S. Carey - Hoyas EP
By James Blake
There’s something suspicious about side projects. Accusations of unrest instantly attach themselves to the act in question with rumors of a dreaded farewell tour looming large. But do the same rules apply to Bon Iver, a band born from a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin? They survived their frontman’s rendezvous with Kanye but, traditionally more reserved drummer, S. Carey’s latest offering Hoyas could hold more answers. … Continue Reading
Stay+ - Arem EP
By Rosie Duffield
Imagine this as the soundtrack to Skins. It’s a journey through an epic night out, taking you up and chilling you out. That’s the first impression that Arem presents, at least, which is probably more straightforward than the band itself.
Stay+ are a duo shrouded in mystery; allegedly from Manchester, Matt Farthing and Christopher Poole are rarely seen (they once sent a balloon artist to do a Radio 1 interview on their behalf) – but, it seems, are always heard. … Continue Reading
Kwes - Meantime EP
By Russell Warfield
For someone who’s ostensibly so prolific – working on songs since he got obsessed with a little electric piano at the age of four – Kwes hasn’t amassed a desperately substantial body of work since releasing his debut single ‘Hearts In Home’ over three years ago. There’s been an addictive second single, a collaborative mixtape with fellow pop screwball Micachu, and an EP of instrumentals, but we’re still waiting for something which feels like his definitive, flag-in-the-ground release. And, although it’s his first collection of bona fide vocal-songs, and debut release through the natural outlet of Warp , Meantime still doesn’t give the impression that Kwes has truly arrived – just three songs (the opening track being an ambient sketch which bleeds into the EP’s single ‘Bashful’) not boasting enough substance to showcase his clearly considerable talents effectively, nor making a truly lasting impact on the listener. … Continue Reading
Dawn Richard - Armor On EP
By Greg Salter
Sean Combs’ Diddy Dirty Money emerged at the tail end of 2010 as a bit of a surprise – no one had been expecting Diddy to produce anything of real note for around a decade, let alone a loose concept album that acted as a kind of bridge between R&B of the past and future, treaded a fine balance between egotism and soul-searching in the lyrics, and came laced with some of the finest pop hooks in recent memory. The album was remarkable not only for the way it brought together some of the finest or more interesting MCs of the last few years (Drake and Lil Wayne for starters) but also in that Diddy was flanked by two women whose songwriting and vocal contributions arguably lifted the album way beyond the ruminations of a load of drunk and heartbroken blokes in the club – Kaleena Harper and Dawn Richard inhabited the roles of spurned lovers, eye-rolling exes, and yes, drunk and heartbroken women in a manner that made Beyonce and her ilk seem hopelessly one-dimensional. … Continue Reading
Burial - Kindred EP
By Greg Salter
The first 50 seconds of Burial’s ‘Kindred’ feel familiar, mournful and comforting – there’s the synth washes rising steadily on minor chords, the flicker of a distorted, androgynous vocal somewhere in the mix and the ambient patter of heavy rain, broken by thunder. Suddenly, the beats kick in – they’re the familiar hollow, metallic beats that Burial gave us on his 2006 self-titled debut and much-loved 2007 breakthrough Untrue, but far more aggressive. While Untrue was widely embraced (and widely imitated) for its emotive approach to the then-still-underground genre of dubstep, then ‘Kindred’, briefly, does something Burial’s music has never done before – it unsettles. Further to that: if Untrue cast the faded glamour of UK garage in monotones and memories, the‘Kindred’ brings in elements of jungle and even drum and bass to create something altogether more intense and threatening. … Continue Reading
Josh Ritter - Bringing In The Darlings EP
By Melanie McGovern
Saccharine songwriter Josh Ritter follows up 2010′s So Runs the World Away with a stripped down, acoustic folk EP which harks back to his beginnings as a solo balladeer.
Recorded in Brooklyn during the winter of 2011, Bringing in the Darlings precedes the LP entitled simply Darlings, and is comprised of the tracks which didn’t make the final cut, but which do, unsurprisingly, all contain the word “darling”. It’s an intimate recording featuring only Ritter and longstanding producer Josh Kaufman assisting on the vast majority of instrumentation. … Continue Reading
Patrick Wolf - Brumalia EP
By Paul Faller
Ever the restless creative, Patrick Wolf follows up this year’s full-length album Lupercalia with six brand new tracks, courtesy of a new EP entitled Brumalia. Named after an ancient Roman festival that celebrates winter, the EP aims to offer a contrast to the generally more upbeat nature of Wolf’s last record.
Brumalia gets off to a strong start with ‘Bitten’ – oppressive beats are matched with mournful strings and skittering synths in a style that harks back to Wolf’s work on Lycanthropy and Wind In The Wires. Indeed, trivia fans may be interested to know that this is the first Patrick Wolf recording that he’s played theremin on since he was 13. It’s not just the sonic palette that has a touch of his earlier work about it either – the dark narrative concerning addiction is a continuation of the story of Lucy from ‘Bluebells’, a track which appeared on The Magic Position. … Continue Reading
King Krule - King Krule EP
By Antonio Tzikas
The first thing that gets mentioned when King Krule or his former moniker Zoo Kid is bought up is the fact that he is still only 17 years old. The South London teen is being hailed by some along the lines of the ‘voice of the disillusionment of today’s youth’, a tag given to many in the past and one that isn’t really convincing, considering that kids haven’t really been into music as much since games consoles got online play capabilities. The hype surrounding King Krule isn’t really about youth, scenes, politics or movements and more about the fact that music is happy at finding a genuinely exciting young talent, a kind of genuine, more artistically interesting and non embarrassing version of the Jamie T/Plan B model of ‘angry young man with London accent, working class fashions and guitar’ and are hoping that he’s a new hero; something to believe in. … Continue Reading
Younghusband - Crystal EP
By Antonio Tzikas
Combining solid pop sensibility with ’60s psychedelic, soul and fuzzy indie influences, younghusband release Crystal, their debut EP, through Sonic Cathedral this November. With only four songs on display, it’s a short, but sweet introduction to the London four-piece and a brilliant opening statement from the band, who have garnered a few celeb fans in the form of Jarvis Cocker, Guy Garvey and Marc Riley since their 2010 formation. … Continue Reading
James Blake
James Blake‘s 2011 has provided as many musical left turns and surprises as his 2010 – his self-titled LP brought his vocals to the fore, while his more recent Enough Thunder EP included a collaboration with Bon Iver and a selection of more expansive compositions. Love What Happened Here, his new EP due on R&S records on December 5, looks to be a return to the experimental, introspective beat-driven music of last year’s CMYK and The Bell’s Sketch – as ever with Blake, these aren’t rehashes – he’s still pushing forward. All three tracks have been played on various radio stations around the world in the lead up to the EP’s release – you can listen to streams below and we strongly suggest you put a pre-order in if you like what you hear. … Continue Reading
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