Easter’s been and gone, given your teeth a health hazard, and taken an hour of your day with it. Fear not however, to console your suffering gums, we’ve found you three of the freshest songs around to sink your jaws into.
Biffy Clyro – Wolves Of Winter
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPNjcKwhExI align:center]‘How’s it gonna feel when there’s no one to support ya?’
That’s how Simon Neil opens ‘Wolves Of Winter’, Biffy Clyro’s first song since 2013. There’s a definite snarl and spikiness to his voice, complimenting the downright aggressive introduction we’ve been given.
Biffy Clyro have always been a bit of an outsider’s band. Having started out alongside Reuben as part of the UK’s long forgotten alt-rock scene, they made their big break in 2007 whilst NME and the typical music fan was more concerned with Razorlight and Johnny Borrell’s white jeans. Since that point the band have had a great deal of success with the backing of Radio 1 helping them to become Reading/Leeds Festival headliners and bag a number one album along the way.
Whilst still being big and anthemic, ‘Wolves Of Winter’ offers more of their angsty side – the one not seen since before their jump to stadium-filler status. There are staccato rhythms, throaty vocals… It’s as if Biffy Clyro have gotten their edge back.
Sbtrkt – TBD (feat. Sampha)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRwh7wn1xf4 align:center]Calming down a little next, here’s the return of everyone’s favourite masked producer.
Sbtrkt, now three albums in, is an incredibly renowned musician. After his post-dub-step-ish self-titled debut album, his biggest hit to date came in 2014 after collaborating with Vampire Weekend singer Ezra Koenig to produce the dark-dance smash ‘NEW DORP. NEW YORK.’
‘TBD’ sees Sbtrkt reunited with his long-term collaborator, Sampha. Much like the majority of their collaborations, it’s quite a minimalistic number – more ‘Hold On’ than ‘Living Like I Do’. Sampha’s vocals, breathy and smooth as ever, are worked together with a saxophone sound to make a sad but uplifting feel before a huge piano riff brings the track home.
It’s not the club track that we might have been hoping for, but ‘TBD’ has the poise and feel of something really quite special.
Apothek – Waiting For The Thunder
Finally, a new artist to close out this week’s New Music Monday.
Apothek are in fact two artists, one a producer and the other a songwriter. Together they make electronic music with more of a focus on crafting songs as opposed to making tracks for the dancefloor – more The Postal Service than Avicii.
‘Waiting For The Thunder’ actually has quite a big Postal Service vibe to it, some of the vocal lines have quite a resemblance to those from ‘Nothing Better’. Where the two acts segment however is that Apothek go up the gears a lot more easily. ‘Waiting For The Thunder’ actually has fair bit of thunder; as the track builds, storm clouds form and erupt in the form of synths that scream out in a kind of slow euphoria. It’s impressive stuff.
What do you think of this week’s featured artists? Have your say in the comments section below.
