THE BEST:
‘Delivery’ – Mikaela Davis
John
Lennon is back from the dead and he’s now a woman. That’s the vibe I’m getting
from this epic slice of piano rock by New York harp-player-turned-singer-songwriter Mikaela Davis.
It starts with just piano and then gradually builds with new instruments
entering the mix. All the while, Mikaela’s bittersweet vocals remain gentle but
commanding: ‘They say it’s all about
delivery’.
‘Earthquake’ – Will McBride Group
North
Carolina act The Will McBride Group use earthquake imagery to offer a social
commentary on the times (no, it’s not a cover of the Labrinth song if the same
name). Their mellow style draws influence from 70s rock acts like the Eagles
and Steely Dan with a slight reggae flavouring to the guitars that gives it a unique
feel.
‘SL33P’ – Quiet Man
London
electro soul artist Quiet Man just wants to sleep, which is a feeling I can
relate to. His latest single sees him laying sleepy spoken word verses over spiky
synths before delivering an instantly catchy soulful hook. Quiet Man has been quiet
for the last couple years, not releasing any material since his last track ‘Amazon’,
but now has a few different singles ready for release – I’m eager to hear more.
‘Serpentine’ – Hollowlove
Canadian
electropop duo Hollowlove were the last people I expected to drop an anti-Trump
anthem, but I’m glad they did – this might well be one of the best anti-trump
anthems I’ve heard so far (and trust me, I’ve heard a lot). The glitzy synths
add to the sassiness of the lyrics. It’s one of the few protest songs that I
could happily dance to.
‘Swedish Death Metal Cassette’ – Matthew &
The Arrogant Sea
This
couldn’t be further from Swedish death metal, but I’m digging it nonetheless. Both
the lyrics and music video are humorously weird in contrast to the sombre folk delivery. It’s both beautiful and bizarre and that’s just how I
like my music and the world in general.
THE WORST:
‘F.U.B.A.R’ – Suicidal Tendencies
Punk/thrash
group Suicidal Tendencies have been slowly going down hill when it comes to musical
quality, but you can excuse them for not being the band they once were – there
are pretty much no original band members left at this point. This may well be
their cleanest and most flaccid production yet. They really have become FUBAR
at this point.