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:
OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH
US3
SKINSHAPE
DELICIOUS DEE
SHORTOUT KID
SIMON TAYLOR
SEY.MOUR. AND THE MISSES
LINCOLN SKINS
ALEXANDER CARSON
PETER MCDONNELL
DEL OSEI-OWUSU/PLATINUMMIND:
OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH – Original Sin
Straight out of the box this track has the cahunas to bring you skintight arrangements – the intro could have been straight out of the gospel music playbook it’s got all the arrangement tricks in there and I’m here for it1 What a tight rhythm section!
US3 – I Like To Party
US3 made the faves earlier this year, and seeing them return to us makes me smile. I first came across them when they released Cantaloop in the 90s, sampling Cantaloup Islands by Herbie Hancock and putting some slick lyrical flows on it, in fact there was a live version that they released as a b side that’s pretty awesome! Anyway, they’re back again with this track built for the dancefloor there’s a lovely sax solo towards the end too.
JOHN MICHIE:
SKINSHAPE – Lover
Lover sounds like a sun-drenched, lazy summer afternoon that drifts by in slow motion. The atmosphere is warm and effortlessly breezy, underpinned by rich guitar layers full of vintage analog charm. The experimental synth elements only make this track more immersive.
DELICIOUS DEE – Missing Not Missing You
Driven by a crisp drum groove and buoyant acoustic rhythm guitar, this indie pop track radiates energy and warmth. The song seamlessly shifts gears and takes delightfully unexpected turns. We get confident pop vocals, then Delicious Dee spitting bars, and even a glorious guitar solo.
NEIL MARCH:
SHORTOUT KID – Lamb
If you are after originality and inventiveness that exists outside the proverbial box, this one is for you. Backwards recorded fuzztone guitars, intense vocals, trippy instrumental interplay and wall of sound production all add up to a kind of neo-psych post-rock bonanza that makes for compelling listening.
SIMON TAYLOR – Shitshow
Newcastle Upon Tyne’s Simon Taylor has been moving in a jazzier, funkier direction with his last couple of singles and Shitshow continues this trend. Busy, fluid bassline underpins a jazz-infused chord arrangement while Simon switches between spoken and sung word as he sets out his stark observations on the combined horrors of contemporary politics and consequential social and economic impacts that have characterised the past decade of our lives. Poignant and very musical.
SHEENA CAMERON:
SEY.MOUR. AND THE MISSES – Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
SEY.MOUR powerfully channels feminist protest, making a stand against society’s continued failure to acknowledge male violence against women. A pounding beat and heavy punk-grunge guitar command attention, while the lyrics express the fear, confusion and lack of support women still face. Melodic indie pop touches balance the intensity, and the bridge slows the pace to convey the emotional impact of vulnerable situations. It’s difficult to ignore such a powerful message.
LINCOLN SKINS – Runaway Train
Lincoln Skins are an acoustic alt-country/folk duo – James Dean and Rebecca Nudd-Valentine – who are based in my home county of Norfolk.
‘Runaway Train’ is true to country influences with authentic roots storytelling, using familiar metaphors and real-life themes of hardship and recovery. Layered guitars and banjo create warm acoustics and momentum, while a catchy refrain makes you want to sing along. James and Rebecca are both great vocalists but Rebecca’s lead vocal here shows what a powerful and expressive singer she is, with a real sense of her identity shining through.
TONY HARDY:
ALEXANDER CARSON – Haven’t Had A Dream
It was nice to come across Alexander Carson again, who previously led the genre-fluid Norwich quintet, Wooden Arms; a band I selected as one of my three for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition in 2016. This solo offering has a leisurely, oddly antique feel to it which softens the sadness of the lyrics as Alexander bares his soul; words and music that really stay with you.
PETER MCDONNELL – A Song And A Prayer
Sometimes simple beauty is all you need. As the title suggests, there is a hymnal quality to this graceful piano-led piece. Structured as a song with verse sections and refrains, it builds nicely towards a stirring crescendo with subtle brass and vibrant percussion introduced before all gently fades away.
