Track of the Week: Sasami – Skin A Rat / The Greatest
Sasami is on it this week – a lot more than I am anyway. With two chalk-and-cheese singles out, ‘Skin A Rat’ and ‘The Greatest’, the American singer-songwriter gives us a heartfelt ode to unrequited love and a sonically heavy noise-a-thon. The pair confirm our expectations by laying out a vast and wonderful breadth in sound for Sasami’s new album Squeeze.
Also new this week…
m(h)aol – No One Ever Talks To Us
If you found the mermaids in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire at all unsettling, maybe don’t listen to this. Imagine David Cronenberg directed that scene… this is what it would sound like. Hopefully Mhaol’s EP coming Friday will provide more freaky foreboding sounds just in time for Halloween though, this one is a tune.
Exit Kid – This I Know
Grunge, garage and a hearty dose of shoegaze form the building blocks of this new Exit Kid track. It’s a euphoric journey, packed with throbbing drums and reverbed vocals. These elements, individually, carry enough power, but as they come to fruition here, they sound altogether exciting and emphatic.
Shygirl – Cleo
James Bond theme meets liquid garage? Yes please. Shygirl never fails to deliver, and this one has come straight to our door. Shygirl’s signature brand of glamour comes to its full fruition here, and we hope it never goes away. Long live Shygirl, and long live ‘Cleo’.
Yard Act – Land of the Blind
Slow and little bit mucky, ‘Land of the Blind’ is packed with the sort of darkly-tinged humour that’s quickly becoming synonymous with anything Yard Act touches. Filled with expectedly teethy lyrics, sharper than the proverbial knife, the song traces everything from greased palms to magic tricks – contrast is the spice of life, isn’t it?
Spoon – The Hardest Cut
The kings of underrated indie-rock are back, and man does this track groove. The video is something too – what starts off as an almost zombie-like, choreographed house party… well… takes a turn. The band doesn’t take too much of a turn when it comes to their sound here, but this is what they do, and they do it so damn well, why ever would you mess with it?
CMAT – No More Virgos
The latest single from the Dublin cowgirl (what can we say, moth to a flame), is the perfect track to carry you into the wee hours of the morning, spiralling in the centre of the dance-floor. Country harmonies meet entrancing disco hooks, leaving you with a feeling of weightlessness as the chorus sweeps you up. I can tell you now there’s some Virgos out there with a lot to answer for, they’re just lucky this track is one of them.
Findlay – Strange One
A good ‘do do do’ melody is our achilles heal here at The Rodeo; acapella is our crack. ‘Strange One’ lives up to its namesake and covers a wide soundscape that covers everything from orchestra-backed cowboy rhythms to creepy warbled vocals. Safe to say, we like it. We like it a lot.
Dutch Mustard – A Song For Dreamers
This track is very aptly named with its hazy, heavenly vocals and whimsy instrumentals. From the epic intro to the satisfying fade at the end, it feels like the perfect anthem. I’d put money on it being on the soundtrack to a HBO teen drama at some point in the near future.
Metronomy – It’s Good to Be Back
Everyone’s favourite synth pop band are back (and it does, indeed, feel good). There’s a tenderness in the way Joseph Mount sings the tracks chorus, with wispy enthusiasm, before admitting ‘our love is gone’. Like so many Metronomy tracks it hits that balance between genuine heartache and a millennial jest. We welcome them back with open arms.
MICHELLE – Mess U Made
A beautifully composed ballad here. Drums beat like the sound of a aching heart, while the vocals lead with an emotive monologue about a careless lover, independence and a turbulent life at home. Every now and then this composure crackles, with a scream or a rasp, and you’re brought into the reality of the song and the pain of its orator.
Hana Vu – Glitter
The spirit of Dolores O’Riordan lives on in Hana Vu, an American DIY songwriter who treads a fine line between grunge and pop. While her vocal inflections are akin to The Cranberries vocalist, her song writing is every bit her own. This new track, Glitter, exemplifies her ability to transform emotional pain into an empowering experience, with leitmotifs of fire, heat and ashes articulating a song that is every much impassioned as it is confessional.
Beach Bunny – Oxygen
“Life looks better through my worldview” sings Beach Bunny vocalist Lili Trifilio. In many ways the song is an amalgamation of the band’s sonic worldview, with punk-inspired guitar leads, poppy vocals and an all-round indie rock sensibility. Perhaps the most rewarding part of this song is its conclusion which draws these elements to an electrifying crescendo.
Honey Guide – Just My Style
Just. Like. Honey. Sweet and silky, with an undeniable tang of something special. Brass and synths gel together seamlessly, leaving little to the imagination, whilst maintaining an allure so irresistible there has to be more to it. Whatever it is, we want more of it. Delicious.
