The Invisible - Rispah

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Protection’ by The Invisible

Average grade: 5.8

Kenny: Five and a bit minutes worth of nothing particularly inspiring. The guitar sound at times made me thing of early U2 as it chunders along with the lyrics circling around ideas of shelter, protection and being taken under someone’s wing (when you can make them out). 4/10

Richard: The system is broken, everything is muffled and distorted, and the atmosphere is desperately morose. The Invisible have created an artistically minded subtle manipulation of the senses with ‘Protection’; a lesson in corrupted percussion, and intricate instrumentation.

‘Protection’ gets very special indeed around the two and a half minute mark, a genius blend of atmospheric goulash as everything whips around  and storms in through the ear canal. 8/10

Tom: The Invisible have good beats.  If you want intelligent, complex, polyrhythmic fun these guys deliver.  ’Protection’ is let down a bit by lyrics and a tune that don’t reach the same heights, rather predictable.  But the rhythms give this track all its atmosphere, and make it worth 5 minutes of your time. 7/10

Stef: I really liked their first album and thought there were some expertly crafted songs on there (I even interviewed them, mind you). This one, though, I find it hard to enjoy it. It all seems so muddled, so on one level that it just seems that everything blends together into a big mush. 4/10

Best Coast – The Only Place

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘The Only Place’ by Best Coast

Average grade: 4.9

Anna: Always happy to receive some surf pop, perfect for when driving to the beach (or riding on the train in the rain in May, thanks). As it is more polished than the previous offerings though, the weak flatness of the vocals is more pronounced and this in a way brings the infectiousness down a bit. I’m not exactly sold on the sincerity of the lyrics’ naivety either. 5.7/10

Linda: Best Coast’s previous album, though hailed as the return to surf pop by some, was never really my thing. Perhaps it is because I never really spend any time listening to that one, that this new track seems as innovating as Mitt Romney’s ideas about America.  3/10

Stuart: This is a quite cute and jangly listen that makes me wish (though just for second) that I was back in the late-’90s / early-’00s when this kind of stuff dominated the alternative charts and I could squeeze into my pair of ridiculously straight-legged pink flares. It’s fluff, but inoffensive, upbeat and clap-along happy fluff. And here’s a prediction: this summer, this track will feature on an advert for either a bank, a mobile phone network or a sanitary towel. FACT. 5/10

Harry: It’s a classic Best Coast track. A lively low-fi pop song about the west coast with a cute little melody – But that, in itself, is a problem. This shows little development or change in direction from the debut album Crazy For You. Bland, unimaginative and uninspiring lyrics about how wonderful California is coupled with a happy-go-lucky chord sequence hardly makes the “dark”, “emo” and “grown up” music Bethany Cosentino promised. Oh well. It’s a sunny Summer track for a sunny Summer’s day. 5/10

Stef: A nice jangly affair by Best Coast. However, jangly stuff has never been my thing, but it is nice enough to listen to when you go on a road trip or something, and I like the sentiment behind it (if I listened to it correctly, which might or might not be correct). 6/10

Passion Pit - Take A Walk

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Take a Walk’ by Passion Pit

Average grade: 5/10

Richard: I’m not really a synth man. So, a synth powered song was always unlikely to satisfy my musical needs. ‘Take a Walk’ starts out quite interestingly with a stampeding drum beat which sticks around throughout the song; though it does get a little jarring when combined with whiney little girly man vocals and a horrendously dour chorus, which should in theory be anthemic, yet comes across quite anodyne. 4/10

Kenny: Not a band I knew ’til now beyond their name. This sounds like it’s got a bit of a message behind it although it’s quite an upbeat treatment for the story of a family/business breakdown. Hear it enough on the radio and you’ll probably find yourself humming it in the shower but it’s not really got any longevity so 5/10

Thomas: Take a Walk exceeded my admittedly low expectations of lightweight indie synthmongers Passion Pit, by being rather bizarrely about the impacts of capitalism and recession on US families. It’s peculiar combination of Hudson Mohawke-esque chunky electro tune and parochial social consciousness.  Quite endearing. 7/10

Stef: Listening to it now it doesn’t sound so bad as I first thought it was. It’s a nice summery, radio pop tune, but it lacks catchiness to really dance to for me (Cut Copy it is not), and the longer the song goes on, the more cheesy it starts to feel to be honest. That chorus in particular just lacks the oomph to keep it going. 4/10

Twin Shadow - Confess

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Five Seconds’ by Twin Shadow

Average grade: 4.8

Anna: Whilst this is a. really ’80s b. generic in terms of new wave and c. repetitive lyrics wise, I enjoyed it. I feel dirty for having done so and for admitting it, but there you go. 7/10

Craig: Yes, this is very ’80s.  Now that the elephant in the room has been addressed, this is a pretty cool song in its own context.  Though the tone is gloomy, the beat doesn’t drone and make everything just a total bummer.  Plus, the singer’s voice is unique in that he wavers in and out of tune artfully which prevents him from sounding like a robot, or Interpol. 6/10

James: I’m pretty indifferent about this one, nothing really stands out. It’s just quite predictable and the chorus doesn’t really go anywhere. There’s some nice layering going on but I could easily live without it. 3/10

Harry: ‘Five Seconds’ isn’t really anything interesting at all. It’s not especially exciting, inspiring, evocative or ground-breaking, and it certainly isn’t memorable. It is cheesy and it is unimaginative – Another track with an obvious ’80s drum beat and a vaguely catchy melody. To be perfectly honest, I had to double check that this wasn’t a previous X Factor contestant attempting to reinvent their dwindling career by going a bit “disco”. 2/10

Stuart: Okay, now I might well be one of Musos Guide’s elder statesmen (or knackered and decrepit hacks, you decide) but I really can’t see whom this track is aimed at. The synth riff sounds as if it was nicked off an early demo for Berlin’s ‘Take My Breath Away’ and the guitar licks sound like Per Gessle covering ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ by Yes. The lyrics (and believe me even labelling them as such is a terrific stretch) are a repetitive insipid puzzle and about as entertaining as listening to an entire t.A.T.u. album whilst being molested by Dermot Murnaghan on crack.

I guess if you’re a big fan of Berlin – and a big fan of Roxette – and a big fan of Dermot Murnaghan – then ‘Five Seconds’ is the track for you. Personally, I can only wish it lasted only five seconds and Mr Shadow had stayed true to his name and never darkened my door with his horrible schtick. Oh, and he looks a bit like Craig David too – and that’s never a good thing. 2/10 (Yeah, and that’s because I quite like Roxette. ‘Look Sharp!’ is a belter of an album: put on ‘Sleeping Single’ rather than listening to this nonsense.)

Stef: I love this (I’m ignoring the beating the track gets above me). There’s something about that voice that really appeals to me, to me it is so full of emotion. Love how he goes from slightly bombastic to really understated, like the guitar and the layers, I think it is top notch stuff. Can’t wait for that album. 9/10

Metric - Youth Without Youth

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Youth Without Youth’ by Metric

Average grade: 7.5

Kenny: One of Canada’s greatest acts. This stomp-along is hopefully bettered on the forthcoming album as they’ve done better in the past but it’s still worth 8 out of 10 any day of the week.

Stephanie: I could not be happier that I’ll be treated to a new Metric album this year! ‘Youth Without Youth’ gives us a taster of what to expect and it blows my synthing socks off! It’s everything I would expect from a Metric single – trudging percussion and bass brought to life by Emily Haines forever perfect vocals teamed with sweeping space synth. The countdown to Synthetica begins! 9/10

Richard: Somewhat of a departure from what they’ve previously recorded Metric have provided us with a synthy glam stomper. Emily Haines will always bring the goods vocally, and this track is no exception to that rule. The song’s political message seems relevant, since things aren’t so much different today, as they were in the seventies. The Youth are in trouble, and grow weary quick.

I can’t honestly say that it stands up as a single, and on repeated listens ‘Youth Without Youth’ sounds more like a ropey Marilyn Manson cover then a track that will get you excited about the band’s prospects in 2012 5/10

Tom: Metric’s energetic electro-sleaze single aims to channel youth disaffection but, although they claim to have identified the zeitgeist, their lyrics about razor blades and fire-starting are straight out of the ’70s.  Fun, but not as original either musically or thematically as it would like to think.  Also notable for referencing Gary Glitter in the accompanying interview, which is a brave move. 7/10

Rob: This track’s stupidly catchy. Whether it’s due to the gritted-up glam feel that’s going on or that looping bass rhythm, ‘Youth Without Youth’ sets up camp in your head and refuses to leave. Emily Haine’s seductive vocals take the forefront of the track making it an ideal soundtrack for a sleazy strip-club movie scene. 8/10

Stef: I like the stomping, almost glammy start here. It’s got spunk. The same goes for the lyrics, which talks about children’s games that are, instead of innocent what they should be, mature and violent and Rebel-without-a-causy. Whatever the prose might be telling you, it is also a nice song with bravado. 8/10

Fiona Apple - Every Single Night

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Every Single Night’ by Fiona Apple

Average grade: 6.6

Craig: What a wonderful little song. I like the simple instrumentation that underscores her masterful voice. It’s dynamic. It’s very identifiable, lyrically–who hasn’t sat up at night wondering what the hell to do with his/her life? A winner!  I’ll admit I don’t know much more about Fiona Apple than her few singles (which were good enough) and that strange rant at the MTV Awards show, but this tune has intrigued me to find out some more about her. 8/10

Harry: This track is gloriously minimal and sparse, allowing Fiona to showcase a distinctive and versatile voice through beautifully poetic lyrics whilst haunting chimes capture the imagination and drag you back to a time when Edith Piaf ruled supreme. Just wonderful. 8/10

Rosie: This is a lovely, poetic song. It reminds me a little of something you’d hear in a music box with the vibraphone-sounding keys plinking away throughout the song. The sparse nature of the track captures your attention, and the changes in mood – from strength to vulnerability – kept my concentration all the way through on several listens. Fiona’s voice is a bit Florence-like; it’s very powerful, particularly in the bits that are harmonised.  It’s quite an unusual song, but I really like it.  8/10

Anna: The arrangement in this one is spectacular, flowing from delicate to uplifting, the vocals from low notes to chants. The melody crawls under your skin and infuses you with Apple’s great lyrics. I really want to hear this in the context of an album, as I feel it’s a part of a story, rather than an individual offering. 7/10

James: Such an intriguing blend of powerful and vulnerable. She seems to operate in her own space, not being blemished by any musical developments around her, in the best possible way. Great track for the revision season, too.  7/10.

Linda: Less is more, that’s what Fiona Apple must have thought when writing this song. With just her voice and some minimal backing she really pulls off this track. Good to see that women with great voices can also create little, restrained gems like this (I’m looking at you Florence and Adele). 7/10

Stuart: Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of female pop singer-songwriters. I adore Kate Bush. I worship Tori Amos. I revere P.J. Harvey. And I regularly pray at the altar of Madonna (stop snickering – ‘Cherish’ is one of my Desert Island Discs). But…what…what the fuck is this? Does anyone remember Willis? She was big in the early ’00s – predominantly because she was a white girl that sounded like a black girl – not because her songs were necessarily any good. To me, Fiona Apple is popular in a similar way – because she is quite fit – not because her songs are necessarily any good.

‘Every Single Night’ sounds like a baby’s mobile on loop, then good ol’ Fiona whimpers a little, then there’s a bit of guttural chest-beating-terrace-stomping gurning and then good ol’ Fiona whimpers a little more. Lyrically it reads like a pissed teenagers diary (think Veronica Sawyer in ‘Heathers’) and is every bit as vacuous.

Maybe I’ve subconsciously got something against Apple because the last time I ate one, I was seven years old and it resulted in projectile vomiting of such extraordinary quality that I should have been cast in a smorgasbord of ‘Exorcist’ sequels, but nah…this ain’t one for me. 2/10 (And that’s because she’s fit.) (Yes, I can be vacuous too.)

Stef: It, on one hand, is a nice little chamber piece, with Fiona playing with soft&delicate versus strong. However, it does hit one of my pet peeves, as I like my songs smooth, and her vocals almost have a sort of start-stop rhythm to them, which I don’t particularly fancy. 5.5/10

Little Boots - Every Night I Say A Prayer

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Every Night I Say A Prayer’ by Little Boots

Average grade: 4.8

Kenneth: Moody stuff to begin with. Couldn’t help thinking of Madge’s ‘Like A Prayer’ in the livelier parts though as it’s not really got much substance to it (which is probably the whole point). Ultimately quite forgettable though so 4/10.

Richard: Evidently Little Boots has done some homework. After getting left in the trail blazed by a variety of female popstars from the UK since her breakthrough in 2009 Miss Boots has decided she needs to get serious and make a credible pop song. ‘Every Night I Say a Prayer’ is a bit Kylie, and a bit Robyn, and if I’m honest a bit of alright with a morose house beat, and a wee tinkle on the KORG complementing Little Boots’ cutesy vocals. 8/10

Tom: Little Boots returns with a tinny, late ’80s dance track with its spiritual roots in Stock, Aitken and Waterman.  It also steals the riff from ‘Ride on Time’, ripping it right off in broad daylight presumably on the basis either that its a touchstone of electro cool or that no-one would notice.  Neither of these explanations reflects very well on Boots. 2/10

Stephanie: After the first listen ‘Waiting For Tonight’ by Jennifer Lopez lodged itself in my head, which put me off pressing play again. I blame the cheesy chorus. Minus that out of the equation and we’re left with an infectious comeback single with some dominant piano key pounding resembling Tensnake’s ‘Coma Cat’ signature sound. A good dance record that’s screaming for a big remix. 5/10

Stef: You know what, I really liked the start, with those kind of mysterious, seductive vocals and this what deeper sound. Than that chorus comes in and its just this huge hit of bubblegum pop that gets thrown in your face. And she sure sticks with it, and not even the Cut Copy-ish synths can help her then. 5/10

Kindness - 'House'

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘House’ by Kindness

Average grade: 6

Rosie: This is a rather dreamy track from Kindness, gentle synths and drum beats float along underneath the vocals.  It’s not an outstanding track – it’s a good one to have on in the background – but it’s nice.  Nice being the operative word there; it doesn’t stir too much emotion and is a bit bland in places, but it’s…well, nice.  5/10

Anna: This brought on so many happy memories. I love the fading electronic tones combined with the piano, the rhythm’s spine and the fact that it makes me think of tired yet happy dawns after a night out. 7.5/10

Craig: Very reserved and laid back.  Understated in a way that underwhelms and perhaps allows listeners’ attention to drift.  Clean production, though. 4/10

Stef: Don’t be fooled by the title, this isn’t exactly dancefloor fare. But it sure is a lovely song, especially the chorus that kicks in at 1:44, and that female backing vocal at the end of that is a nice little touch. Lots of nice little elements are melodically put together to craft a lovely song indeed. 7.5/10

The Walkmen - Heaven

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Heaven’ by Walkmen (radio edit)

Average grade: 5.7

Tom: ‘Heaven’ has been named ‘Best new track’ by Pitchfork, and an endorsement from the website never afraid to reward inoffensive indie tells you plenty about this song.  It’s jangly, sentimental and mediocre.  As soon as it ended, I immediately forgot everything I had just heard. 2/10

Kenny: It came as news to me that The Walkmen turn 10 this year. I may have one of their albums someplace but safe to say they’ve been no more than a blip on my radar in all that time. This a reasonably affecting and listenable track though. Whether they’ll see fan numbers jump up in acknowledgement of a decade of putting in the hours is unlikely but on balance this is 3 and a half minutes of yearning and heartfelt stuff that would tempt me to check out the album so 7/10.

Richard: I remember The Walkmen playing ’The Bait Shop’ one Sunday morning on Channel 4; I was hung-over then, as I was most Sunday’s back when ‘The OC’ was the hottest show on television. Since then my relationship with The Walkmen has descended distantly into re-watching their official Music Video for ‘The Rat’ on YouTube as I pine for Seth Cohen.

‘Heaven’ is yet another earnest passionate effort, which sees the band going back to their roots and remembering “all we fight for”. Steaming along ‘Heaven’ has spring in its legs, and joy in its lungs, for now that’s just about good enough in a time of apathetic indie rock posturing and hip nonchalance. 6/10

Stef: I love the first verse, and I like the chorus of Remember remember, all we fight for, and then it has a catchy little indie guitar hook going on. The other verses are, in my opinion, fairly trite though, and when the chorus follows those that too suddenly sounds rather corny. And that evens out I guess. 5.5/10

Greg: It would appear I’m in something of a minority in this case, but I bloody love The Walkmen – their last two records (Lisbon and the phenomenal You And Me) have been enough to fill my jangly US indie quota on their own. The band have done positive and anthemic before – see ‘In The New Year’ – but there’s something particularly bright about ‘Heaven’, and it kind of suits them. 8/10

Yuck - Chew

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘Chew’ by Yuck

Average grade: 5.5

James: Was a bit worried Yuck were a bit of a one trick pony but they somehow manage to make their own brand of garage rock stay fresh. This four minutes seems to fly by, chewn!! (Sorry, pretty sure that borders Dad joke territory). 7/10

Craig: So very Foo Fighters. This is a very big, echoic song, but no originality. Meh. 3/10

Anna: I don’t mind Yuck sounding like oh you know who and who and who, I appreciate their guitar work here – utterly delicious. The song sounds a bit forgettable but the guitar gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach which is either happiness or food poisoning, so… 6/10

Linda:

I don’t think anyone was expecting Yuck to reinvent the wheel, or go a completely new direction with their music. They are good at what they do, and what they’re doing doesn’t need to be the next big musical revelation. However, there is a limit to how much copying and pasting of the same basic pattern you can keep on doing, and this track makes me feel Yuck are coming eerily close to that limit. 6/10

Rosie: I feel like I’m transported back about 15 years when listening to this record, spying on my older sister whilst she’s listening to grunge in her room.  It’s definitely got a 90s vibe to it, with its melodic indie-rock guitar riffs and echoey vocals.  The lyrics are a bit repetitive but this is a solid rock song, and I like it. 6/10

Stef: It just lacks something, doesn’t it? To me it comes across as just a bit too generic. So it might be played on the radio because of it, but it just doesn’t make me sit up and listen. Its not bad, it just doesn’t do anything for me personally. 5/10