Here are the tracks I’ve been listening to during the heatwave. Artists featured this week include Young Fathers, Lasse Matthiessen, Joe Holt, Chat Pile, Montaigne and Calvin Harris.
THE BEST:
‘Geronimo’ – Young Fathers
Scottish genre-blurring band Young Fathers are back with a
new single. It features a satisfyingly euphoric build-up, opening with whispered
vocals and subtle pulsing instrumentation, eventually erupting with some explosive
drums and bustling layers of vocals harmonies. The title is apt - I feel like
we’re about to dive into an exciting new chapter with this band.
‘Emotional’ – Lasse Matthiessen
This dude’s baritone voice is so low that at first I thought
it was pitched-down. It’s a really captivating vocal tone and it pairs really well
with the atmospheric detuned Stranger-Things-esque synths. The Danish synthpop
artist is planning to drop an album titled Dreams this winter.
‘Who Cares’ – Joe Holt
Have you ever reached a point in your life when you start
reassessing goals and everything feels a bit pointless? ‘Who Cares’ by
England-born NYC-based folk artist explores that very feeling of despair. The
lyrics are incredibly bleak and raw – perhaps too much so for some listeners. However,
personally I get a sense of catharsis from it. The delicate arpeggiated guitar
chords meanwhile are gorgeous, especially as the strings build up on top of
them. The track comes off his new album Tired of Trying.
‘Wicked Puppet Dance’ – Chat Pile
Oklahoma City band Chat Pile make noise rock that’s so
scuzzy it borders on death metal. ‘Wicked Puppet Dance’ is their latest filthy
single. It features a punchy 5/4 bass riff, menacing drop-z-tuned guitars and violent
clanging snare, accompanied by some monstrously angry vocals. The video features a smoking Jesus operating a
fucked-up puppet. Don’t expect it on any Christian music video channels.
‘die b4 u’ – Montaigne
Nobody wants to be the first one to kick the bucket in a
relationship. Australian art pop singer Montaigne takes this gloomy subject,
and turns it into a cute and chirpy hyperpop love anthem. The instrumentation
is so infectiously bubbly and it perfectly fits the ‘bubblewrap you, baby’
hook. It’s just the warm blanket that I needed after that Chat Pile track.
THE WORST:
‘Stay With Me’ – Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams,
Justin Timberlake & Halsey
So far, none of the singles from Calvin Harris’s upcoming
album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 have been nearly as catchy as the tracks
on the first volume. I was expecting this song to be up there with ‘Feels’
considering the star-studded line-up of guests, but I can’t even tell which
part of this song is supposed to be the chorus. It’s a surprisingly underwhelming
track.