‘I Don’t Mind’ – Charlie Duda
These are some of the jangliest guitars I’ve ever heard. On a
jangle rating of 1 to 10, they’re 11. They’re more jangly than a janitor’s keys.
JANGLE IS MASSIVE. The groovy bass and dreamy reverb-soaked vocals are a bonus.
Fans of this track can hear more jangly pop tunes on the LA artist’s new EP Making Friends.
‘Stand Up’ - Carmanah
Vancouver folk-rock band Carmanah (who I featured a couple weeks ago) have released this new single about standing up for justice - while also
cheekily telling those that ‘stand for hate’ to sit back down. The smooth and calm
delivery is really what makes it so effective. To get angry at haters is to
sink to their level – the best thing you can do is coolly dismiss them. The
track is accompanied by laid-back guitars and pulsing steady bass. There’s also
some cheery whistling towards the end.
‘No Friends Just Family’ – Shai Nowell
I last featured Atlanta neo-soul artist Shai Nowell back in
2018 with his smooth and summery single ‘Sunkissed’. This new track takes a
more personal and hip-hop-oriented direction. Using a combination of singing
and rapping, he delivers some captivatingly honest lyrics about growing up. It’s
accompanied by a gorgeous piano-based beat reminiscent of Tyler, the Creator.
‘I Woke Early To Dial Into Some Sacred Frequency’ – The Mighty
Orchid King
St Albans rock group The Mighty Orchid King are sounding excitingly
more proggy than on the last single I heard from them ‘Swirling’. Parts of this
track even remind me of Rush. The track comes off their new eco-anxiety themed
LP, The Doctrine of Infinite Kindness.
‘Day by Day’ – Kyanna
Written during lockdown, this bittersweet bop from London
singer-songwriter Kyanna is all about time passing and feeling like things are
going nowhere. The way in which the catchy chorus cycles through the days of
the week kind of reminds me of Craig David’s ‘7 Days’ (although the mood of
each track is clearly very different). I’m also digging the upbeat soulful
production.
THE WORST:
‘Greece’ – DJ Khaled ft. Drake
Why does Drake sound like The Weeknd? Why the owl in the video?
Why is he singing in French when the song is called ‘Greece’? WHAT THE HELL IS
THIS???