Friday, 4 November 2016

BEST AND WORST NEW TRACKS OF THE WEEK 04/11/2016: clipping., Big Sean, Skepta and more...


Halloween’s over now. We can all look forward to next week’s scary event – Election Day! In the meantime, check out these terrifying tunes


THE BEST:


 ‘Fat Fingers’ – clipping.


What’s so terrifying about this song? Well, it’s about Donald Trump, innit. Listening to some of the not-so-complimentary bars, I have a hunch Daveed Diggs and crew won’t be voting Republican next Tuesday. And even if I do think some of the lyrics goes a bit overboard (he’s a lot of heinous things, but an ‘uncredited rapist’?), the addition of the New Zealand and Canada national anthems are quite a clever touch (basically if Trump wins everyone’s emigrating). Producers Hutson and Snipes meanwhile provide an industrial beat harder than Trump-Wall-concrete. A video of the candidate’s Hollywood star being vandalised accompanies the single.

‘Mouldy Water’ – Harry Macintosh Project



What’s so terrifying about this song? How about the video, which sees the singer donning a creepy mask and trying to shove a cucumber through a letterbox. Hailing from Berkshire and Hampshire, this group of loopy lads are an infusion of crazed vocals and half-proggy/half-punky guitars. Technically this track was released last year (which in blogging terms is well old m8), but I’m plugging it anyway because these dudes deserve the exposure. The band also have a new EP out, which you can stream here.

 ‘KYMS’ – Mannequin Death Squad


Made up of members El and Dan – who both switch interchangeably between drums and guitar – this angry Aussie duo combine rough-and-ready instrumentation and shouty hooks, offering some satisfyingly unsubtle rock. What’s so terrifying about this song? Nothing really (although the video for their previous single ‘Sick’ has zombies in it, does that count?).

 ‘No More Interviews’ – Big Sean



What’s so terrifying about this track? The fact that Big Sean’s bars are sounding scarily good (I think I should give up on this Halloween theme…). Peeved at the media always poking away at his personal life (those blasted music journos and music bloggers!), the Detroit emcee delivers this new fiery track urging people to focus on his music and to stop interrogating him with irrelevant questions about his relationship with Kanye and the like. But his jibes don’t stop there – going beyond the media and taking shots at other rappers ‘and I’m just not impressed by all you n****s rapping fast/ who sound like one big asthma attack/ but trash when I’m rapping it back’. Is this a dig at Kendrick?

 ‘#Worst’– Skepta


Grime king Skepta delivers this riot anthem to the accompaniment of some self-produced slimy bass and horror twinkles. The vibe is very similar to his recent single ‘It Ain’t Safe’ (perhaps a bit too similar) but still uniquely Skepta-sounding. Unveiled on October 31st, the track was released alongside a freestyle titled ‘#nosecurity’.

THE WORST:

‘Somebody to love’ – Robby the Elf


This isn’t a Queen cover. In fact, what is it? Country? Pop? Is that rapping? Why does he sound a bit like Stephen Hawking?