Single Of The Week
Kirin J Callinan : S.A.D.
Halfway between demented ballad and demented pop anthem, S.A.D. (song about drugs) navigates its highs and lows. Jack-knifes between a dearth of inhibition into insular paranoia, barely holding it together as it emerges from the other side with an “I love you mum.” Vacuous EDM creeps in to underpin the ennui of singing about drug-induced ennui. It’s an effective sleight of hand, made possible by a potency retained even when taken at face value.
Jess Locke : Better/Bitter
The scene is set with an absolute corker of an opening line, a self-aware, tongue-in-cheek toast to borderline sociopath tendancies. Short and softly sweet, despite the acerbic bent. Taken from Locke’s second LP, due out midway through the year.
Harry Styles : Sign Of The Times
Big ambition, short on ideas. Meandering, overwrought wanks can serve a purpose, but there’s nothing resembling a pay-off over the course of the running time on Sign Of The Times. Unmemorable insofar there’s nothing here to remember, the singular refrain overstaying its welcome, leaving nothing left to hang on to.
Frenzal Rhomb : Cunt Act
A thorough testament to the versatility of Australianisms, Frenzal Rhomb’s return explores the spectrum of cunt acts – from minor breaches of social decorum, to tax evasion. Still plenty of fuel in the Frenzal tank.
