Single Of The Week
Jen Cloher : Regional Echo
As if Velvet Underground’s third LP was transported from The Factory to a woolshed, Regional Echo brings internalised thoughts and resignations out into the open of the Australian landscape. Cloher doesn’t romanticise the setting, conflating inhibition with the national identity, deftly positioning symbols of complacency, rather than reaching for signifiers of oppression.
The Killers : Run For Cover
After being all on board for previous single The Man, I’m not totally feeling all-out anthem Run For Cover. A few lyrical gems scatter throughout, but Springsteen aspirations fall short due to pointlessly plastic components. Don’t gnarl the guitar solo, make it gnarly. Drums are reminiscent of The Veronicas’ Untouched, which is a huge tune, but that matched a hushed and urgent chorus, not an all-out belter found here.
Charli XCX : Boys
Pop music done simple, sharp, and smouldering, Boys does everything in precise measure while never feeling clinical. The chirp punctuating each mention of boys sounds like collecting coins in Super Mario Bros, which coupled with the all-star video, acts as a Pavlovian trigger to start fantasising about rooting Flume. Genius work all round.
Shouse ft Rachel : Without You
Shouse carve out a deep-ish groove, setting the foundations for a dreamy vocal take from Rachel. Embraces dancefloor nostalgia without being beholden to it, reaching mellow peaks with sparks of intimacy.
