Month: December 2021

SPINN – People Should Know Better

In their third single from their upcoming album Out of the Blue, SPINN continue their hot streak of colourful tunes with People Should Know Better, a demanding track that injects a bleak outlook on the modern day into a classic anthemic indie track. 

The music that surrounds the desolate landscape of Quinn’s lyrics is itself dreamy. It feels incredibly immersive, akin to the two previous singles: reverberated jangly riffs match an indie aesthetic with punchy bass and drums – the music feels full, never limited in its attempts to capture the ears of all listeners near. 

Labelled as a tale of the frustration Quinn feels towards the moral decline of Britain through their reliance on a “f**king sh**e” government, the lyrics expand past political commentary, instead beautifully portraying a public perspective – the mantra of “people should know better” both chantable and reflective of what we all want – a strange paradox of collectively wanting a change made to the collective. 

Fatigue runs through the track like poison – the demands of knowing better are a question that races alongside the exhaustion of trying to comprehend why they don’t. It’s mesmerising how such a devastating concept is captured in such an upbeat fashion, which leaves it playing on repeat (but keeps the message in mind throughout). 

Outside of the Blue is due for release on 4th February 2022 via Modern Sky UK – more from SPINN here

Words by Jacob Rose
Photo by Barnaby Fairley

10th December 2021

New releases – Mosa Wild | White Lies

Mosa Wild – Expect Me

There’s generally something haunting about organ music, add a brass section though and things spring back to life. Combine the two with the searching vocals of Jim Rubaduka and you have a track that feels like it could have been born from Leonard Cohen’s finishing school with a side diploma of  rousing gospel.

Jim explains, “Expect Me was initially written and recorded at my mum and dad’s kitchen table in Ashford. We tracked the final version with our friend Ben Baptie at Pool Studios. I think it’s the most collaborative studio session we’ve had. It was a joy to have a bunch of our friends come down and bless this record. The song has a very simple and direct message. I wanted the verses to feel like a hymn you know well, and the outro to feel like a hug that you don’t want to end. The song was written with love in mind.”

The end result is a captivating piece of music, take a few minutes to stop what you’re doing and take a listen. The track is taken from next year’s Zip Your Coat Up For English Weather EP, to be released on  Glassnote Records.

Mosa Wild

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White Lies – I Don’t Want To Go To Mars

Back at their best, White Lies’ latest single I Don’t Want To Go To Mars lays testament to the fact that they still have more to offer on their pending new album. With a trademark build to the crescendo of a chorus, the track feels fresh yet instantly recognisable at the same time.

Bassist Charles Cave says, “I Don’t Want To Go To Mars has all the distorted bombast of White Lies’ best anthems neatly packed into a short story. The song follows a character seemingly being herded off Earth to live out a sterile and mundane existence on a newly colonised Mars. Fundamentally the song questions the speed at which we are developing the world(s) we inhabit, and what cost it takes on our wellbeing.”

A strong contender to be a favourite in their live sets, check out the video below and catch White Lies on an extensive run of UK and European tour dates kicking off in March 2022. Their album, As I Try Not To Fall Apart, is set for release on PIAS in February.

White Lies

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Words by Siobhan

7th December 2021

New releases – Sunflower Thieves | Ski Lift

Sunflower Thieves – Sirens

Sunflower Thieves have given themselves a strong justification for their artist title with Sirens. The track is a wonderfully soft, wonderfully natural, powerful melody that feels like the perfect accompaniment to a sunrise.

It’s hard to distinguish one better feature over the other in the track. Instead, each instrument brings the atmosphere into full focus. The tremolo and kick back the intricacies of the acoustic guitar, and a beautifully paired vocal delivery throughout. Even the (and this is very much just assumptive) low accordion riff, whilst being the most abstract of the tones, evokes something new without replacing the beauty of the song. A perfect supplement.

It’s hard to believe that anyone can have a time in their year where Sirens would not be a match to a quiet day. Its ability to feel intimate and yet speak universally is something to admire by itself.

Sunflower Thieves
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Ski Lift – I Wanna Be You

I Wanna Be You is the latest track from Londoners Ski Lift – a popping indie track that feels like a joyous shock of electricity to the ears, even with some darker existentialist undertones.

The crunchy, direct electric guitar and drums give I Wanna Be You an immediate indie pop-rock style, aided by the title itself – shouted within the chorus, calling for an audience to do the same – which hints at the usual tale of desire you might expect in a 90s track.

When digging into the further lyrics, and hearing more of the abstract sides of the track, Ski Lift shows a more introspective take on the title’s seemingly clear message – what was once just a tale of two becomes universal. We all want to be the “you” that singer Benji Tranter writes of – something that makes the song’s ability to be gleefully chanted ever so slightly bleak.

Ski Lift
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Words by Jacob Rose
Photos: Sunflower Thieves © Sophie Jouvenaar | Ski Lift © Keira Anee

3rd December 2021