This week our three guest reviewers take on another five new tracks and give them a spin through the headphones before they then air their opinion on each.
This week's panel: Elise Cobain, presenter with Amazing Radio; Pete Restrick, vocalist and songwriter with emerging London band Stereo Honey; Little Indie contributor, Steve Willcox.
RISCAS - RIGHT KINDA DAY
This new single - released December 1 - sees the anthemic track mark a more mature sound for the Birmingham four-piece, eschewing their trademark jangly guitar pop for layered, pounding rhythms, and big choruses.
Elise Cobain: A lot of people are doing these kind of indie jams at the moment, particularly with the chords, the singing style. It doesn’t stand out for me on this track, but it’s great for play listing and lean-back listening environments. Good to see some Brum talent breaking through too. Seems to be dominated by the Manc crew and north of that. 2/5
Pete Restrick: Comes in live and kicking. Very catchy tune. Great drumming. Proper little foot tapper. 3/5
Steve Willcox: It’s already hooked me in from the first chords, and progressively gets bigger in sound. George Maycock's distinctive voice keeps the song driving along with an upbeat tune to make it an instant radio tune, loved it.
4/5
Total score: 9/15
METHOD ACTRESS - MISTRESS
The debut single from Brighton-based quartet (formed by Milo and Max, previously of Morning Smoke). The melancholy, dream-shoe-gaze track, filled with lush guitar melodies, was recorded and mixed by Theo Verney. “All I wanna be was your best friend / But all I ever was was your mistress,” they sing, describing the song as "about unrequited love and the acknowledgement that our mind can create our own prison.”
EC: Great to see Theo Verney put his name to the production of this track. I’ve heard a lot about the act and there's a lot of early love from fans. I think in this dream-pop/slacker world, Method Actress are connecting a lot. So another strong offering for fans of this style. 3/5
PR: Like someone took Alex G and Morrissey and blended them together. Great track. Lyrics are both epic and depressing simultaneously. 4/5
SW: Listened to this a few times now and its growing on me - but only once I’ve zoned out the monotonous guitars and then I can take in the lyrics which are sung hauntingly emotive. I’m a bit worried though that people are going to turn it off before it’s reached in and grabbed them.
3/5
Total score: 10/15
SHALLOW WATERS - WAKE UP TO WHAT IS REAL
The Manchester trio exude spiralling desert grooves, crunching stoner tones, and howling guitars in a heavy duty, psych landscape. Wait for the rap break which comes in unexpectedly - on this sub-four minute, November 25 released, single.
EC: Always up for a bit of rock but not hugely keen on the psych take of this act. However, it's still super early for them, so don’t want to judge their full offering purely on this track, but stoner fans will probably have their ears pricked up by these guys. 3/5
PR: Dark and brooding. Hints of Deftones and A Perfect Circle in there. Rap break was pretty unexpected but cool. 3/5
SW: I usually hate this type of tune but there’s something gritty and dirty about it that kept me entertained. The rap is well conceived and fits in; so many artists get this wrong. Overall a great tune. 4/5
Total score: 10/15
NO HOT ASHES - EIGHT TILL LATE
Taken from the Stockport quartet's forthcoming Gavin Monaghan-produced EP 'Skint Kids Disco', which is out on March 30 2018 via Modern Sky, this lead single (released November 30), sees vocalist Isaac Taylor overlaying his gripping vocal on layered riffs and funk-driven beat
“The single is about mental health and how it’s affected me and people around me," he reveals. "I wanted to give a fairly honest account of how day to day struggles can weigh on the brain, everything from work to your favourite fizzy drinks being tampered with. As a band we think that modern life is all a bit much and taking time to fix your head is essential.” Catch live at Nambucca, London on December 9.
EC: Ah, so this is the kind of bright indie that grabs my attention. Wasn’t expecting that vocal actually, a nice surprise with a bit of grit. As a full 3min33 piece this is good introduction to the band. My favourite of the week's selection. 4/5
SW: Starts with a good hook and I love the rawness of Issac’s delivery which makes this song stand out. The production is crisp and light and it all comes together perfectly. Love the subject matter too as it’s so important nowadays. Top song. 4.5/5
Total score: 12.5/15
JOE RUSSELL-BROWN - POST-YOUTH DEPRESSION
DIY, alt-dreampop lead cut taken from the 19-year-old Hull-based musician's debut EP (created on a cheap microphone and laptop in his grandmother's bungalow), released December 1 via Warren Records. A lo-fi slow grower that he describes as "a retrospective euphoria of the days you can only appreciate when they're gone. It’s about friends, living in a shit town and the acceptance of whatever’s to come.”
EC: If it’s a battle of the dreamy acts this week, Method Actress still have it. But Joe’s still a young artist, self-admittedly making music out of his nan’s house, so there’s lot of potential. 3/5
PR: Really love this track. Haunting vocals. Reminds me of Brian Fallon from Gaslight Anthem. Tune! 4.5/5
SW: I’m in two minds about this song. I love the intro and the tune that follows, and it’s got a great guitar hook. But I didn’t think much of the muffled lyrics and the fact that the vocals just stopped halfway through. Maybe prog rock is slowly infiltrating the indie scene. 2.5/5
Total score: 10/15
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