TRACK OF THE WEEK
Green Gardens – ‘Greetings/ I Am Kind’
What a way to start the Weekly Roundup! This double A-side sees the lo-fi Leeds band tackle all manner of tendernesses, with vocals, if one were to squint, reminiscent of Parachutes-era Chris Martin. ‘Greetings’ locks into a cycle of attempted control, litter being dragged to and fro by the tide. ‘I Am Kind’ is desperately beautiful, with its ebbed strings and celesta-esque riff. Its mantric finale genuinely moved me; these tracks are as immediate as they are fragile. Treat with care.
Damaged Bug – ‘OVER-EXPOSED’
If Blackstar David Bowie played Jareth, he’d have sounded like this. John Dwyer lounges about this sonic expanse with a tired sparkle – and that sax! Who can’t be enamoured by it?
The Rions – ‘Idol’
With a faux-80s shimmer akin to The 1975, ‘Idol’ may be the first chorus I’ve heard with the name ‘Lionel’ in it. It has quite an interesting core – a story about getting married in Vegas, if I’m understanding it correctly – though the chorus may verge a bit too close to the rhyming dictionary for some.
Cowboy Hunter – ‘Shag Slags Not Flags’
A witty drawl of social commentary as bitter as a pint of Harviestoun’s, the song’s acerbic verses are let down slightly by its chorus, a wine-slurred, four-word refutation of vile nationalism that needs something a bit more vital to raise it above moshpit fodder.
Iguana Death Cult – ‘Guns Out’
Groovy, unapologetically so, and angular, the Cult delivers pure abandon with a wood block. They slip into a bit of Kasabian in the pre-chorus, with enough going on in the chorus’ instrumentation to keep the simple refrain, ‘I’m on fire’ (oh, Kasabian again) from being jarring.
Robert Vel – ‘The Last Thing’
As Blue as its opening line, Vel’s vocals here may top his previous efforts with Guest In The Car. They’re delicate, and I don’t just mean that in a synonym-for-quiet way. When I hear the verses, I’m scared of dropping it; it’s the vocal equivalent of carrying too much glass to the recycling, or taking a bowl brimming with cold water towards the sink. Through this fragility, and the slight ‘Video Games’ motif, Vel provides a precarious pedestal for longing, and it is as potent as ever.
Committee of Sleep – ‘Space Time’
Pixies passed through a black hole. The Committee examine mortality with a stellar detachment, a grim optimism that floats through a clotted cosmos and finds comfort in the unknown.
Bosh Rothman – ‘Joshua’
Half Songs: Ohio, half the second half of ‘Layla’, Rothman lays bare his soul on ‘Joshua’. Many lyrics are incredibly specific, to the point of being uncomfortable, but it’s necessary for the song’s powerful catharsis, affirmations repeated with a reverence and a hope.
The Actions – ‘Take More’
A punch of sleaze with a dash of menace. This track would’ve been on an iTunes advert twenty years ago.
Surfbort – ‘Hot Dog’
‘Hot Dog’s irreverent lyrics are delivered with a Beckian coolness, a redneck abrasion that rides the erratic groove as though it has a twisted axle.
Charlie Cello – ‘CAN I GET UR NUMBER’
A song that could very easily be cloying, obnoxious or inauthentic is handled by Cello with enough sincerity and melodic nous to topple any misapprehensions. Just a really charming song.
Smag På Dig Selv – ‘Let’s Go!’
Wily, bombastic jazz-trance with deep-throated, breathy chants and entrancing instrumental hook. A rave in the barmiest monastery in the West.
Moon Construction Kit – ‘Snake Charmer’
‘Snake Charmer’ moves with an air of mystery, tinged with a baroque arrangement typical of 90s indie. It builds with a wonderful gravitas, and though I’m not sure what Big Pharma has to do with anything, it’s hard not to be swept away by its crystalline keys.
Argus Far 
Leave a comment