‘Don’t Go (Riding Down The Cosmic
Drain)' – Syrup, Go On
Gold Coast band Syrup, Go On are
one of the most exciting bands I’ve heard in a while. They’re not doing
anything particularly new, but they’re ticking all the boxes for me – the music
video is stylish, the guitars are groovy and layered, the male/female vocal
harmonies are catchy and there’s plenty of reverb to give it that dreamy finish
(but not so much that the detail is drowned out). The lyrics are also motivational
without being syrupy (which I expected, given the band name). Fans of this
track can check out their new album here.
‘Did It Again’ – Warming
I had to double-check this was the same
artist that I featured a few weeks ago. That last single had a distinct
synthpop flavour. This track leans towards a more Pixies-esque vibe with it’s twangy
guitars and even some screaming in the chorus. It’s a very fun track and the video is equally
hilarious and disturbing (the singer hired two professional boxers to take turns
in punching him before editing them out, so it looks like he’s getting beaten
up my the invisible man).
‘Black is the Colour’ – Membranes
Post-punk veterans Membranes deliver
wailing vocals and dissonant guitars that build up over five minutes to an epic
climax. The main bass riff is utterly hypnotic and almost gives the song a surf
rock feel. Meanwhile, the video is a complete trip, featuring an animated psychedelic
calavera singing along surrounded by video footage of morbid church statues.
‘Out Your Mind’ – Unkle Festa
Knife crime is a growing problem
in the UK, with 40,147 cases in London last year alone. Unkle Festa’s new single ‘Out
Your Mind’ confronts this topic, featuring sharp lyrics and a viciously fast flow.
I’ve heard a few UK rappers challenge knife crime in the past, but this track
has true urgency and feels like the anthem we need right now.
‘Omerta’ – Drake
Moving onto some more familiar
names – Drake has released two new singles this week. ‘Omerta’ is my favourite
of the two and it’s all bars, no hooks. Usually directionless songs like this do
nothing for me (it was my main complaint with Scorpion), but I’m loving
the mafia-theme of this track and the allusions to his personal life. There
seems to be even be a veiled jab at Pusha T here. I’m not sure opening up that
beef 377 days later is a good idea, given what happened last time. R.I.P. Drake. I have my popcorn at the ready.
‘You Need To Calm Down’ - Taylor Swift
At first I was indifferent, then I
hated this song, and now I think I love it. Taylor Swift is back to fighting
the flack from her critics – but this time she’s got just the right balance of sass
and innocence. The ‘shade never made anyone less gay’ line feels like it
may have just been shoehorned in there to fit in with gay pride month, but I
don’t see how some people are reaching the conclusion that it’s homophobic (is
mentioning the word ‘gay’ homophobic now?). Meanwhile, the chorus has burrowed
into my brain and the gaudy synths have grown on me. All in all, it’s a fun and
positive little pop song about ignoring your haters (much like ‘Shake It Off’)
and if that somehow angers you, well, you need to calm down.