YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS! That’s right, Limp Bizkit are back. Also featured this week: Makthaverskan, Wendy Eisenberg, The Ampersands, Ryan Egan, Grace Sanders and JPEGMAFIA.
THE BEST:
‘Dad Vibes’ - Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit dropping a track called ‘Dad Vibes’ seems like
a perfect recipe for disaster. I was certain it was going to be in my ‘worst’
tracks. But then I listened to it. I’m sorry to inform you all that ‘Dad Vibes’
is a banger. The lyrics are nonsense (‘hot dad riding in on a rhino’???),
but Durst’s delivery is infectious as hell and Borland’s mechanical riffage is
typically inventive. It’s not just a silly dad anthem, but also a decent rap-rock
song, which is an impressive feat to pull off.
‘HAZARD DUTY PAY!’ – JPEGMAFIA
This is the most straightforward JPEGMAFIA song I’ve heard in
a while. The 80s soul sample and the synth bass make for a fun beat and Peggy’s rapping
is enjoyably intense as always, although I’m not sure why he wants to turn vegans into
spinach. As with ‘Dad Vibes’, the lyrics are probably nonsense, so I won’t try
dissecting them.
‘This Time’ – Makthaverskan
The artwork suggested that this was going to be something menacing. However, this is actually a very pretty serving of goth-rock
flavoured dream pop. It’s very 80s-inspired, without sounding too much like one
particular band. I’m such a sucker for those reverb-slathered chorus-effect-soaked guitars. The
Gothenburg band have a new album out in November titled För
Allting.
‘Analogies’ - Wendy Eisenberg
It’s not often I like songs with banjos in. But this track
has some pretty creative banjo playing, accompanied by some pretty off-kilter vocal
harmonisation. Lyrically, the song is all about creativity going
underappreciated, which this track is definitely a case of. The track is set to
appear on her upcoming album Bent Ring.
‘The Pigeon’ – The Ampersands
There’s a lot going on in this song. It changes direction
and style multiple times. There are ELO-esque staccato pianos, alt rock guitar riffs
and even some funky synths towards the end. The duo even manage to weave in
some catchy vocal hooks. It’s the best song about pigeons I’ve ever heard. Better
than Blur’s ‘The Woodpigeon Song’. Better than Dick Dastardly’s ‘Stop the Pigeon’.
Better than The Pigeon Detectives (that's a band, not a song, but yeah). It comes off their new
album Happy To Be Here.
‘Weeknights’ – Ryan Egan
This indie pop gem is the work of Paris-based American-born singer-songwriter
Ryan Egan. According to the artist himself, it’s a song about ‘summer nights
in the city, nervous hook ups and living with your heart on your sleeve’. The
howling guitars and breathy vocals in the chorus give it a dreamy longing feel.
Sparkly synths and splashes of sax meanwhile add a warm fuzzy retro vibe. The video is a bit creepy (that kid needs to take a hint), but otherwise it's a fantastic feelgood track. It’s
set to appear on the artist’s upcoming debut album Soft Power.
‘Scrolling’ – Grace Sanders
Don’t scroll past this one. At first I
thought this was going to be a fairly conventional pop song. However, as it
progresses, Grace’s vocals become more weightless and the production gets woozier
until it reaches a zero-gravity climax of twinkling synths, warped vocals and dreamy
aaahs. The CGI video makes it even more spacey.
THE WORST:
‘Pluck Me’ – Cumgirl8
Absolutely atrocious band name. And, trust me, I’ve seen my
fair share of atrocious band names. Thought I’d ended up on the wrong ‘-tube’
for a moment. I do wonder – are there 7 other bands already called Cumgirl? As
for the song itself… well, it’s actually not too bad. The band name just ruins
the whole vibe for me if I’m honest.