Why does Drake look like he’s about to burgle his own house?
THE BEST:
‘Innerstellar Love’ – Thundercat
Thundercat’s new album is out (review coming soon) and this
is the jazziest single we’ve heard from it. Props to Thundercat’s brother who is
on drums – the percussion is mental on this track. A stellar performance,
you could say. Sax maestro Kamasi Washington also stars on the track
with a celestial solo. Alright, I’m out of shitty star-related puns now.
‘A Rock n Roll Story’ – Beau Bowen
This track is utterly bonkers. It starts off like an Ozzy Osbourne
ballad and then launches into a bombastic guitar solo soaked in ray gun effects
before settling back into sweet ballad mode as if nothing just happened. It’s
like a condensed version of Bohemian Rhapsody or Stairway to Heaven.
‘Three Day Hangover’ – Strange Demons
‘Three Day Hangover’ takes influence from turn-of-the-millennium
alt rock. I hear elements of Foo Fighters, Alien Ant Farm and Weezer (pretty
much all the bands of my childhood). The tumultuous riffs and belting chorus
are truly satisfying. Next time I have a three day hangover (hangovers seem to
last that long these days) this will be the anthem that gets me through.
‘Cool To Be Unhappy’ – Elephant Castle
Elephant Castle is the new project of former Foster The
People member, Phil Danyew. With its dreamy vocals and groovy indie-pop sound,
I can definitely hear the Foster The People influence. There are also some psychedelic
shimmering synths that remind me of Tame Impala’s recent output. As for the
lyrics, according to Phil: ‘‘Cool to Be Unhappy’ is about a girl I once
loved that thought it was cool to be unhappy. Needless to say it didn’t work
out’.
‘I Claim To Be Intelligent’ – Slyrydes
Galway rock group Slyrydes could be a band to
watch. The howling guitars and pummelling drums immediately grabbed my
attention and the exasperated vocals then kept me hooked. The track explodes at
the 1:20 mark – I can barely understand the heavily accented yelling but I’m
feeling it (besides, it’s a lot more intelligible than their last single ‘Mental
Health’). A grisly video meanwhile accompanies the track featuring a boxer
progressively getting more bloodied. They’re like a more dishevelled and
distraught Fontaines D.C.
THE WORST:
‘Toosie Slide’ – Drake
Delivered with all the energy of a limpet, Drake unveils
this new half-baked attempt at a viral dance song. It’s lazy and boring - and yet
you can bet people will be sliding along to it on TikTok. I’m also not sure why
he’s dressed up as a burglar in his home, although it’s good to see he’s staying
indoors (his house is absolutely insane!).