New Friday, new music, you know the drill. Welcome back to The Round-Up.
Alex Cameron – Stepdad
With big ole synthed-up power chords throughout, Cameron paints us a rather teary-eyed family portrait. It’s hard-hitting, stylishly narrative, and remains (in very Cameron-esque fashion) distinctively unique all the way through. Big thumbs up.
The Big Moon – Your Light
The Big Moon are veering off in a slightly new direction: gone be the heavier, rock-out indie tunes, make way for the full-bodied red wine of ‘Your Light’. Warming, delicious and – like all good wines – leaves you wanting just a little bit more.
Blink-182 – I Really Wish I Hated You
I love Blink, so I really wish I didn’t hate this song. It’s bland. The vocal production is godawful. And yet, it’s been stuck in my head all week. Mission accomplished, maybe?
Foals – The Runner
While one could mistake the somewhat underwhelming lyrics as the internal monologue of a midlife crisis man determined to regain fitness – “Step by step I’ll keep it up, I won’t slow I gotta go” – Foals’ latest track ‘The Runner’ kicks with a similar ferocity to past hits.
Green Day – Father Of All…
Despite having, in my expert opinion, quite an awesome title, the song itself more closely resembles a steaming pile of dookie that’s been sitting around since the early 2000s. Imagine if The Black Keys shagged Jack White repeatedly on top of a mixing console and accidentally hit the record button. That should give you some idea of what your ears are about to endure.
John Mayer – Carry Me Away
Mayer’s dropped another track that sounds exactly the same as every song he’s released since 2010. Your auntie who’s slightly younger than your mum might stream it. That’s all we can say really. It’s just a John Mayer song. Sounds like a John Mayer song.
MIKA – Sanremo
Oh my god, MIKA’s back. And what’s more, he’s taking us to Italy for a seductive, dreamy escape in Sanremo. Cheesy, si, but who cares. Shimmy shimmy shimmy.
OneRepublic – Somebody To Love
OneRepublic don’t have just one sound, signified by this pulsing, beating track. For me, this is the official end of summer. And, to paraphrase Tedder himself, ‘How can I go on without SUMMER to love?’
Pumarosa – Heaven
Through the strobing synth it feels like you’re just living in a kaleidoscope. With the heavenly vocals and immersive beat, to sit still is a challenge as you venture into this golden spiritual experience. After just one listen, you want to find your nearest light-up dancefloor and throw some embarrassing shapes.
Reality Something – Dirty Money
If you are into all that heavy stuff with the pointy guitars you’ll like this. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, as any “fake rock opera” is supposed to be. But, it’s somewhere to start.
Rex Orange County – 10/10
Rex Orange County? More like Rex Owl City… okay, that joke sounded better in my head. As did this song, in his.
Sofi Tukker – Purple Hat
Bass-filled, subtly brilliant and dangerously saucy, this track just screams Sofi Tukker. Grab that leather jacket and get your side eye on, this one’s for amping up the ‘bad bitch’ attitude.
Tempers – Peace of Mind
Slow and steady, a beautiful electronic-synth masterpiece. Only just found these two but I’m sticking round for the album that’s for sure.
