Look, May just flew by, and yes, so did June. So here we are, two months rolled into one little post. I have mostly spent the last couple of months absorbing the music from the months prior, as well as getting sucked in to a good bit of Glasto on BBC iPlayer. That being said, a few new tracks did stand out to me during this time, so it is only fair I give them a little shout out, eventually.
Now we know I tend to feature some artists more than once, and Oliver Sim is no exception. Each of his new releases this year have been instant hits with me. On repeat, over and over – you would think I would be sick of him by now. You would of course be wrong. Before I heard ‘Hideous’, I saw Sim’s post on Instagram:
The note on him having written the upcoming record not to dwell, but to free himself of shame and fear was something I had felt in his previous releases, particularly ‘Fruit’. Then for Sim to talk openly about his HIV status both in this post and the song – it is just so important. There is no veiled meaning, he is bold with it, because after all, why hide? The track itself is simply stunning. A stark contrast to the name ‘Hideous’. Honestly, it left me speechless. Emotional, beautiful, and that is before the wonderful feature from Jimmy Sommerville. The whole thing? Just wow.
A new favourite of mine are a sweet little indie band from Kent called Little Suspicions. With just a few songs under their belt, the potential for this band is clear to see. Classy, crooning songs may as well be a trademark for them right now, as well as the effortless imagery that their music creates. Their latest single, ‘Giving Up The Ghost’ is no exception; stumbling around town in the evening in search for a lost lover, this track is story telling magic. You can read a little more about it over at Dead Good Music.
Another fresh new fave of mine is ‘Dazed and Days’ by Wonderlux. This is a big ethereal track, a treat for anyone who loves their dreamy indie music to come with a kick. This debut single swarms the mind and body, uplifting the soul along the way. I cannot wait to hear more from this band, and can only imagine their live shows will be immense.
You can bet if Wolf Alice are releasing new(ish) material, I’m going to be talking about it. My big time faves released an EP featuring “lullaby” versions of a few tracks from last year’s Blue Weekend. Just when I thought I couldn’t decide which track was my favourite, I listened to the lullaby of ‘Lipstick On The Glass’. I think this may be the thing that really confirmed it as my top Blue Weekend track. In the original album, one of the biggest transformations for me is Ellie Rowsell’s voice. It was always there but this is where she really began to utilise her full potential. On top of that is the refined musicality, through the band’s maturing riffs and melodies, and at times orchestral sounds. Somehow the lullaby version transcends the original beyond imagination. The strings, the choir backing, it is just huge and simply divine. In short, it bloomin’ blew my socks off and I can’t get enough of it.
As I sat on the coach up to Cumbria, I was catching up on Matt Wilkinson shows on Apple Music – one of my key sources for new music. In this particular show he was talking about the return of SBTRKT, with latest single ‘BODMIN MOOR’, and oh, how mighty it is. It comes in with a slow fuzz of vocals and ominous keys, before breaking down into some big beats. It is a little bit trippy, incredibly immersive and all the better when listened to on headphones. Well, that is until we get the opportunity to hear it live. This track comes six years after the last, and SBTRKT sure manages to steal my attention with this absolute beast.
As I said, my venture into new music over the last couple of weeks was relatively on and off, but here’s to keeping up with some more in July!
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 