Single Of The Week
St Vincent : New York
On New York, Annie Clark chooses not to fire her trademark weapon – a blistering cityscape of guitar pedals. Instead, we have a tender ballad that strips back at its climax, feeling like it could either be a Manhattan after-dinner serenade, like John Legend’s Master Of None cameo, or a tender post-coital profession of sweet somethings. It could mark a slight paradigm shift for St Vincent, that the next LP might be a sidestep out of the established comfort zone.
Banoffee : Ripe
Reviving recently expired trends such as pitched-down vocals and blown-out trap breakdowns seems like a counterintuitive ploy, but Banoffee somehow threads the components into a pop excursion that retains interest. The dynamic works, but only just.
The Belligerents : Flash
The all-in embrace of synth-adorned Madchester on Flash feels good. The chorus cry of “Open your heart / Let love in” however, feels amazing. The communal euphoria lays risk of sinking to mere platitude, but The Belligerents stick every landing from build to bridge to fill to lift-off.
Private Function : Spontaneous Combustion
An economical burst of rapid jabs, Spontaneous Combustion does everything it needs to do – barebones riffs, a chorus where the song title is yelled out. It hits the spot. Sometimes that’s all you need.
