Lots of gems from underground artists this week, as well as a new single from The Dalai Lama himself!
THE BEST:
‘I Don’t Belong’ – Fontaines D.C.
What’s he doing out there in the water with clothes on, the
silly sausage? Anyhow, this is another banging single from Irish post-punk
rockers Fontaines D.C. The track starts fairly melancholy and then, as the layers of
guitar build, it becomes oddly euphoric. The vocals meanwhile are hypnotic as
ever. Fontaines D.C. will be releasing a new album, A Hero’s Death, this
July.
‘When Will I Get There’ – KMODO ft. Clara Serra Lopez
This new dazzling track is the work of London producer KMODO
and features vocals from Clara Serra Lopez. The singing start soft and moody
and builds into an explosive chorus to the accompaniment of some glossy warped
synths (that added searing synth that comes in at the 1:50 mark is particularly satisfying).
‘You Can Have Everything’ – Closing Eyes
This psychedelic single from Norwegian dream pop band
Closing Eyes is absolutely gorgeous. The woozy synths and guitars sound like
something I’d expect from Tame Impala but with silky female vocals over the
top. There’s some cool vocal layering in the chorus including the surprise addition of
some male vocals. I also love how the chords disappear in the second verse so
it’s just a lone bass guitar and drums. Closing Eyes have a new album out titled Eternal Fidelity for those craving more.
‘Swirling’ – The Mighty Orchid King
Consisting of lush vocal harmonies and springy guitars, this 60s-psych-rock-inspired track is a lot of fun. It’s got the bouncy energy of a Supergrass song, but slightly more retro and bluesier. The St. Albans band have an upcoming album titled The Doctrine of Infinite Kindness.
‘Slow Drive’ – Moon Panda
This super-smooth track comes courtesy of dream pop duo Moon
Panda and comes off their new EP Make Well. Angelic vocal harmonies ride
a entrancing groovy bass riff among clouds of reverb-immersed keys – it seems like
just the track for a slow drive at night (although it’s so relaxing that it
might just lull you to sleep at the wheel). Compared to their previous smoky Tarantino-esque
single ‘Rick F***in Dalton’, it’s quite a change in style.
THE WORST:
'Compassion' - The Dalai Lama