A revolving cast of contributors showcase some of the best new music releases from the past week.
Deerhunter – ‘Snakeskin’
It’s been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of new Deerhunter material. Since the release of 2013’s Monomania, the band has been hermit like with lead man Bradford Cox being hit by a car last year putting off this upcoming release. But he’s back now and healthy, with the band ready to release their latest wave of sonic reveries.
‘Snakeskin’, the lead single of the upcoming Fading Frontier, is a bouncy funk track oozing almost slowed down disco like tendencies as it shimmers in your ears. As it progresses, a dissonance rears its head as the song takes a slow turn down an alternate road. This detour produces notes of discord and disorientating meshes of sound and melancholy. Much like the namesake, this track sheds its skin revealing an uncomfortable but fantastically intriguing song underneath.
‘Snakeskin’ is a treat for the ears and it definitely stirs the pot just at the right time before the album’s release. With the dark tones apparent at the end of the track it seems that Fading Frontier might follow on from Monomania’s surrealistic penchant. – Joshua Thomas
LIPS – ‘Traces of Teddy’
LIPS’ latest offering, ‘Traces of Teddy’ seems to have distilled the universal plight of a broken-hearted teenage girl into a delightfully catchy earworm.
The opening brassy edge of horns fools me into thinking this is some upbeat party song, but as soon as the guitar hits and the “girl with giant lips for a head” starts singing, it’s clearly apparent that this song is a reverse girl-power synth tune.
Think Sweet Valley High's Jessica angsting over her new crush; Marissa pining over Ryan back on The OC. But really the song ends like boy-crazy, Gossip Girl little brat Jenny Humphrey endlessly sulking about her sad little dumped heart.
Next month NYC-based LIPS is coming home and will join Anna Coddington on a tour that is sure to hit a town near you. – Yadana Saw
Disclosure - 'Willing and Able'
Leave your coat at the door and take a seat at the bar. Disclosure’s ‘Willing and Able’ is so charming and so very chilled, it’s as satisfying and as much of a relief as a cold beer at the end of the day.
Kwabs is doing some great work here. That gorgeous voice - never sleazy; gloriously sultry - is the highlight, laid out again and again and again like some great euphoric, electronic choir. Even at its climax, ‘Willing and Able’ is still remarkably chilled out, with a slick, almost rubbery ‘putt-putt’ beat giving structure to the waves of electronic sound that wash through the track. Lovely stuff.
UK duo Disclosure have been doing this for a while, and their experience is apparent in this elegant, well-structured track, with wobbly, aqueous synths that bubble through the five minutes of the track. (Don't worry, it isn't too long.) The sound lingers, smooth and comfortable: it does a very good job of showing just how 'ambient' ambient music has the capacity to be. It’s at once warm and refreshing.
Like some great big exhalation of House sound, this is not difficult music. Listen to it, maybe even take it home. 'Willing and Able' is a song that would like, please, to buy you a drink and hear about your week. – Natasha Frost
Chance the Rapper feat. Noname Gypsy – ‘Israel (Sparring)’
‘Israel (Sparring)’ is the latest from Chicago native Chancelor Bennett, aka Chance the Rapper - a free flowing, lazy-Sunday track whose easy, casual tone could be mistaken for lazy to the inattentive ear. Slam poet and rapper Noname Gypsy teams up with him here, following up her guest spot on Acid Rap’s ‘Lost’. The two trade verses in a freeflow format. No hooks, no refrains except for the “sparring is training” phrase that weaves itself through the track, popping up here and there without much warning.
The complete lack of vocal aggression, save for the climax at the very end of the song, means it’s driven primarily by the Cam O’bi-produced beat. The laid-back boom-bap perfectly mirrors the clever but unhurried lyricism, giving both rappers the space to showcase their wordplay without urgency. The result is an exercise in sublime confidence without bravado; there is no pretension or posturing here. ‘Israel’ feels organic and off-the cuff with its two protagonists playing the back and forth in a relaxed but practiced manner in the same way two friends navigate each other’s gloves in the ring. In other words: sparring indeed. – Sarin Moddle
Kari Faux – ‘Supplier’
Until the release of ‘Supplier’, I was not aware of 22-year-old rapper Kari Faux. And yet in this short space of time I have familiarised myself with her entire oeuvre thus far and fallen completely in love.
With ‘Supplier’, Faux delivers minimalistic rhymes with the kind of rare deadpan directness that just oozes confidence. Kari’s voice is languid yet determined, and when she sings “I provide the vibes that you desire / it’s my love that you require / you haven’t met a chick like me, prior / you haven’t met a chick that keeps you higher”, the effect is hypnotic.
With an incredible video in which she pays homage, in both sound and aesthetic, to ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’, Faux deliberately evokes the kind of subtle, un-ironic nostalgia rarely achieved so successfully.
Previous collaborations with her manager Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, have given Faux the exposure and momentum that can make or break emerging artists, and certainly her days of obscurity seem numbered. ‘Supplier’, however, proves she is more than capable on her own and with a new EP, Lost En Los Angeles, on the way, Faux would appear to be the real deal. – Katie Parker
#POTUSplaylist
Featuring an uplifting array of genre and talents, it turns out that Barack Obama (and his staff) are decent DJs. His playlists makes for a good listen, and played at full volume, they’re almost powerful enough to drown out the sound of Donald Trump running for presidency.
Opening with the Temptations ‘Ain't to Proud to Beg’, the daytime playlist includes a number of gems, plentiful with blues and soul goodness including the fantastic ‘Wang Dang Doodle’ by Howlin Wolf. The track has a great way of juxtaposing a bluesy swing and irreverent piano, combined with low, steady vocals.
Elsewhere, ‘Memories Live’ by Reflection Eternal is soothing track with good lyrical flow and a simple, engaging backing, which also segues neatly into Bob Dylan’s ‘Tombstone Blues’. Meanwhile, Coldplay have released some well-constructed, sensitive pop ballads, but ‘Paradise’ is not one of them. It’s irritably overblown, and more than bit grating.
The night playlist is jazz plentiful, featuring John Coltrane, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and many others. Davis’s ‘Flamenco Sketches’ is an absorbing, colourful piece of music which journeys through tone and structure with confidence. ‘The Very Thought of You’ by Billie Holiday is a charming addition too. The ability to make her voice sound light and girlish before progressing to her signature deep, rich, tones is magical. Aoife O’Donovan’s ‘Red & White & Blue & Gold’ is another standout track. It’s an enrapturing country ballad, Ryan Adams-esque, and incredibly beautiful.
The #POTUSplaylist has been scrutinised and analysed for its political messages, but as a musical collection, the US President’s choices makes for an eclectic, soulful, thoroughly enjoyable mix. – Elizabeth Beattie
What's your song of the week? Tell us about it in the comments section.