This week’s round up of New Music Friday covers all bases once again. From electronic rock to hip hop, via some sunny indie, there’s so much to enjoy and discover.
There’s one big new album to be excited about, plus new singles from some upcoming groups and another throwback artist is back. Let’s get stuck in.
White Lies – FIVE
The new album from indie rock clan White Lies opens with seven-minute prog rock banger ‘Time To Give’, before launching into a further eight songs which also include ‘Finish Line’ and electronic rock piece ‘Tokyo’. They’re currently touring the UK in support of the album, and some of the guitar in it is just brilliant. It’s similar to their albums ‘Friends’ and ‘To Lose My Life’ amongst others, only a bit heavier.
Ady Suleiman – Strange Roses
Ahead of his debut album and UK tour in March, Ady Suleiman has dropped this chill, RnB, brassy track full of powerful emotion. He’s only 26 but, like George Ezra, he has the sound of a middle-aged guru who’s been through lots on his life and has wise words to give. He’s playing nearly every day for 11 days across the UK, starting in Nottingham and finishing at London’s Electric Brixton.
Banfi – The furniture song
Continuing their recent trend of upbeat tracks despite their history of slow, sorrowful moments, Banfi’s ‘The furniture song’ features some funky pop from what sounds like the point of view of a chair. It then goes into a chorus about loving someone, obviously, before going back to talking about chairs. This is going to be a fun one live.
Billie Eilish – bury a friend
Billie Eilish’s latest track is a sensitive, low energy piece of music that draws you in far enough to leave a long-lasting effect. It’s an intriguing insight into the inner workings of our brain and is quite sad when listening to the lyrics, but some of the sounds involved add an effect from a dark, scary corridor in a classic Scooby Doo episode.
Cassia – Small Spaces
Calypso rock lads Cassia always bring the sun to the party and even with all the snow today, you could still imagine being on a Caribbean Island jamming to ‘Small Spaces’. It wouldn’t be out of place on Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album.
Galantis – Bones
Electronic duo Galantis always bring the most amount of energy physically possible to their tracks (see ‘Runaway (U & I)’ and ‘No Money’), but this week’s offering is a little different. The first noticeable change is that it features One Republic as guests, and with that comes their lyrics it brings the levels of exercise down and listening up.
24hrs, Soulja Boy – My Valentine
In this week’s throwback, remember ‘Crank That’ with Soulja Boy? Yes YOOOOUUUUUU do. Well he features on this 24hrs track which you could be forgiven for thinking has already been played on the radio millions of times before. It’s the absolute centre of what the UK music scene sounds like right now and today won’t be the last time you hear it. The only thing I would say is that it might have dropped a week too early, given the title.
Written by Oscar La-Gambina
BUSK MUSIC 