Meg Mac : Never Be
Word around Splendour in the Grass was that Meg Mac was one to watch. Unfortunately I was the one-to-watch-not-many-bands, and Never Be compounds the FOMO, presenting not overly sanitised soul-pop with strong hooks and tasteful production from M-Phazes. Not sure if Meg Mac is gunning for crossover success, but if it comes, it will be well deserved.
Chet Faker feat. Banks : 1998
Chet Faker (real name Chester Faker) brings back his Built On Glass cut 1998 as a duet with Banks, with the new interplay bringing a more potent dynamic to the track’s wistful themes. Could we have finally found this year’s Somebody That I Used To Know? Definitely not. But still, a solid effort. Nice one Chester. And Banks.
Wave Racer feat. B▲by : Flash Drive
You know when you’ve been chewing on bubblegum for so long (around three minutes) that the flavour expires, so you smang another piece in your gob and for the next three minutes you get some semblance of the original flavour, only it’s diminished by the presence of the original stick of gum? Then before you know it, the second piece is also out of flavour, so you smang another piece in and begin to rue the diminishing returns and increased taxation on your masseter region, until you start wondering if you enjoyed the original flavour in the first place, then all of a sudden there’s chopped up Seinfeld bass and you feel helplessly trapped within the immense folds of time and each scramble at a life preserver labelled ‘nostalgia’ only sinks you deeper and deeper into a void of sheer terrifying nothingness? Flash Drive is out now on Future Classic.
Northeast Party House : Perfect Lines
Northeast Party House achieve everything they set out to achieve on Perfect Lines, but the trouble is, they don’t set out to achieve much. There are interesting notions presented amongst the big, dumb indie-rawk riffs. Actually, take away the opening riff that carries throughout and you’ve got yourself a serviceable TV On The Radio impersonation. Even then, it can’t help but feel like a step back. And I would say that solo is as worthwhile as radio on the TV… but digital radio on the TV is actually pretty worthwhile.
Single Of The Week
Lontalius : Comfortable
Comfortable reaches an abrupt end. So abrupt, that a passive listen presents a magnet to the replay button, a renewed focus. Attentive ears are rewarded – sparse tone, rich emotion; “I’d do anything/ To feel comfortable up here.” That close – the silence, or transition into whichever track SoundCloud’s logarithm deems appropriate – is not comfortable. Beauty without gratification. This is such a magnificent song, truly.
