An array of unexpected releases this week with plenty of quality to choose from.
Single of the Week: The Dare – LCA
Now this is more like it. I have very much loved the idea of The Dare and the influences that go into the melting pot, however the early output has been a bit hit and miss. This absolutely hits the mark in a DFA/LCD Soundsystem kind of way. Plenty of deep bass, synth grooves and early noughties Indie-sleaze vocals. More of this please.
The Hives – Enough is Enough
An absolutely classic slab of Hives rock, hints of ‘Hate To Say I Told You so’ lurk in the background but then you know what to expect when you sign up with these guys.
Sparks – Drowned In A Sea Of Tears
The Sparks rollercoaster for the new album has so far consisted of the Reading Indie Life single of the week ‘Do Things My Own Way’ and, um, the very much not single of the week ‘JanSport Backpack’ which was really not my cup of tea. This however is bloody brilliant and almost another single of the week. Far more serious and dramatic than a lot of their recent output and showing that the Mael brothers are still an absolutely essential musical force at the ages of 76 and 79.
Laufey – Silver Lining
This seems to be the first release from an as yet unspecified third album. ‘Bewitched’ was an incredible album, timeless and classical. This is another piece of old-fashioned, but rich music combined with that always stunning early-Hollywood era voice.
Wet Leg – catch these fists
Wet Leg felt like a breath of fresh air when they first emerged but the jokes were wearing a little thin by the time I saw them at Reading 2023. This first, single from the second album is familiar yet not trying as hard to be silly, and is all the better for it. Nearly left it out for the throw away ketamine reference, a substance that should never ever be used recreationally as it is frequently lethal. What I guess was meant to sound edgy just ends up missing the mark.
Ash – Jump in the Line
I am rarely speechless, but I needed a full 30 minutes to recover from discovering that not only had Ash covered a calypso classic… but they had also made an Evil Dead inspired video for it. It was for things like this that the term WTF was coined.
Baby Metal feat. Poppy – from me to u
For those not up to date on the Korean music scene Baby Metal took the Japan Pop (J-Pop) stylings and married it to elements of heavy metal. This track is superb, the quality pop rubbing up against a far heavier turn from the always excellent Poppy. They play the O2 on the 30th of May.
Djo – Potion
One of the tracks on ‘The Crux’ that shows just how far Joe Keery is willing to push himself into different areas of music. This is one of the best tracks on the album and has a real timeless quality to it. Could easily have been released as is in the 1970s.
Ed Sheeran – Azizam
The gentle middle-eastern musical and lyrical hints have gone down a storm in that part of the world. The overall feeling is of 80s musical excess but it is catchy enough to be another monster hit for Ed and he is probably the most critic-proof artist in the world right now.
Rudimental, Khalid – All I know
Not either parties best work but is still going to fill dancefloors. I am hopeful of no horrible Reading line-up clashes this year as I would like to watch Rudimental in action. A strong vocal turn over gentle drum and bass stylings.
Sleep Token – Caramel
Another week, another surprise Sleep Token release. As with ‘Emergence’ this just isn’t grabbing me as hard as the ‘Take Me Back To Eden’ singles. It isn’t bad, it just isn’t as exceptional as ‘The Summoning’ and ‘Chokehold’ were. It might just need a few more lessons to fully reveal itself.
Reading Indie Life 
Leave a comment