New for 2022, a regular (possibly weekly, but no promises) post featuring my selection of recent new releases. All of these tracks will feature on one of my monthly playlists, the January one in this case.
Oliver Beardmore - Not Sinking, Yet Floating
'Not Sinking, Yet Floating' is the title track from his forthcoming debut EP.
Lucy Gaffney - Easy Come Easy Go This is the first track from a new four-song collection released today by the Northern Irish singer-songwriter. The whole thing is lilting and laid back and yet well paced, with an intriguing layered softness to the production. You get a sense of warmth and misty haze, but not in a saccharine-sweet way: it's natural and organic.
Lucy's vocals are typically lovely, sung gently but firmly, and there are some interesting little touches sprinkled through the track - like the really nice back and forth between vocals and guitar in the verses.
Hurray for the Riff Raff - Pierced Arrows It's been really interesting to see how this band - New Orleans based, and led by Alynda Segarra from New York - has evolved over the past few years. The first I heard of them was their album 'My Dearest Darkest Neighbour', which is an entirely US-roots/folk-focused record. Since then they've tried out a few sounds, and never failed to innovate and surprise.
But here they seem to have found their feet with a much more electronic, pop-tinged sound, and this release is my favourite of their recent tracks. It's pacey, and a bit dancy, but also tinged with something ominous.
Spyres - See Through You Spyres have only been officially together for under three years, but in that time have shaped themselves a distinctive sound - it's part indie rock, past post-punk, with grunge undertones. Above all, this band are a load of fun to listen to, and this latest release is no exception. It's empowered and empowering, right from the starting riff, and includes lots of interesting touches and experimental sound colours.
My favourite part of this track is the drop into the barely spoken section, where there's a real sense of barely restrained frustration, before everything lets go again. You can read an interesting piece on the band and this latest release over at the Songbird.