Sorting through the week’s new singles and songs that have surfaced online over the last seven days, Jamie Skey (@jamie_skey) presents five songs you need to hear this week…
It’s no wonder Brighton dream-pop quartet Phantom Runners‘ latest tune Laserbeam cruises through its sun-tanned three minutes with mellow ease becauase huitar pop music rarely comes as effortless as this. Forget that we’re still in the midst of winter – this tune would be best served with a pair of shades and an umbrella-cocktail.
Heavy metal is in rude health in south-east London’s Bromley thanks to be-tattooed thrash crew Stoneghost‘s riff onslaughts. Faceless Ghost, taken from the band’s forthcoming album New Age Of Old Ways, keeps the brutally groovy spirit of Pantera alive, armed as it is with volleys of anti-tank riffs and Phil Anselmo-aping death growls.
Allegedly, Spanish art rockers Toundra‘s forthcoming album IV is built around the concept of two foxes escaping their woodland home as a fire destroys it, a metaphor for humanity ravaging the environment. It goes without saying, then, that Strelka isn’t a barrel of laughs, but nevertheless it’s a pleasure to hear a mountain-toppling sound played as if the band’s members’ lives depended on it.
Apidae is the handle of musical multi-tasker Greg Hummel, whose sonic landscapes are layered with a rich and oddball mix of influences, from Caribou’s soothing, organic clubbing vibes to Bon Iver’s wintry wistfulness. Turning Tides is a hypnotic slice of sang-froid which frames a gorgeous confluence of live instrumentation and electronically guided pulses.
British purveyors a top draw riff rock Hawk Eyes are aptly named, as they are equipped with a precise eye for a thrillingly lean tune, as evidenced on forthcoming gut-punch Enemies.
