Wavves : Way Too Much
The down-stroke blast of Way Too Much is pretty gnarly, but the whole singing about getting wasted is pretty borezo at this stage yeah? Also Wavves smanged this on SoundCloud early without Warner’s permission apparently. I’m sure this will end well for all involved. Like, did he see what happened with JEFF The Brotherhood and think “Sweet. Sign me up for some of that.”
Popolice : Mover Shaker
Continuing a knack for anthems that punch well above their weight, Mover Shaker is empowered guitar pop not afraid of feeling great – an affirmation of riffs that conjures up a soothing energy. I believe in Popolice.
The Rubens : Hoops
I like the hand-clap snare, but everything here feels like Hozier mumbling out a demo for a track destined for discarding. That might be too much of a slight, because Hozier fucking sucks. The Rubens almost come up with something memorable with the vocal hook, but it falls short to resemble a weak imitation of weak music, lacking that idiosyncratic vocal spark.
CHVRCHES : Leave A Trace
CHVRCHES stick to their guns on the first taste of LP number two to the point where it feels phoned in from their safety zone. The diminishing returns are a shame; their first LP didn’t exactly break new ground, but it did present a few killer synth-pop moments. Hopefully the next single showcases a more ambitious flair.
Jidenna feat. Kendrick Lamar : Classic Man (Remix)
If I were to describe Classic Man in one word, it would be ‘calculated’. There’s the radio-ready, cookie-cutter beat, easy-going hook, rising talent, a big name guest. It works. Jidenna can push boundaries like his A-list guest here, but this feels like a savvy ploy for a commercial breakthrough. It could be the most resounding salvo yet for Wondaland’s potential dominance. I mean, I doubt the label founded by Janelle Monae could blow up to Bad Boy levels in this climate, but on the economy of scale, it might come close.
M.I.A. : Swords
M.I.A. has always operated at a higher level than pretty much anyone else out there, and Swords is no different, carving a wild path through divergent beats. The track opens with clattering, percussive swords, which is undeniably completely fucking sick.
Single Of The Week
Lowtide : Julia
A triumph upon triumph, Julia stands as Lowtide’s finest moment yet. It caresses a wide breadth between the slinky bass plucks and the higher register buzzsaw of their wall of shoegaze-y noise. It’s effortlessly brilliant, picking melody with purpose and sticking the landing, exhibiting tonal mastery in the process. Taken from a double A-side seven-inch, launched at Northcote Social Club on Saturday August 29.
