Dan Hillier
After delivering his darkest record to date with 2020’s King Of Clubs, Jamie Lenman is once again back with a new sound altogether. It’s hardly surprising given Lenman’s long established penchant for experimenting with different genres, but ‘Talk Hard’ is the antidote to the poison that bounded his last record and a total detour from the shadowed path he began to navigate two years prior. Harkening thoughts of the leisurely Weezer circa The Blue Album, ‘Talk Hard’ is a light, sunny and optimistic stray into a more mainstream and approachable indie-pop sound for Lenman, with the legendary maestro adopting a slightly more mainstream for the next stage of his career. “I’ve been trying for a long time to do something a bit more melodic, and Talk Hard is the first flowering of that”, states Lenman on the track. “Lyrically it’s about standing up for yourself, for making sure that your voice is heard by people you feel are ignoring you—be that your friends, your family, your boss or even your government. It’s about encouraging and empowering people, standing behind them and lending them your support. Very positive, after all the negative feelings from King Of Clubs.” – Dan Hillier
It’s been the best part of half a decade since we’ve heard any original new work from Pijn, but now they’re back with the odyssian ‘Weave In’, a single whose namesake and sound implies a new chapter for the post-metal maestros. Across the 11 minutes that span the track, Pijn return to the contemplative and forlorn sound of 2018’s Loss albeit in a way more rejuvenated and hopeful. The rich tapestry of textures that form the collective’s output has been enriched with added woodwind instrumentation, but yet, the intensity has been dialled back, resulting is musical outing that’s expansive, organic and naturally sprawling. Pijn may be rubbing shoulders with some of the genre’s greats when they take to the main stage at ArcTanGent Festival next week, but there’s no doubt that ‘Weave In’ will be standout moment of the entire weekend. – Dan Hillier
In flexing a mix of Electro-Rock infused Hardcore and noughties-esque 2-Step Garage sensibilities; ‘The Void Stares Back’ by the Hertfordshire Hybrid Rock titans Enter Shikari in collaboration with the hard-bitten contemporary Electro-Punks Wargasm, holds an unmistakable essence of versatility with its soundscape, which feels like a brilliantly crafted slant on the embodiment of Dual Kawaii aesthetics. As all three lead singers Rou Reynolds, Sam Matlock and Milkie Way lock horns over a drastically widening pit at the centre of their more optimistic and pessimistic outlooks on the worlds descent into depravity; the tracks core objective to stir our collective consciousness with a progressive leaning campaign for balance in today’s turbulent sociopolitical landscape, is a clear collaborative act of war against archaism in any and all forms. With its atmospherically multi-paced maximalism taking us on a journey through an illuminatory state of being; it’s beyond safe to say that this instance of controlled chaos is a much preferred PSA for any truth seeker, than any convoluted assertion from the ruling class of orthodoxical megalomaniacs. – Bennie Osborne
The title track of Russian Circles’ upcoming record due for release next Friday via Sargent House, ‘Gnosis’ is eight minutes of smouldering atmosphere, barbed riffs and dark dynamism that results in one the post-metallers most expansive offerings to date. Even for a band so well-versed in post-metal dirges, this is one of the most dense and suffocating outings undertaken by the band thus far, a fact made visually evident with the accompanying music video, the first to be ever released by the band now in their eighteenth year of activity. “When discussing a concept for the video, we agreed we wanted cinematic footage of nature and humanity”, state the band on the video. Ultimately, we wanted the video to feel fresh and inspiring despite dealing with a dark theme. Similarly, we wanted to compel viewers to rewatch the video and get something new from each viewing. Somehow, editor Joe Kell masterfully made this all happen.” – Dan Hillier
Coinciding with the announcement of her new record It’s All In My Head – released September 23rd via Miohmi Records – ‘Can You Tell’ see’s Ruby Taylor’s creative output Yumi And The Weather channeling the climate altered summer sands of her Brighton beach in a way that’s airy, yet slyly dark. Coolly languishing somewhere between the sublime sounds of Sonic Youth and Yeah Yeah Yeahs with lo-fi flair, the track narrates a potential disastrous outcome of a risk taken impulsively. Despite the synthetic patterns, airy strumming and Ruby’s pacifying crooning, the track serves as a tale of the very real dangers that come with searching for love and alleviating loneliness. It’s a track of two distinctive shades, one musically light and mollifying and one thematically terrifying that altogether showcase the nuance that Yumi And The Weather seemingly capture so effortlessly. – Dan Hillier
Swindon’s All Ears Avow have dropped another new single in the shape of ‘Feel The Push’. The band have released said single alongside the announcement of their brand new EP of the same name which will feature previously released singles including ‘Technophobia’ and ‘L.O.V.E’. ‘Feel The Push’ is sonically upbeat but carries with it a message about depression, although also serves to offer as a message for hope for those who suffer with it. Coming from the perspective of someone who’s been through depression, the track comments on the pain and angst felt but ultimately reflects that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The single is a product of meticulous precision and delivers a driven and soaring chorus with depth and anguish pouring out of it, it feels like a real anthem, one that see’s the band reach into their emotions and wear those feelings on their collective sleeves. In short, it’s a banger. – Jac Holloway
You may know him as Vecna from Stranger Things. Or, for long time fans, one of those scary head snapping motherfuckers from Twilight. Or perhaps if you’ve followed Jamie Campbell Bower in all of his endeavours, you’ll have heard of Counterfeit. the alt rock outfit that made some waves between 2016 and 2019. Whatever your level of knowhow, you won’t have heard Bower quite like this before with his new single ‘I Am’, a bustling, raucous and self-assured dark alternative/country rock anthem featuring emotive lyrics that provoke strong imagery. Imagine a similar level of showmanship and a gothic cinematic aesthetic akin to the likes of Creeper and My Chemical Romance. Bower has put out a number of sporadic singles scattered throughout 2020 and predominantly in 2022 but ‘I Am’ is perhaps one of the more exuberant and lively of his solo work to date. Between it’s gospel style foot stomp and clap, recurring western-style guitar riff, epic strings and deep spoken word vocal styling it really is a spectacle. As yet, there is no announcement of an EP or album but given Bower’s extremely busy schedule we’ll take what we can get and when we can get it. – Jac Holloway
Following on from the pulverising singles that where ‘Immovable Stone’ and ‘Worship Decay’, the premiere thrash outfit Sylosis are back with ‘Heavy Is The Crown’. Yet another notch on their ever-expanding and consistently brilliant discography, the track is yet another serving of lacerating riffs and resonates the drive and focus that made their 2020 long play Cycle Of Suffering a highlight in a year saturated with brilliant metal records. Simply, ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ is a demonstration in what Sylosis do best; writing brilliant, no-nonsense modern metal. – Dan Hillier
Cork’s God Alone are a band don’t ignore genre conventions as much as they dissect them. Beginning life as somewhat of a kitsch post and black metal band, the Irish quintet have now totally forgone all notions of musical conformity with their latest approach to music, something made transparent with ‘ETC’, the title track from their upcoming record. A continuation of the danceable noise heard on their last single ‘Tsktsktsk’, the band’s new offering is a madcap mashup of noise that results in a barrage of conflicting styles that is still digestible and sleekly composed. Truly, it’s a monument to their collective approach to ardent nonconformity and appreciation of absurdism, one that flirts with motifs of post-punk, math-rock, avant-garde and the kind of outsider, chin-stroking dance made immortal by acts such as Battles, AK-DK and Holy Fuck. – Dan Hillier
Released as an assumed climactic end in a singles cycle which has captivated a generation of revitalised Pop Punk devotees; the Mancurian retro-basking rockers Pale Waves commit to an uplifting tone with their latest call to poeticised queer romanticisation, with the final release off of their long awaited third album – Unwanted. Metaphorically bearing comparisons between the experience of admiration and the throes of addiction, as well as representing the bands current position of the experience of infatuation; ‘Clean’ delves into a first hand perspective of tenderness with a certain joyful confidence entangled in an anthemic “Na Na Na” sensation reigning over its identifiable personality. While the track positions itself as the bands most upbeat play through of the expected flow of dedicated odes of devotion since ‘One More Time’ off of their debut LP – My Mind Makes Noises; the bands perseverance to seek a heavier approach to Pop Punk songwriting, conjures the thought of a sonic natural progression which has stumbled upon a plethora of divine inspiration that has made this latest addition to Pale Waves discography a truly mesmerising one. – Bennie Osborne
Three piece alternative pop-rockers Beach Weather have returned with their brand new single ‘Unlovable’, the band’s first piece of new music since 2016’s Chit Chat EP. Frontman Nick Santino, also known for his solo music and for fronting beloved emo rock outfit A Rocket To The Moon, leans into more of a fun, upbeat and electronic infused sound with Beach Weather. Embracing their quirkiness with a Summer Lovin’ aesthetic and vibrant chorus, the song feel like an energetic summer banger. However lyrically ‘Unlovable’ is an introspective and reflective song about regret of a person’s insecurities, regrets and the battle they may have with their demons. The juxtaposition of the song’s lyricism and its cheery positive tone makes for a versatile takeaway either at a surface level or with its deeper meaning. – Jac Holloway