Every week the team individually pick tracks that make up the listening post but there are always “ones that got away”.
These are the alternative picks and some words by our moderators on each one. You can find the tracks in one playlist here.
Artists featured this week:
VAHNO
ROLLO DOHERTY
MEET YOUR HEROES
DESPICABLE
SABLE
SPARKY BOSQUE
STRANGE DNA
COLIN SEDDON
DIVIDE THE SUN
TWO TONNE MACHETE
SARAH IRVINE
AMILOST
LELIA
ANNE MARIE SANDERSON
JULIE HICKLIN & FUTURE ANALOG
KATE KOELL
ALAN DREEZER:
VAHNO – Something New
This could easily have found a home on Justin Bieber’s latest album SWAG. There’s a similar minimalist approach to the production, with the vocal effects adding to that sleek, contemporary pop RnB feel. It’s understated but infectious, and another great example of how less can sometimes be more.
ROLLO DOHERTY – On Your Way Home
There’s something wonderfully classy about this track. The warm combination of strings and trumpet creates such an uplifting feel, but it’s the key change midway through that really caught my attention. It gives the song a beautiful lift and adds another dimension to an already gorgeous arrangement.
A sophisticated and uplifting piece of songwriting that I’d definitely recommend.
DEL OSEI-OWUSU/PLATINUMMIND:
MEET YOUR HEROES – Math Le Blanc
So… I got sent this track for review and I made it my track of the day. They called it Math Le Blanc. It’s the title track of their six track EP. I suddenly have a craving for a cup of coffee in an oversized cup but I will pass on the scone (MY SCONE), but maybe get a hot dog from the cart outside and magically make the ketchup fall from heaven. The beat is almost continental – if I wanted to I could probably speak a little French, but my French is terrible I only know toot de la proop.
This track has off beats that melt your brain, and leave you making the face like you’re smelling the fart acting, or maybe trying to work out a really difficult math problem but my brain has gone le blanc. Maybe I need to call chandler he knows how to do this his middle name is handle after all. In fact the middle of his first name is handle.
It’s a moo point that I really love this track. This is jazz rock at its best. Thankyou for letting me work in all my friends references.👏👏👏👏
DESPICABLE – D2
I like the flow on this, minimal rhythms and spitfire bars. The sounds being used like a raspy bass and delays really do catch your attention on this track. Shout out to the bass player!
GRUBBY:
SABLE – Shadow Work
Bursting with atmosphere and a sultry, characterful vocal, this combines some wonderfully glitchy textures with a minimalistic approach that heightens the impact of its lo-fi hooks.
SPARKY BOSQUE – It’s Only Love
I only like cover versions when they are as inventive as this Beatles re-working. It’s a really smooth, warm production that retains the spirit of the original, whilst giving it plenty of extra flavour and rhythm.
NEIL MARCH:
STRANGE DNA – Cry
Dark Synth-Electronic Pop ‘outsider’ Jessica English is Strange DNA and Cry combine driving synthwave, octave leaping vocals and striking melodic content that explores themes of fear, alienationo and identity. Imagine if Chvrches suddenly got a whole lot darker and mashed their music with Girl As Wave while Grimes lurked in the shadows. Well, something like that anyway. Deliciously dark and unsettling.
COLIN SEDDON – Still 1 (Radio Edit)
If, like me, you are intrigued by the notion of ‘… dance music for the sedentary’, you will hopefully enjoy Colin Seddon’s Still 1. Bell-like and other, more enigmatic, sounds drift ethereally around a firmly encased central theme and, while you wont hear this tearing up floors in Ibiza next summer, it captures the notion of dance music for the sedentary extremely well.
SHARON PEARCE:
DIVIDE THE SUN – Age of Compliance
An engaging spoken-word style track with driving rhythms and guitar effects. The vocals have a great tone, put to good use as the intensity builds, whilst its thought-provoking storyline explores the idea of reaching a crossroads.
TWO TONNE MACHETE – Hold Up My Crown
A bass-line intro sets the tone for this rock track, with pounding drums, electric guitars and powerful female vocals. It carries a rebellious theme of breaking away from social expectations.
SHEENA CAMERON:
SARAH IRVINE – Bright Star
‘Bright Star’ feels like a very personal and gentle reflection on the passage of time. Sarah Irvine’s folk delivery is subtly enhanced with an instrumental ensemble, which gives a lovely backdrop to Sarah’s intimate storytelling, acoustic guitar and the perfectly matched harmonies. It’s quite magical when the full instrumental ensemble comes in. A serene and beautiful track.
AMILOST – I Know Better
Amilost embraces a heavier direction with this rage-pop, alt-rock anthem. Their female lead opens the track with a defiant and commanding vocal before the sound erupts into a screeching, fuzzy, distorted chorus-it has immediate impact. This is a style that suits them and I wonder if they could develop the same versatility in style and genre as a band like Wolf Alice.
SHERRY SAHAYARAJ:
LELIA – Hair
Hair has a cool and edgy energy throughout the track. The lyrics gives the instant feel of liberation and carefree vibes.
ANNE-MARIE SANDERSON-A Grain Of Rice
A grain of rice has a warm and intimate feel to it. The vocals create a sense of suspense and curiosity from the very beginning. It almost feels like something you would hear in the background of The Hunger Games, dark and atmospheric.
TONY HARDY:
JULIE HICKLIN & FUTURE ANALOG – Broken
A sultry, sinuous vocal from Julie Hicklin interwoven into the track with unusual phrasing gives this tale of a broken relationship a deliciously dark feel. Allied to Future Analog’s richly evocative synth textures, words and music become one. Equally I loved the way the guitar adds a steelier edge and reaches an emotive crescendo towards the end of the song.
KATE KOELL – Ice Cream Changes
Kate Koell offers the perfect riposte to men including “cool guys in bands” who dismiss music made by women as somehow being less artful. Set to a sweet, synth-based tune and themed around the classic I–vi–IV–V chord progression, my only worry is that Kate’s frustrations countered by her smart, droll turns of phrase are a little too absorbed in the mix. I highly recommend the lyric video on YouTube.
