FRESHLY SQUEEZED DECEMBER/JANUARY
PHIL MOORE RUNS YOU THROUGH THE NEW RELEASES FOR THE NEW YEAR
Sarpa Salpa ‘Say Something’
The four-boys-one-girl NTown gang start 2020 with an EP of some considerable wow-ness. Lead single ‘Say Something’ is just the sort of insistent banger we’ve come to expect from them, and they do it better than many of their more famous contemporaries. The bassline is brain-battering, and the melody will have you by the third listen. Now watch them go conquer the world and come back with tales to devour.
Luna Rosa ‘Corrugated Steel’
The Corby boys have pretty much owned 2019 in some ways – three singles that have them firing on all cylinders. This time you get some swearing-assisted Arctic Monkey’s style sounds, i.e. punks dialling it down a bit and going a bit free-form jazz, then bringing it all back for an impassioned chorus. Sometimes a trip off-piste can do wonders.
Joel Harries ‘I Am Not What I Seem’
This EP is a solo project from the man you might recognise from playing with No Music, Big Loss, Sad Drone, and 72%, not to mention his sister Nina’s extraordinary album. It’s a twitchy collection of soundscapes and ideas, something Thom Yorke might do when he’s feeling a bit more chilled. Beguiling, entrancing stuff, all lovingly topped off with that unique falsetto voice of his.
The Keepers ‘All You Need Is Hope’
2019 was a transition year for the young retro indie-punks, and this their sole release at the tail end. It’s all what you love about them; Beatles harmonies, psychedelic washes from the keys, and the devotion to proper songwriting that their heroes have always promoted. Quite proggy in the middle breakdown, it hints at much more depth to come in 2020. Hopefully.
Baby Lung ‘Falling’
The four-boys-one-girl NTown gang start 2020 with an EP of some considerable wow-ness. Lead single ‘Say Something’ is just the sort of insistent banger we’ve come to expect from them, and they do it better than many of their more famous contemporaries. The bassline is brain-battering, and the melody will have you by the third listen. Now watch them go conquer the world and come back with tales to devour.
Har Q ‘Suraisu’
This one has a great video of sword fight in a forest, and luckily it’s one of Jason’s better tunes too. The prolific artist has been front and centre in ShoeTown at open mic nights, and the love he gets is a reflection of his talents and warm nature. This track has an Oriental melodic motif to counteract his hard-hitting delivery, and it works a treat. Har-Q is perhaps the most visionary artist working in music in NN as of now.
Cassini Circles ‘Halfway’
Female trio [formerly known as Fugues], now with added Yoshe. Trip-hop beats and spaced out vocals from Shannon Kait, that stretch out over five minutes running time and gallop back and forth. This oscillating disco briefly breaks down in the middle, before the snap of the snare brings you back into the room. Encouraging stuff for ones to watch for in 2020.
[sane] ‘Deja Vu’
They’re back! Gabriel Halford, Tim Robinson, Adam Bullock and Connor Webb continue their electronic explorations with a selection of new tracks, and this one leaves heavily on the central vocal performance to drive. It’s an effective piece of work, and makes you wish for much more in the future. ‘We’ll Always Know’, meanwhile, samples a female voice and heads off into the distance. Superior sounds are always a delight from [sane].
Tom Rose & The Heathen Orchestra ‘Tails & Fins’
An EP that carries on where the mighty 2018 album finished off. Slabs of dramatic rockabilly guitar and vocals, married to punishing rhythms make ‘Ooze’ unmissable. At the other end ‘Denmark Hill Infirmary’ brings the Dylan/Waits world into NN, brimstone and fire like Nick Cave before he mellowed out. This is esoteric stuff admittedly, but I love it.
Charlotte Carpenter ‘Another Year’
The soft and serene voice of Charlotte is perfect for the festive period; a beacon of hope in a sea of tumult. A desolate, countryfied ballad about Christmas time TV making up for a challenging year is something we can all relate to. Set your heartstrings to the ‘break’ position, and delve into this and her burgeoning back catalogue.
Slowburn ‘Match Point’
The ‘Punk And Disorderly’ Kettering trio bring the fuzz and emotional baggage to keep us entertained over Ramones-length blasts of joy and anger. They’ve only just formed, but there’s enough there to be keeping a close eye on. They make their Northampton debut supporting ROAM at the Black Prince, and there’s plenty of people gushing at that prospect.
Dizmack ‘3.5.7’
The rapper has been promising this EP for a while and is finally free to release it. A culmination of all he’s worked on to date, this is his vision laid out for all to bare; a man breaking free of his chains and expecting to fly. Six tracks: anger, progression, and redemption on display. His cousin Izzie Gibbs joins in on the title track, and it’s a moment. The production is tight and atmospheric throughout, and thus he will be on your radar in 2020 [if he’s not already].