Miami three-piece Pari∀h provide one of the best (and most bizarre) singles of the week, alongside a welcome Father’s Day gift from Big Business. Just don’t mention the football…
Abra – Crybaby
As retro as a coin-operated arcade; if the legacy of Prince’s strutting ’80s 808s will live on in anyone, it seems Abra will be the referential linchpin. Nicholas Burman
Apple Of My Eye – The Beast Below
The mandolin phrase on ‘The Beast Below’ is like a cooling breeze on a summer’s day; in fact, it’s probably about as close as we’re likely to get to clement weather in Britain this summer. Apple Of My Eye’s arrangement heats up when the track suddenly speeds towards sea shanty territory, exploiting some deft arrangements. If you’re a fan of traditional folk you’ll find a lot to like here. Kier Wiater Carnihan
Big Business – Regulars
Well it is Father’s Day this Sunday after all… Never has a band been more appropriately named than Big Business, and the riff-ravenous duo’s return finds them sounding as colossal as ever. Wake your dad up with this on the weekend – he’ll love it, I assure you. KWC
Braids – Joni
A colleague just caught me watching the steamy video to this (I would suggest maybe sticking to the streaming services at work for this one). In other news this track nails that balance between energy and melancholy that Braids seem to specialise in. NB
DJ Paypal feat. DJ Earl & DJ Taye – Dose
I usually really like the Brainfeeder stuff and always appreciate a bit of experimentalism but this really feels like more of a mess than a spark of genius. NB
Four Lions – We Are England
Heard this last week, and I refuse to listen again. The team behind Madchester haven’t fucked with the formula, but at this point, I’d rather the formula be left well alone – in songs and records which are actually good. NB
Kayla Painter – Drones
As we’ve said before on this site, Kayla Painter is turning into one of Bristol’s latest intriguing propositions. While breakbeat dance music and noisy rock are its main outputs traditionally, Painter is, alongside Oliver Wilde, doing well at expanding the folk-ambient crossover point into something really affecting. NB
NZCA LINES – Oh..(Call Me Back)
This actually sounds more like Metronomy than most of the new Metronomy album. Better too, actually. I wasn’t blown away by NZCA LINES’ most recent album but the singles off it have been great, and that continues here. KWC
OKRAA – MINERAL
There’s a softly psychedelic sheen to this latest track from Colombian producer OKRAA (not to be confused with Faroe Island’s ORKA, who we reviewed last week). While ‘MINERAL’ isn’t the most memorable track, OKRAA clearly has the sound palate to ensure he’s worth keeping an eye on. KWC
Pari∀h – Humiliated And Insulted
Mercurial Miami/Boston trio Pari∀h have hit upon a winning formula here, albeit a formula that would probably take up two university blackboards, such is its complexity. Yet despite the jerky tempo-changes and weird Dan Deacon-y vocals, ‘Humiliated And Insulted’ manages to stay surprisingly tuneful throughout its madcap three-and-a-half minutes. Their debut album is out in August, and promises to be similarly packed full of pick ‘n’ mix treats. KWC
Sofi de la Torre – Sit Down
When your genre description is #POPDONERIGHT you really need to make sure your pop game is on point. While ‘Sit Down’ is fine, it doesn’t sound a million miles away from what Redlight or Disclosure would have been putting together about two years ago, and when you’re in a pop climate where Ariana Grande has songs and a good voice this is a bit of a (underwhelming) problem. NB
Wand – Passage of the Dream
Wand released not one but two of my favourite albums last year, but perhaps that fecundity has run dry. ‘Passage of the Dream’ exhibits the band’s ear for a catchy tune, but it all feels a little lightweight. Perhaps they’re going for a Tame Impala style crossover? KWC
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