Horses, heka, Cyn Cwsg and more.

KEG – ‘Call Me Satan’

South London’s KEG have delivered something suitably unhinged just in time for Halloween. ‘Call Me Satan’, taken from their forthcoming second album ‘Relaxin’ Next To The Hospital’, is a gloriously unpredictable slice of art-rock that lurches between sparse, unsettling passages and enormous walls of sound. Abrasive guitars, dissonant textures, and some frankly ridiculous drum fills are all part of the fun, with fleeting, creepy strings and occasional piano flourishes thrown in. Lyrically, frontman Albert Haddenham imagines what might happen if his worst personality traits were left to run riot, which sounds like a thoroughly unpleasant exercise. Yet for all its darkness, ‘Call Me Satan’ is an absolute blast, a wonderfully chaotic offering from a band seemingly incapable of doing anything by halves. (Alex Battman)

Kiosk – ‘Baby Teeth’

Leeds duo KiosK call their sound ‘Leedstronica’, and ‘Baby Teeth’ makes a decent argument for adding it to the dictionary. Released via Private Regcords ahead of support dates with Adult DVD and Formal Sppeedwear, the single tackles the rather personal subject of a friendship left behind. Bella Alcock’s detached vocals sit alongside a fantastic bass tone, a drum-machine beat and some peculiar electronic flourishes, including a synth that occasionally muscles its way to the front with a sharp, piercing swell. A slightly creepy undercurrent runs through the track, heightened by the sparse arrangement and occasional bursts of crunchy bass and distorted beats. The result is a compelling balance of melancholy and menace. (Alex Battman)

thredd – ‘Swimming’

Riding high on the buzz parade of last year’s stunning debut album ‘It’s Lovely, Come On In’, a signing to tastemaker extraordinaries Scenic Route (Nourished by Time, Curbside Lambsear) festival slots at Green Man, End Of The Road and Rally festivals, and some head-turning remix releases later, London’s thredd return proper with their trancing, clubby and intoxicating new single ‘Swimming’. Capturing that feeling when you whack on the shades, look at yourself in the mirror, and think “fuck i’m hot” (which, as it turns out, sounds like rocking trip-hop beats, gnarly synth riffs, breathy vocals going “yeah” and 80s hip hop breakdowns), this bona fide ‘supergroup’ of Max Winter, Will Lister and Imogen and The Knife… they hit different. (Elvis Thirlwell)

The Healing Power of Horses – ‘xstick_xstick’

Judging by their latest single ‘xstick_xstick’, East Anglian duo The Healing Power of Horses aren’t exactly short of ideas. Built around an absolutely magnificent, fuzz-drenched riff, the track is packed with inventive production choices and flashes of electronic experimentation that give it a wonderfully unpredictable character. The guitars sound enormous, but it’s that central riff which really makes this one special. Released via section1, the single previews ‘8725’, their second EP of the year, arriving 2 December. The title apparently refers to how many songs the duo have left on a portable SSD. If this is the sort of music they’re storing on there, let’s hope they’ve remembered to back it up.  (Alex Battman)

heka – ‘pure music’

heka makes a welcome return with the first set of songs from her forthcoming debut album. Having established herself in London with songs seamlessly mixing folk and electronic textures, heka has slowly built a reputation as a singular voice always worth paying attention to. Her new single, or rather ‘Chapter’, marks another step up across three tracks. The focus is on lead song ‘pure music’, which is accompanied by two complimentary arrangements, the three making for a melodious tapestry which winds between classical and folk timbres. Lush swells of strings and woodwind accompany lucid vocals over the opening section of ‘pure music’ before drums and guitars bring the song into a more conventional band context. The song – along with other tracks ‘Aria’ and ‘picture’ – continues to make the most of this juxtaposition in an exciting and original way, the arrangement creating a kind of natural looseness to overlapping sounds, from the softest violins to rough-hewn guitar licks. Taken together, these tracks push the formal ambition always evident in heka’s diverse early discography to a new level, finding an impressive wholeness at the same time. (Lloyd Bolton)

Cyn Cwsg – ‘Katter’

Cardiff’s Cyn Cwsg have somehow managed to make the merry-go-round of Westminster politics sound like a good time. ‘Katter’ is a wonderfully lively slice of indie-psych that quotes Australian politician Bob Katter in its chorus, including the line that gives their forthcoming EP, ‘Let A Thousand Blossoms Bloom’, its name. Guitars bounce between left and right, a brilliantly restless bassline refuses to sit still, and the fuller, more psychedelic passages provide a lovely contrast. There are even a few unexpected moments of complete silence thrown in for good measure. At just over two minutes, ‘Katter’ is packed with character, ideas and enough energy to make you wish it stuck around a bit longer. (Alex Battman)

Nine Perfect Lives – ‘Die’

Those who rejoiced in the halcyon alt-rock complexities of NYC trio Hello Mary will be thrilled to hear of their newest splinter project Nine Perfect Lives, who have this week released their sublime debut single ‘Die’ via pioneering London label AD 93. The inaugural offering from the duo – formed by bandmates and longstanding homies Helena Straight and Stella Wave – retraces the oneiric melodic sensibilities of their earlier work across a more pensive and experimental path, paved with glitchy guitar chops and achingly close cross-instrumental harmonies as the word “Die” reprises softly above it. Speaking on the new single and reasons for starting the new side project, Helena Straight explains: “I started writing ‘Die’ when I was living in LA and Stella was still in Brooklyn. We made deliberate efforts to stay in touch and work on music but I wasn’t yet sure when or if I was moving back to New York. I wrote and recorded a demo of the song in a few hours and realized that it was a direct response to Stella’s heartbreak and confusion about my impulsive move across the country. Fleshing out the demo together felt effortless and reinforced our creative bond which was compromised in the context of Hello Mary at that time. ‘Die’ became the first NPL song so we are pleased for it to be our first single.” (Hazel Blacher)

Painted Bird – ‘Purgatory Man’

Opus Kink frontman Angus Rogers’ debut single as Painted Bird, ‘Purgatory Man’, is billed as part of a quest to write ‘THE existentialist pop song’. No pressure, then. A wonderfully upbeat riff anchors a busy arrangement, with saxophone, splashes of electric piano and an organ-like sound all getting a look-in. There are even church bells, which feel rather appropriate as Rogers wrestles with mortality, freedom and the meaning of existence itself. Yet beneath all the existential dread lies a surprisingly hopeful message about finding meaning through our own actions and connections with others. It’s a lovely contrast, all these weighty questions delivered with a musical spring in its step. If this is purgatory, then it sounds like a rather pleasant place to spend a few minutes. (Alex Battman)

Bone China – ‘You’re Wonderful’

Following their emotive yet anthemic, pint-spilling debut ‘Heaven Now’, London-based emerging outfit Bone China have returned with new single ‘You’re Wonderful’ via one of the finest grassroots imprints, Blitzcat Records (C Turtle, Flip Top, ashnymph). Languorous lo-fi and grunge-gaze, ’You’re Wonderful’ sees Bone China unabashedly draw on 90s influences, making for a slice of oozing, sugary-scuzz that splendidly serpentines between the somnolent and saccharine. There’s a delightful dose of melancholy to it all, meandering between My Bloody Valentine-esque shoegaze, grunge and lo-fi-pop, and showcasing Bone China’s aptitude for well-crafted song-writing at such an early stage. (Brad Sked)