Saturday, 19 May 2018

BEST AND WORST NEW TRACKS OF THE WEEK 19/05/2018: Disclosure, The Chromatics, Death Grips and more...



Whilst you've been obsessing over the royal wedding and debating whether its Yanny or Laurel, I've been hunting down the latest and greatest tunes (P.S. it's definitely Laurel).

THE BEST:

‘The List’ – Moonchild


Where has this band been my whole life? The singer’s silky vocals and the jazzy instrumentation are heavenly. I’m also loving the music video featuring a chick dancing in a supermarket, although I do think it was little unnecessary of her to walk out the store at the end without paying! Shoplifting ain’t cool.

‘Ultimatum’ – Disclosure ft. Fatoumata Diawara


Disclosure will never be the deep house dons that they once were, but this new tune is still an enjoyable listen. Added to their usual mix of thudding percussion and synth swells is some African singing and jazzy piano chords. Is there a new album brewing?

‘Black Walls’ – The Chromatics


This Portland synthpop band have been making cinematic scores for movies and TV shows for a decade now – some of their most famous examples being Twin Peaks and Drive. Their latest single ‘Black Walls’ continues to play with same seductive serial killer vibes, featuring sighed out vocals and melancholy synthesizers and some kid talking at the beginning.

 ‘Black Paint’ – Death Grips


Yes, there’s a ‘Black Walls’ and a ‘Black Paint’ this week. In the build-up to their new album The Year Of The Snitch, experimental hip hop act Death Grips have released two singles so far – ‘Streaky’ and this new single ‘Black Paint’. Whilst ‘Streaky’ was mostly synths, this new track is mostly guitars. In fact, it’s pretty much a hardcore punk song with a few digital sound effects thrown in here and there. It’s abrasive and catchy and has me completely stumped as to what to expect on their next record.

THE WORST:

 ‘Girls’ – Rita Ora ft. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX


This anthem for bicurious girls doesn’t seem to have gone down well in the gay community. Personally, I don’t see what’s so offensive about it other than sounding like a cheap knock-off of Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’.