TRACK OF THE WEEK
Sorry – ‘Billy Elliot/ Alone In Cologne’
‘Billy Elliot’ starts with a haunting naivety that soon marches into a bobbing plea, its vocal delivery reminding me of Not Now, Bernard. It’s a track that you can’t keep up with, flitting between emotions like a child in distress. The globetrotting ‘Alone In Cologne’ adds an expanse to the emptiness, grooving in hollow concrete.
Ratboys – ‘Penny In The Lake’
Though it starts with a cockerel being kicked in the teeth, this song is a charming country affair. Witty and poignant in equal measures, it’s a tale of living by faith, nature, luck, and the consequences therein.
Mitski – ‘I’ll Change For You’
This reminds me of Fiona Apple’s ‘I Know’, though pepped up with a certain lounge aesthetic. It’s a tale of desperation, marinated in red wine and self-pity, starting to spill over like a bath too full. When Mitski’s vocals hit full force towards the end of the song, the mask slips, and the desperation becomes something more harrowing.
Ecca Vandal – ‘BLEACH’
Corrosive as a bleach and toothpaste cocktail, Ecca Vandal’s ‘BLEACH’ is a spiky, screaming self-reflection with a sharp edge. Heavy with hi-hats and bass, it sounds as though Trench took an acid plunge, with the occasional splash of cold water breaking through in the bridge and ending.
Ghinzu – ‘Out Of Control’
At its core, this is a fairly straight-forward love song. In fact, it’s the band’s first release in about 17 years. However, Ghinzu adorn this track with enough fuzz and passion to turn it into something more powerful.
ZAYN – ‘Die For Me’
Do the 1D lads always sync their releases? Apart from the dire Animorphs cover art, this is a pretty good pop/R&B crossover. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but it gives Malik a solid platform to show off his vocals.
People Person – ‘Old Enough To Know’
A proper bit of DIY indie, where you can actually sense in its longing the fact that there are four people here pouring their hearts out. Melodic without losing its rough edges, you can almost feel the amp’s buzz, smell the carpet’s heat.
Natalie Jane Hill – ‘Colors’
‘Colors’ sounds like a reimagining of ‘Wild Horses’ (my favourite Stones song), dressed up in folkier stylings, beautiful and melancholic. Hill’s voice, as ever, is fuelled by the purest of loves, and she has such a magnificent way of making you feel present in her every emotion.
Metric – ‘Victim of Luck’
A catchy indie pop song reminiscent of the late 2000s/early 2010s, a fitting sound for what is essentially a retrospective of Metric’s career. It’s rife with unrealised doubt but buoyed by the ever-present optimism that you need as a band starting out. Twenty years later, the optimism doesn’t seem to have run dry.
BERENICE – ‘Wifey Material’
BERENICE combines the rock edge of Olivia Rodrigo and the melodic sensibilities of Taylor Swift to create a solid pop song. What raises it above the generic is BERENICE’s wit and razor-sharp production, with the last minute or so showing exactly how to do cynicism properly.
Ist Ist – ‘The Echo’
Taken from their latest LP, DAGGER, ‘The Echo’ is a sophisticated post-punk track, with lead singer Adam Houghton’s vocals assured with slight menace over a thumping, atmospheric instrumental.
Crooked Fingers – ‘Insomnia’
‘Insomnia’ has an almost sinister groove to it, trading the creepiness of The Cure’s ‘Lullaby’ for a more otherworldly, exotic uncanniness. It’s a cold sweat in sonic form, damp with intrigue.
Teen Suicide – ‘Idiot’
Look past the thick, sludging guitars, and find a fascinating look at vulnerability, self-confidence and judgement. The song peters down into a reflective refrain, shifting the focus from one idiot to another. Only difference is, one’s getting free apples.
The Leaving – ‘Pray’
A classic slice of electropop, poignancy thrust onwards by relentless drums and synthetica.
Damaged Bug – ‘END OF THE WAR’
Shuffling, shimmying and shaking like a bug’s eyes, ‘END OF THE WAR’ sounds like if you put ‘Revolution 1’ and ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ into a caravan and crashed it into a swamp. It’s off-kilter but hooky, stumbling but always forward-facing.
Dream Nails – ‘Move Like An Animal’
Fresh from their third LP, You Wish, Dream Nail’s evolution is most apparent in this song. Their wit is still keen, their irreverence ever-present, but the hypnotic samba rhythm, mantric lyrics and half-spoken lyrics add a depth to the band’s work.
Pop your email below to support the site and never miss an article again!
Argus Far 
Leave a comment