Essential new releases this week, also featuring Big Huge New Circle, Blue Amber, Restless Taxis, Oral Habit, Midnight Rodeo and Home Counties.
Ebbb by Holly Whitaker | Words: A.L. Noonan, Lloyd Bolton, Brad Sked, Josh Parsonage, Isabel Kilevold, Toby Furlong
Ebbb – 'Manners'
In art, balance is something undervalued and even more seldom attained. To avoid pushing too far into one specific shade, elements of others can complement, elevate and transform work into something far greater than if it barrelled on through in a certain direction. Ebbb have consistently shown their ability for coupling the fierce with the delicate, and on their latest release 'Manners', this instinct for balance yields the finest outcome. On their latest single, 'Manners', the London band combine glitchy samples, reverb-soaked vocals and snappy off-beat rhythms. A confessional, airy riser gives way to the purifying chaos of chattering vocal samples, skittish hi-hat patterings and a blanket of driving bass. This approach is cast in balance, and with 'Manners', Ebbb solidify their modus operandi, blending choral vocal flourishes with frenetic electronic grooves in a way that is both transcendent yet wholly cathartic. (A. L. Noonan)
Famous – 'Demons in London'
Half a year on from the release of 'Party Album', Famous are back with new single 'Demons in London', announced alongside a fresh crop of live dates. Lyrics flash through scenes intended to illuminate the whole, culminating in an image of romantic impotence symbolised in reference to 'Able Archer', the 1983 nuclear apocalypse near-miss caused by a NATO training exercise. Merret's verses have a power that feels as though they are being called back through time from their future self, placed somewhere between the morning after and years later. Rumbling drum fills and simple, bassy piano loops give a sonic body to these disturbances of memory. But then this sense of perspective is augmented by Ava Gore's guest appearance over the final section of the song, which juxtaposes that weary half-wisdom with the refrain, "It's always the first day, cos I'm always starting again", and a driving rhythm transforms the piece into something almost danceable. (Lloyd Bolton)
ashnymph – 'Saltspreader'
If you're after some late noughties nostalgia, London newcomers ashnymph bring the sweet nectar you're craving on debut single 'Saltspreader', released via Blitzcat Records. The track is an electro-charged, indie/synthpop beast, channelling MGMT and the danceable synth-laden sounds of LCD Soundsystem or Yeasayer, in a way that would feel right at home on a FIFA soundtrack (in the Barclays era of the Premier League, that is). It's almost enough to make you feel as though you're back in the bustle of an indie rave, knocking back Snake Bites and suspiciously luminous cocktails, with £10 somehow covering the cost of your whole evening. On the single, vocalist Will Wiffen states, "there's a lot of nostalgia in it, from when I was a kid listening to MGMT, just trying to understand the way music worked". He adds, "'It actually depicts the romance of the freight industry. It's the soundtrack to the inner workings of a lorry driver's life. It's service station dance music". ashnymph will be taking their dance-fuelled frenzy to Sebright Arms July 16th, supporting fellow rave-rock fiends in LIPWORMS, along with Restless Taxis. (Brad Sked)
Big Huge New Circle – 'Pearl'
Owing its origins to an evocative medieval poem, the newest single from Big Huge New Circle, 'Pearl', is an artistic exploration of a space suspended between impending doom and a hope that refuses to fade. The Cambridge quintet appear determined to harness their expansive musical range to bring salient political themes to the forefront, and in 'Pearl' they utilise that very ability. The track unfolds with care, but its melodic delicacy is short-lived as it builds towards a powerful climax. The desperation woven into the opening verses pays off effortlessly, culminating in a breakdown that feels like both a call to action and a plea to humanity. Throughout this reckoning, Lewis Todd's vocals cry out: "And I'm calling on your colours, I can't seem to dream or speak of anything", while a contrasting sense of hope is carried by Finlay Waugh's resonant trumpet solo, a sonic choice more indie bands would do well to explore. (Josh Parsonage)
Blue Amber – 'Yr Man In The Music Scene'
Posturing, schmoozing and ego are as quintessential to life in your local music scene as pints, inky stamps on the wrist and creeping tinnitus. On their latest release, 'Yr Man In The Music Scene' Cardiff's Blue Amber utterly encapsulates the wiry existence so many of us choose to spend our spare time and money on. Marrying percussive grooves and dense jazz voicings with biting fuzz and sardonic lyrics 'Yr Man In The Music Scene' sounds like Warmduscher if they were graduates of the Guildhall jazz course. Vocalist Drew Noel is cutting and witty in his takedown of the 'elbows out' nature of local music scenes, all while critiquing the baseless pretensions of the artists that work within them. Fizzy, lumbering and funk-laden, on their latest track Blue Amber showcase Cardiff's diverse scene to a wider audience, and we would be foolish to ignore. (A.L Noonan)
Restless Taxis – 'Slugs'
Building a reputation as one of the most exciting new live acts in town following a spate of shows across the capital's sweatiest rooms, East London DIY noise merchants Restless Taxis are back with their latest single 'Slugs'. Swathed in a glorious lo-fi DIY scuzz, 'Slugs' sees the quartet channel 90's shoegaze with tinges of industrial noise and heady psychedelic space rock, making for an almighty clamour that brilliantly blends the ethereal with the visceral. Truly exhilarating stuff from the young outfit. Restless Taxis will be performing at The Sebright Arms on Wednesday 16th July, supporting LIPWORMS. (Brad Sked)
Oral Habit – 'I'm Free'
"The slash of the knife deep inside my back / But I'm free" sings the Brighton-based trio on 'I'm Free'. Much like the quote above, there's an almost cathartic quality to the gritty, raw energy of the psych-garage rock band's new single, taken from their upcoming debut EP 'Garage Frock'. The track is wired, rapid, and sleazy. The vocals are raw, repeating minimalist lyrics like an echo throughout. The drums offer a steady backdrop, but it's the guitar that gives the single a texture that lingers. After the first listen, the melody ripples through your head where its bursting rhythm is greeted like an old friend. Despite its sharp-edged lyrics, there's a radiant, uplifting spirit to the song. It's the least complex track on the four-song EP, yet it doesn't lag behind its predecessors. Instead, it stands as a palpable contribution to the garage-psych chaos that Oral Habit delivers with pure adrenaline. As the final guitar riffs reverberate into a fade, you cannot help but be left feeling free. (Isabel Kilevold)
Midnight Rodeo – 'Cleanshirt'
Nottingham psychedelic ranchers Midnight Rodeo have shared new track 'Cleanshirt', serving as the final single from their debut album 'Chaos Era', out today via Brighton indie FatCat Records. A heady dose of retro-tinged psychedelic pop with a surf-rock twang, here they stir up a lysergic brew akin to the likes of Night Beats and the jangly-psychedelia of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Calling to mind sunny shorelines and the US west coast far more than landlocked England where it was created, the track is a sun-kissed beach-pop odyssey. Midnight Rodeo will be taking their psychedelic carnival on tour this autumn, stopping off in London on September 13th at The Grace. (Brad Sked)
Home Counties – 'Humdrum'
On their fervent new single, Home Counties demonstrate that they are one of the slickest groups around, spinning on a totally different orbit to everyone else. The group have shared the titular lead single from their upcoming sophomore album 'Humdrum' due for release in October via Submarine Cat Records. It is a deceptive track, disguising the anxiety of saying the wrong thing and having to stew over it later under a mountain of energetic, hook-laden synths. Its wry, sardonic and the electronic flourishes aided by producer Al Doyle (Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem) elevate it to another level, showcasing the London sextet's impressive growth in the five years since their debut EP 'Redevelopment' back in 2020. (Toby Furlong)
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