What is not to love about April? The month of the perfect date, the buzz of festival season fast approaching, and of course, some great new music. This was the month I had been waiting for, with two highly anticipated album releases as well as a flurry of singles from favourites new and old.
Let’s kick things off with the one that really encapsulates that feel good energy. As soon as I saw that Jamie xx was releasing a new single I was on high alert, and then to find out it was a whole seven minute offering? Well, I was in heaven. ‘Let’s Do It Again’ had me in a chokehold with its pure party vibes, the beat ramping up at a perfect pace. Just when you think this track has hit its climax, it pushes further, letting the party go on a little longer. Maybe there is something hypnotic about the repetition of the lyrics, after all it really did get me thinking “let’s do it again”, as I hit that replay button over and over. Definitely a big tune for the Summer!
Another member of The xx was killing it for me this month. I caught Oliver Sim’s release of ‘Romance With A Memory’ at the end of March and fell in love immediately. This month however was all about ‘Fruit’. I see this as a sort of love song to his younger self. A warm embrace from the man who has gone through it all, to the young boy who is just embarking on it all now. There is a gentle romance to the sound of this song, the kind that swarms the body, hitting right in the heart. I was absolutely entranced by its divine beauty, and still cannot get enough now.
A new one for me this month was Maggie Rogers with ‘That’s Where I Am’; a big, powerful, love song that I got hooked on immediately. There is a sense of almost overwhelming devotion, but instead of pining, it is a confident release of it all. This track is opening its arms out to commitment with pure joy, with the feeling that nothing can go wrong.
With a change of name comes a new era for San Lorenz (formerly SPQR). Their new single ‘Tightrope’ is a triumphant return from the Liverpool band. Luring us in with sweet indie guitar melodies, it grows heavier in the end, a good ol’ San Lorenz shred that you just can’t do without. I am so looking forward to hearing what more they have up their sleeve but for now, this will suffice.
Of course I can’t talk about April without talking about Fontaines D.C. Yes, I’ve mentioned them each month now, but with the release of their third album, it would be rude not to. As much as I was looking forward to Skinty Fia, I really wasn’t expecting to love it just as much as I did. Not in a bad way at all, it is simply that this band exceeded my expectations further than I could have prepared myself for. True, I had never listened in great depth before the run up to this album, so yes I had missed out on enjoying the older stuff in the midst of all the hype. Still, this was the first album of the year to really pull me in, making Fontaines D.C. a firm favourite of mine henceforth. I even was lucky enough to review the album for the wonderfully juicy bunch at Dead Good, which you can read here.
Wet Leg’s self titled was another “on repeat” jobby for me. While a lot of their pre-released singles really serve the punches in this album, there was a lot to enjoy from the bits in between. What I found was a softer side to the duo, with dreamy melodies counteracting the upfront lyricism that they have presented us with so far. ‘Being In Love’ is perhaps the strongest of the unreleased tracks, so to open with this one, the album really delivers from the get go.
All of the songs above and many more can be found on my Listen 2022 playlist, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Happy listening!
SAMANTHA MAE 