In our new feature for 2017, each week we will take five new tracks, and ask our three guest reviewers to give them a few spins and then air their opinions as to whether they deserve a big walloping Yes, or just a big fat No from them.
This week's panel: Richard Cobb - Little Indie contributor; Kelly Munro - artist manager and director at End Of Trail Records; Alison Mack - Little Indie Album Reviews editor.
KOVIC - WIRES
Co-produced by Jamie Scott (One Direction, Major Lazer, Rag'N'Bone Man) and Dan Bryer, Hertfordshire 'newcomers' (in this guise at least; they were previously known as New City Kings) Kovic make their debut with this single, released January 6 via High Time Records. The adrenaline filled anthem also features additional production from Bastille producer Mark Crew.
Richard Cobb: Interesting dreamy synth/piano intro. My interest in the song basically ends there. By the chorus it's basically just another generic pop song not too dissimilar to anything that's hogging the airwaves just now. Bit of an abrupt ending too which I wasn't a fan of, given how much the intro drew me in. 2/5
Kelly Munro: An average song hiding behind great production. Sounds like it will be massive. 2/5
Alison Mack: Hmm, not bad. The video is classy and enhances the sound. Like Kelly said, the production is quality. 3.5/5
Total score: 7.5/15
SPACEFACE - COWBOY LIGHTNING
First single off the forthcoming debut LP 'Sun Kids', set to be released shortly from the Memphis band fronted by Jake Ingalls, keyboardist/guitarist for The Flaming Lips. Psych infused track of cosmic, trippy vibes with a strong bassline.
RC: Early Tame Impala vibes about this track which reeled me in right away. Nothing new and the ideas aren't huge on here, but definitely a song I'd want to listen to again. 3.5/5
KM: Really liked the sound of these guys, but unfortunately no chorus was forthcoming. I do like a chorus in a song. 3/5
AM: Another nicely put together track. Not sure it really does anything, but yeah I'll go with a 3/5.
Total score: 9.5/15
PISSED JEANS - IGNORECAM
New track from the forthcoming album 'Why Love Now' (out February 24 via Sub Pop) by the Pennsylvania hardcore noise rock punks. Their claim to play "loud, heavy, noisy, punk rock" is justified with ‘Ignorecam’ which twists the idea of fetish cam shows - ”where the woman just ignores you and watches TV or eats macaroni and cheese or talks on the phone” - into a showcase for Matt Korvette’s rancid yelp and his bandmates’ pummeling rock.
RC: I was full of hope when I saw Sub Pop were releasing this track. I expected a grunge-fuelled song. I was disappointed. There's probably a market for this kind of thing, It's just a market I'd never want to frequent. 1/5 for the band name alone.
KM: I pissed my jeans once. This is what it would have sounded like. Except it only took me 20 seconds. Not 2mins58. 0/5
AM: Great name, great band; this does the biz. I disagree with my fellow reviewers here - I love it! 4/5
Total score: 5/15
KAHONE CONCEPT - BOXES
Four-minute lead single from Pittsburgh 19-year-old, alt-pop one-man band Ben Orrvick's second EP 'Towers', released last week.
RC: Really liked this. I'm a sucker for a bit of synth. I could imagine chilling out to this song in the summer with a couple beers and a barbecue. If I lived in a hot country. Sadly I don't and there's snow outside so that's ruined the vibe a little bit. 4.5/5
KM: No, not for me. 2/5
AM: Nice. Breezy groove. Kudos to the guy for going it alone. 3/5
Total score: 9.5/15
VANT - DO YOU KNOW ME?
Ahead of their debut album ‘Dumb Blood’ - out on February 17 via Parlophone - Mattie emotes, “I’m down, I’m tired, I’m broke, I wanted something more” in this two-minute-plus offering of punchy, gritty garage-rock.
RC: This song has been a regular on my iPod for a good year and a half and I still can't get enough of it. The music, the vocals and the message are all spot on. One of the most underrated bands out there just now. 5/5
KM: VANT's drummer is a friend of mine, therefore I love this song! 5/5
AM: VANT are really the now band, aren't they: nothing they produce is less than mint. Grungey guitars and panache. 5/5
Total score: 15/15
No comments:
Post a Comment