It’s hard to know where to look for new music these days, with so many tracks floating around. That’s why we’ve got our pick of new songs to help you out this week. Happy listening!
The 1975 – Love Me
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjzO4rTb2Xo width:336 height:189 align:center]Did the eighties ever stop?
Obviously they did, it’s 2015, but it feels like eighties revivals have been continuously occurring ever since. If it’s not La Roux, it’s Back To The Future style Nikes, and failing that there’s two Chvrches albums and Jack Grealish’s hair.
Endless – but still fun nonetheless.
Having partaken in the eighties revival frivolity on their first album, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that The 1975 have taken it another step forward on their sophomore effort.
Less ‘John Hughes move’ and more Duran Duran meets Bowie meets Bowie again, ‘Love Me’ is an homage to the era. The rhythm track is borderline funk, guitarist Adam Hann has a Van Halen moment, and Matt Healy screams and wails and mumbles with a freedom and swagger that says ‘I don’t care if you don’t like this – I think I’m David Bowie’.
It’s definitely entertaining.
There is, however, a side to this track that disappoints a little in that, given evidence in their previous work, there was definitely a hole for The 1975 to carve out their own sound – one that sounds a little less like David Bowie. Their live lounge sessions and EP tracks suggested more of a modern The Weeknd/James Blake influence, M83 have also been name checked in interviews, which could have been progressed further into something new.
Nevertheless, this is a rebelliously fun pop song. I guess we’ll have to wait for the album to see if there’s anything more substantial there.
Glass Animals Feat. Joey Bada$$ – Lose Control
Glass Animals’ debut album was a critical success that never really fulfilled its commercial potential. Despite their brand of sickly-thick, jungle-themed indie music coming complete with tasty phrases like “peanut butter vibes” and “cocoa hooves”, it has till now has been left for those in the know to enjoy.
Their return features the surprising inclusion of Joey Bada$$.
Despite the obviously hip-hop tilt, there’s still a lot of the old band there. The aforementioned sickly-thick sound remains, as do the bird noises and wobbly rhythms. The only thing missing is the food references – replaced with the entirely more sensible:
‘Nobody move, nobody get hurt’
Not quite peanut butter vibes, but it’ll do.
Raury – Forbidden Knowledge
[video:https://youtu.be/o_KQCEFPObE width:336 height:189 align:center]‘Forbidden Knowledge’ is definitely the most serious of this week’s selection.
Speaking over a minimalist beat and the occasional bass line, Raury gives his thoughts on life and the universe;
‘Is God a man watching TV like people/Rewinding his favourite parts to play back like its TEVO?’
The result is a pitter-patter of thought provoking lines and spacious instrumentation – similar in style to Raury’s previous collabouration with Sbtrkt – ambitious in nature but executed with precision.
It’s enough to imagine that Raury could be set for big things.
What do you think of our selection for New Music Monday this week? Let us know in the comments below!
