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…
Similarly to Burton prog japsters Kitten Pyramid’s maniacal and eclectic output, Knifeworld – helmed by Cardiacs and Gong’s Kavus Torabi – summon to life a Frankenstein’s monster of a rock tune on Destroy The World We Love by stitching together prog, folk and glam to terrifying effect. However, most importantly, with all the gnarled, kaleidoscopic blending of disparate styles, the track is steadfastly anchored to the pop world, which makes this beast as catchy as it is cerebral.
British oddball producer Matthew Herbert is the kind of guy who delves deep into his own psyche, playfully exploring every facet of his personality and manifests his sound art via at least six different aliases. Lately, he has rebooted his “Herbert” monkier, not heard in eight years, a side of his self mostly concerned with straight ahead, dance-floor friendly grooves. Having announced the release of a new EP called Part 6, Herbert gives us a taste of what’s to come with One Two Three, a golden slice of pulsing, down-tempo house.
Cardiff-based Novo Amor (real name Ali Lacey) first met singer-songwriter Ed Tullett in November 2013 at one of Tullet’s solo UK shows. It was a fortuitous crossing of paths, since now the duo are fully fledged collaborators, and so far, thanks to the beauteous, Bon Iver-esque bliss of Faux.
Antipodean producer Fractures’ (aka Mark Zito) star seems to be in the ascendency, with last year’s debut single racking up 160,000 listens on Soundcloud and fellow aussie Goyte giving him a nod of approval. The soulful slow-burn of Won’t Win will surely gain him new followers, with its silken fusion of James Blake atmospherics and Fink-like strum.
Leeds-based troubadour Sam Airey is probably not the sort of singer-songwriter who’ll split hairs about the authenticity of folk music, seeing as his latest tune Stars mixes the well-groomed slickness of modern folk with the raw-boned honesty of the traditional kind.
