Track of the Week: Valve – Dysphoria
I think I’ll have this chorus melody in my head for the rest of the week. This is the type of song which you’d hear in the background of Made in Chelsea, when someone is in a cab on the way back to their swanky Kensington penthouse, after just being dumped by someone. In the best way possible. It’s melodic and it’s driving; they remind me of Sundara Karma with just a touch more grit. ‘80s guitar licks, simplistic lyricism and a gradual ascent to get-your-ass-movin’ instrumentation. Lovely.
Brooke Bentham – Control
What opens like a grunge track for people who want to hear at the age of 45 soon grows into a hard and coarse track. Throughout, Brooke brilliantly documents the feeling of being ghosted: the song is full of paranoia and anxiety about losing control and being dropped without explanation.
City Park – Who Am I
Kind of reminds of what Justin Timberlake would sound like if his FutureSex/LoveSounds era was today rather than fifteen years ago. Cool as a cucumber.
DEEPSLEEP – Mathilda
There’s got to be something in the air in the North East, where we keep hearing painfully underrated bands drop tunes that could have been produced for the Top 40.
If you’re wondering what that perfect mix of hard graft and idyllic soft pop-rock sounds like, it’s Mathilda.
Dream Nails – Text Me Back (Chirpse Degree Burns)
It’s a painful process trying to chat someone up on social media. You start with the message — one grey tick shows it’s been sent, two grey ticks show it’s arrived. Then you wait for a reply with infinite doubts running through your mind. Then you get the dreaded two blue ticks – you’ve been ghosted. From here on out it’s just a downward spiral of spam messages with various amounts of questions marks in until you write a punk song about it – that’s what Dream Nails did anyway.
Green Day – Oh Yeah!
I’m not going to say the pop-punk architects are washed up. I’m not going to say they’re past their prime. All I’m going to say is, it sounds like they’ve smoked a little too much weed with the Black Keys and paid them to write their newest record. I would rather listen to the Kool Aid man bursting into people’s houses on repeat.
Hayley Williams – Simmer
I’ll be the first to admit, the first 20 seconds or so scared me a bit. But once the song gets going, you’re in for a treat. Hayley Williams didn’t NEED to make a solo record—Paramore is quite the cash cow on their own—but if it’s as solid as this first single, forget simmering; I’ll be boiling over. Okay, fuck, sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
Mint Julep – Escape
A bunch of drowned out, ambiguous lyrics with a sort of futuristic intro; it’s like the musical equivalent to a cloud. I don’t mind it on my own,” the voice melts in the chorus, which isn’t really distinguished from the rest of the track. Dreamy? Yes. And this is often pleasant. But this one is just a little bit too dreamy to appreciate.
Mitski – Cop Car
The enigmatic Mitski’s kept herself busy, you’ve got to give her that. Cop Car is a creepily delicious mix of ‘indie film song’ and sheer filth. Filthily heavy, filthily good and filthily addictive. We might need a cigarette after this one.
Ren Harvieu – Curves & Swerves
Ren lets us in on an intimate and powerful track about falling between the gaps of love. Its gentle and atmospheric, utilising the use of horn, string and choir sections.
Sorry – More
A buzzsaw beauty of a track. Cutting, rough and greedy. Sorry map a bad trip by creating a great result.
Thomas DuTronc, Iggy Pop and Diana Krall – C’est si bon
Just jazzy cocktail lounge vibes. Very French. Very very French. Not sure why Iggy is there, but it’s easy listening, something to put on next time you have a dinner party or want to impress someone with how cultured you are.
The 1975 – Me & You Together Song
If there’s one consistency about The 1975, it’s that whenever they announce a new record, you never know what amalgamation of styles you’re going to get. So if you weren’t a fan of their foray into wannabe garage punk (lead single “People”), fear not! “Me and You Together Song” is essentially what would happen if these four gents traveled back in time and wrote the theme song to an up-and-coming ’90s sitcom. And that’s not a criticism.
Waxahatchee – Fire
Another soft, soul-searching story. Under-produced and beautifully vulnerable. Perfect road trip music.
If you like a good old fashioned curated playlist, check out our latest print magazine HERE. It’s got a jukebox curated by Matt Maltese in it and a soundtrack personally picked by us.
