Hailing from Las Vegas, a city famed for it’s bright lights and big thrills, one would expect the new single from native band BRUMBY to follow a similar path. Instead ‘Leave a Light On’, the band’s first release since their 2014 EP The Westwind Kid, is a much more subtle and bittersweet affair. The synth-laden Americana vibe, the anthemic chorus and the bright guitar melodies make this song essential listening for fans of Bear’s Den and The War On Drugs. ‘Leave a Light On’ makes the perfect soundtrack for an introspective, late night drive or equally for carefree summer cruising. Whichever way you’re headed, whatever path you follow, the new single from BRUMBY is all the company you need. With tracks like this it won’t be long until the band are leaving the city lights far behind and are sharing their music with fans across the world.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Heat – Lush
I’m a great admirer of bands whose music carries you away from life for a while, and I’m even more enamoured by those few acts that do so by taking you to a rich and vibrant world of their new creation. Montreal based band Heat certainly fit into the latter category, and their debut single ‘Lush’ undoubtedly lives up to it’s name. The bare bones of the track are built with dark post punk in mind, with the resulting musical landscape given new life with an array of bright dancing dream pop melodies. The track is like the musical equivalent of an explosion of colour in a world that only knows black and white. If the rest of their upcoming debut album Overnight, out 20th January, is up to the same high standard as this track then we may have found Canada’s next great music export.
Top Tracks: Baum Jr – When I Grow Up/Heroes
Whilst the 80s had a few stylistic dead ends, much of the music spawned at the time now seems to have a curious timeless quality about it. Fast forward to 2016 and big cascading synths sound as fresh as ever. This stunning debut double A side single (remember those?) from electropop artist Baum Jr draws inspiration from classic video game and film scores in a style which he has christened ‘next-gen 8-bit’. On ‘When I Grow Up’ he dusts off the hit track from forgotten 90s alternative rockers Garbage and breathes new life into it. The transformation is miraculous, and the expansive soundscape he has created continues even further with his track ‘Heroes’ which boasts a brilliant beat and addictive electronics. Baum Jr has tapped into influences from years gone by, but by all accounts the end product sounds like something from the not too distant future which we just happen to lucky enough to experience slightly ahead of schedule.
Top Tracks: Thom Hell – 1985
The critically acclaimed Norwegian singer/songwriter has returned with the latest single from his upcoming album Happy Rabbit out 16th December. From it’s simple bass driven intro ‘1985’ soon builds into a glorious track reminiscent of the heyday of 60s and 70s pop. It’s sweet melodies and heady guitar tones make for one uplifting listen. The latter half of the song in particular is simply divine and occasionally has hints of Belwood favourites Holy Holy. From it’s dark beginnings ‘1985’ soon blooms into vibrant new life, like the first flowers emerging from the thaw. With songs like this at his disposal it’s no surprise that he is one of Norway’s most established writers and producers. If his new album has more of the same to offer then I can imagine his fanbase is all set to grow.
Top Tracks: whenyoung – Actor
The new single from this Irish trio is a massive hit just waiting to happen. ‘Actor’ is up there with the best of the likes of Honeyblood, Sunflower Bean and Wolf Alice. Bristling with energy, with a fair deal of fuzz and a driving rhythm it certainly ticks all the right boxes. The bright vocal melodies carry an air of innocence and the big hooks are simply brimming with youthful exuberance. This is no mindless single however, it carries a deeper message. As frontwoman Aoife Power puts it the song “is about contorting your character to fit into a disfigured view of the perfect self in order to belong”. Had this track dropped earlier in the year and had chance to grow and weave it’s magic round my mind it would have been up there with the best songs of the year. If the band have more music like this to offer then they’ll be topping ‘best of the year’ lists in no time.
Top Tracks: The Little Kicks – You And Someone Like Me
The Aberdeen based indie rock quartet have returned with the new single from their upcoming album. The upbeat electropop of ‘You And Someone Like Me’ boasts an infectious funky rhythm which will surely see it in heavy rotation in indie discos across the UK and beyond. The track is made all the more delightful by it’s motion capture music video. The day will never come when I find dancing skeletons anything but sheer unbridled joy, and these boney bandmates have some damn slick dance moves. The winning combination of hit track and endearingly quirky video make this a real feast for the senses. The Little Kicks have already shown themselves to be one of the best Scottish bands of the decade and if their new single is anything to go by then the sky is the limit.
Top Tracks: Nick Valentini Collective – Worms
I’m always a fan of bands that boast virtuoso talents and love to show them off. Considering the fact that the Nick Valentini Collective have only been together for just over six months they perform like a well oiled machine and display enviable levels of technical wizardry. From the addictive opening bass line, soaring vocals and the alternative rock hooks, to the bewildering journey through jazz fusion and it’s closing moments of understated ambience, ‘Worms’ is one wild ride. Despite being crafted from an array of different genres into a new and inexplicable form lead songwriter Nick never loses control or strays too far from being interesting and accessable. Playing out like the contents of a demented doodle pad, the animated music video is just as bizarre and bewitching as the track itself. Call it madness, call it brilliance, but ‘Worms’, like most great music, has a fair share of both!
Top Tracks: She Makes War – Stargazing
There’s something to be said for those who can craft a beautiful melody seemingly out of thin air and ‘Stargazing’ is a perfect example of that rare musical phenomenon. Consisting of just Laura Kidd’s mellow vocals, a simple acoustic guitar pattern and soothing splashes of strings She Makes War has created a vast and striking musical landscape from the sparsest of arrangements, like a city of clouds standing firm against the breeze. There is little of the harshness of war in this gorgeous track save perhaps the uncertain calm of the aftermath. The song captures a sense of malaise and loss tinged with a glimmer of hope and determination to find the silver lining. The stunning ‘Stargazing’ is the new single from her latest album Direction Of Travel.
Top Tracks: TALLISKER – Salanfe
Thanks in no small part to the success of acts such as Bon Iver and Clean Bandit, there has been a sudden trend in combining electronica with more traditional styles. Riding the crest of that wave with the utmost ease and majesty is Parisian performer and producer TALLISKER. Try to imagine the musical lovechild of Sigur Ros and Aphex Twin and you’ll find yourself pretty close to the intriguing world awaiting you in her debut single ‘Salanfe’. The opening rise and fall of the classically influenced string section is soon interrupted by intricate percussion and a myriad of intruding electronic entities. The end result is the sound of order and chaos intertwining to create this diverse soundscape. TALLISKER’s debut EP Heliotrop is out 11th November.
Belwood Music 