Track of the Week: Wynona – My Mind is Melting (Cool Like You)
Was introduced to Wynona earlier this year with the single ‘Say You Love Me’ and I was instantly hooked. Couldn’t wait for more. Needless to say I was pretty ecstatic to give ‘My Mind is Melting’ a spin and it doesn’t disappoint. My ’90s heart is full and my rock hands are up. Keep ’em comin’, Wynona – we wanna be cool like you.
Also new this week…
The Beths – Silence is Golden
The Beths are back with fuzzy, urgent indie-rock in ‘Silence Is Golden’ – and they’ve got a whole album’s worth on the way later this year. It comes and goes in under three minutes, but the glorious guitar breakdown will be with you for a long time. Try to keep up with the twists and turns.
Donna Thompson – Be With You
‘Be With You’ traces the longing of a long-distance relationship. Full of yearning calls of adoration – the kind that anyone who’s experienced it knows all too well – it builds like the wind into a climactic expression of love. With touches of RnB, soul and Jazz ‘Be With You’ wears its heart brilliantly on its sleeve.
Friendship – Alive Twice
Never quite breaking fully into song, ‘Alive Twice’ rhythmically shudders as fragmented piano lines, creaking stools and low-level white noise offer up a minimal white canvas for Dan Wriggins’ crushing vocals. Might have shed a quick tear. Don’t ask.
Jockstrap – Concrete Over Water
Georgia Ellery has some vocal. The song seems to float effortlessly, with a strumming acoustic giving it a strong backbone, and the intermittent strings creating an ethereal feel. Some band, these lot.
Ugly- I’m Happy You’re Here
Ugly are working in that liminal space in music right now where a track may contain contrasting emotions, styles, rhythms and instruments; think Black Midi, Black Country, New Road, Sorry. Full of contradictions their tunes are both densely-packed and sparse, choral and intimate, moving yet motivating, and the combination of the band’s various facets culminates in a uniquely captivating take on modern life (that sounded clever right? Just listen to it).
Ellie Bleach – Big Strong Man
Ellie Bleach’s vocals are almost spiritual in ‘Big Strong Man’, with an intimacy so strong coming from the bold piano that it could be coming from the next room. Don’t miss the stripped-back vocal harmonies in that showstopper of an ending.
Porchlight – Silver Spoon
It feels as if Porchlight is stuck stubbornly in the past somewhere. ‘Silver Spoon’ sounds like Primus meets old – and I mean old – Incubus. Not sure whether that’s a good thing or not, so you can decide for yourself.
FEMES – Voices
FEMES is well-suited for a time when Kate Bush has her first #1 hit with a song from 1985. There’s a nice throwback vibe to ‘Voices’ that, quite honestly, wouldn’t be out of place somewhere in the last two episodes of Stranger Things. Take note, Duffer Brothers. There’s still one more season to make this happen.
Drugdealer – Madison
Drugdealer capture that golden haze and easy breeziness of 70s rock immaculately. It’s all sun streaming through the blinds, pancakes running the risk of being burnt because you can’t stop grooving along to those smooth vocals. ‘Madison’ sees Michael Collins shift his vocals and style to craft an effortlessly cool and infinitely warm track that delivers you straight back to that time.
Bandaid Brigade – Abacus
Good, old-fashioned pop-punk guitars with just the slightest hint of piano in the background to bring the drama. It’s the added instrumental flourishes that send ‘Abacus’ into overdrive. If you’re experiencing lo-fi fatigue, try Bandaid Brigade.
Wyldest – Angeline
There’s a harp in this one. It’s bloody lovely. Leave the cucumber on the shelf, this song will do all the cleansing you need.
Wildhorse – Joyride
Kinda funky, kinda dirty, very ’80s. It’s a stupidly catchy song about car sex. Do with that what you will.
