Photo: Gigwise
Blood Orange - ‘Sandra’s Smile’
Dev Hynes has finally returned to the airwaves under his Blood Orange title, releasing a politically charged ode to Sandra Bland, a 28 year old black woman found dead in a prison cell in Waller County. Soaked in sludgy atmosphere and soothing but powerful vocals, this is the kind of track that will grow on you until its brilliance finally clicks perfectly into place. Its accompanying video is a black and white exploration through the streets of New York with some incredible street dancing.
The Courteeners - 'Small Bones'
A heartwarming affair featuring some uplifting and victorious horns and timelessly sappy visuals of slow-dances and medium-distance romantics. The video is similarly inspiring, with symmetrical shots of Liam Fray and his band performing to the electric crowd of Heaton Park. This is definitely going to make a huge addition to The Courteeners' live gig, you'd be a fool to miss it.
Grimes - 'Flesh Without Blood'
Back in a big way, Grimes’ new material colourfully vivid, a bass driven adventure with a subtle nod to the duality between low and high frequencies as the rigid basslines drives continuously below a constantly shifting blend of falsetto and whispy synths. In essence, it’s an imaginative dream-pop smash-hit.
Basement - ‘Promise Everything’
Endorsement from alternative rockers Brand New alone means you need to give this band a listen. The Ipswich alternative rockers are returning with their album on 26 January, this title track setting the tone in gloriously no holds barred fashion with fierce instrumentation and true purpose.
Weezer - 'Thank God For Girls'
Weezer's new single is an ode to beautiful girls and is as sonically punchy and direct as we’ve come to expect from the legendary pop punkers. In fact, the band adore the track so much that they recently played it twice at an iHeartRadio event. Expect more new music very soon.
Nao - ‘Bad Blood’
Injected with a few welcome shots of funk and RnB, this understated track bounces along with stark, focused percussion and matches Nao’s sharp songwriting skills and vocal talents. It’s a solid cut that’ll probably be stuck in your psyche for a few weeks to come.
Chance The Rapper - 'Angels'
It’s been a while since Chance released a focused solo effort, but it seems his recent fatherhood has kicked him back into gear. “I guess that’s why they call it where I stay / clean up the streets so my daughter can have somewhere to play.” Surging with the rapid momentum and bursts of brass that have defined Chance’s sound so far, this is a strong return to form with the promise of more new music very soon.
Cage The Elephant - 'Mess Around'
Back from the alternative-rock purgetory, Cage The Elephant have been simmering in the mid-leagues of their expectations since their explosive debut. This new offerring is a softer, more melodic rework of their off-kilter and sharp songwriting with the help of Dan Auerbach - obligatory fuzzy guitar solo included.
