Joanna Newsom : Sapokanikan
The hunger pangs for new Joanna Newsom material came with increasing frequency in the past few years, and just as it almost became unbearable, the announcement of new album Divers arrives, along with it, new single Sapokanikan. The track is a sprawling wonder, a little more stripped back than the arrangements on 2010’s Have One On Me. A winding path, strewn with blossoming melodies, it’s such a pleasure to lose yourself in this.
Lana Del Rey : High By The Beach
Full props for High By The Beach doing exactly what it says on the tin. LDR sings, “All I wanna do is get high by the beach,” with undeniable conviction, leading a strange, subdued mood of droning organ and mellow hip-hop production. It’s a tractor beam of effortless cool, near the point of self-parody. Or even, well beyond the point of self-parody.
WWA : Straight Outta Chicago
A supergroup of some of Chi-Town’s finest – Katie Got Bandz, Sasha Go Hard, Lucci Vee and Chella H – team up for a flip of the classic Straight Outta Compton, going in hard from Katie Got Bandz’ opening verse, through to every script-changing string-laden beat breakdown. Each second is loaded with power.
FKA Twigs : In Time
The level of artistry FKA Twigs is currently operating on is, quite frankly, scary. EP3, breaking established naming convention with the title M3LL155X, dropped with scant warning, along with a video accompaniment. There’s triumph, there’s cyborg-augmented anguish, and Twigs is in control with each acceleration. We’re witnessing genius.
Destiny : Orange Blossom
Princess Nokia brainchild Destiny serves up one of the year’s most feelgood jams with Orange Blossom; a cruisey romp that will most definitely take command of your hipbones. It’s a dream, and an incredibly sexy one at that. Who needs new Franky Ocean when we have this?
HAIM : ‘Cause I’m A Man
Taking Tame Impala’s single for a spaced out remix, HAIM add some fairly ridiculous trap elements that bring Kevin Parker’s pop sensibilities into a more articulated modernity, with his fragile vocal substituted for HAIM’s soaring, flawless rendition. Is this better than the original? I think so. It’s definitely bigger, and the pristine melody is still in tact. Maybe overcooked in parts, but that’s part of the fun.
Single Of The Week
Ecca Vandal : Father Hu$$la
Ecca Vandal’s latest single Father Hu$$la operates like 20 songs at once, all of them good, and somehow forging together for a cohesive package that shifts from minimal electronica to blown-out hip-hop into a full prog rock freakout in the course of a few minutes. It’s hard to keep up, but there’s reward if you do. Same goes for Ecca Vandal’s live show, too, as Splendour found out.
