Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson : Say Say Say [2015 Remix]
Dude got his start with a Kanye feature at the start of 2015 and now he’s already working with the King Of Pop. Crazy.
The Drones : Taman Shud
The Drones emanate a greater sense of unease with restraint on Taman Shud, the tonal ferocity creeps under the surface, Gaz’s political id – often unleashed during inter-song banter in the live setting – is on full show, comprehensive and raw. “I don’t give a fuck about fuck off we’re full”. “You came here in a boat you fucking cunt”. It’s commentary by brute force.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis : Downtown
This has been out for a while, and I tend to let low hanging fruit hang, but this reprehensible, compacted turd has blossomed enough fungus to be unavoidable. Clogging the atmosphere with impotent faecal spores, it’s devastatingly indiscriminate in its piecemeal construction of style (or lack thereof). As decreed by ancient prophecy, passed down beyond millennia: I think he should mackle less.
Courtney Barnett : Shivers
Elevator Operator, the opening track from Courtney Barnett’s debut album, is carried by a stomping snare, creating jaunty punctuation to convey the protagonist’s levelled calm in the face of societal escape – “I’m not suicidal / Just idling insignificantly”. It makes a fine analogue for the opening line in the Boys Next Door classic – “I’ve been contemplating suicide / But it doesn’t really suit my style”. There’s no jaunt here, Courtney relaying Rowland S Howard’s lyrics with an overwhelming realness. Her voice is a revelation. When it comes to the alternative Australian canon, Shivers sits around Total Control a bit below My Pal as the most over-covered, but Courtney’s interpretation here is more than welcome.
James Blake : Sound Of Silence
Yeah nah.
Summer Flake : Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind
One of the earlier indications of the Stones’ countrified inflections, Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind has a terrific sentiment blend of young naiveté and world-weariness. Summer Flake channel that potent mood brilliantly, adding a touch more swagger and beauty. The cover closes out the new EP Time Rolls By, out now.
Single Of The Week
Jaala : Salt Shaker
There’s a touch of Veckatimest guitar about the work of Mangelwurzel vocalist Jaala, long, sweeping chimes that flow like the tide, conjured alongside a formidable show of power from Jaala’s dextrous voice. There’s an emotive calm, a world away from the dizzying frenzy produced Mangelwurzel, finding a voice of its own that extend far beyond the aforementioned aural touchstone of Grizzly Bear, exhibiting resounding control over each aspect of craft, yet still exuding playfulness.
