Track of the Week: HighSch00l – De Facto
This Aussie trio sound combines the monotone, melodic delivery of Ian Curtis with the synth-infused post-punk of New Order. EA, if you’re reading, slap this on the Skate 4 soundtrack. It’s where it belongs.
Benedict Hawkin – Leave It!
This one creeps up on you like that ever-growing pile of dishes on your countertop. At first, it’s all fun and games; ‘Oh, I’ll do it later’. Then, you’re up to your clavicles in ceramic! Engrossed in a quality, dense-yet-spacious number that feels like it came out of nowhere. Good job, Benedict.
CMAT – I Don’t Really Care For You
A fresh, woozy take on country sounds, CMAT add ’50s backing vocals into her already impressive repertoire. A dreamy track with a cutting story to boot, CMAT just gets better and better.
Horsegirl – Ballroom Dance Scene
This one reminds me of Horac McCoy’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?. Just got that vibe, y’know? Great track from a bunch of people still in high school. Puts your own life into perspective, right?
Little Suspicions – Limes
If Arctic Monkeys listened solely to Morrissey before writing their next record, it would likely sound like ‘Limes’. An interesting song, with a throwback vibe, but very little to latch onto. Unlike Morrissey, it’ll grow on you.
Michael T. Ogilvie – Missing You
A pop anthem made for separated lovers forced apart by this bastard pandemic. Gorgeously mixed synths flow effortlessly between a funkish riff and Ogilvie’s sultry vocals. Send it to your crush – go on, we dare ya.
NewDad – Slowly
We’re big fans of NewDad. Their previous stuff was a little more chilled out – this one, it’s a little more angsty. Maybe the state of the world is getting to them? Who could blame them. Sounds like the lovechild of Clairo and Beabadoobee.
Saint Kochi – Home
Saint Kochi have gifted us with an indie beach banger, or at least, that’s what they want you to think. The track starts gorgeously, wailing guitars scream summertime – it’s the kind of track you want to blast out of your car, windows down, driving through a seaside town. However, in the song’s final act, it erupts: dark, visceral noise explodes then disappears, it’s a sudden transformation that really pays off. Nice one.
Sunflower Thieves – Don’t Mind The Weather
All I can think about is the weather at the moment. That week of winter sun we had was bliss. Now, the storm has returned and going outside is just not a priority. Sunflower Thieves capture the lethargy of these rainy, windy, lockdown days with a slow plodding number reminiscent of The Japanese House.
Wallice – 23
Taylor Swift tackled the greatness of being ’22’, but she forgot to mention the bad side. After 22 comes 23 – with that comes responsibility. Wallice narrates the responsibility that comes with turning 23 and looks back on the good ol’ days where a fake ID was needed to buy a four-pack of larger.
Wild Spelks – Dreamer
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been dreaming of warmer weather and a respite from the gloom and snow. Wild Spelks’ new single isn’t just aptly named, it’s sonically fitting as well. Conjuring up beachfront vibes and Blue Album era Weezer, if you close your eyes, you can almost smell the salty air and the seagull shit.
Wolf Alice – The Last Man on Earth
A change of pace for our beloved Wolf Alice, back now with a soft, piano-led track which lends focus to Ellie’s vocals. Devastatingly humble in sound, or so we think to begin with, its lyrics paint a larger picture of human nature at its most complex. Building and swerving in distinctive WA fashion, ‘The Last Man on Earth’ is a truly epic return.
