This week's roundup of essential new releases also features Snōōper, Master Peace, Nightbus, Go Kurosawa and Gulp.
Geese by Mark Sommerfield | Words: Hazel Blacher, Isabel Kilevold, Elvis Thirlwell, Lloyd Bolton, Brad Sked
Geese - 'Trinidad'
"There's a bomb in my car!" shrieks Geese frontman Cameron Winter on 'Trinidad', exploding into brittle, unsettled anarchy at each of the song's grisly choruses. Arriving 'officially' just a few days after it was deliberately leaked on a live stream (a move by Winter intended to "get the song directly to the people"), the new track serves as the most thrilling teaser yet from the NYC group's upcoming third album 'Getting Killed', due for release this September via Partisan. 'Trinidad' is a seamless pendulum of extremes, a turbulent, exorcising chain of tension and release with a wired 13/8 time signature. At first, Winter's shapeshifting vocal meanders tentatively with an echo-inflected vibrato at the track's serene verses, before lurching headfirst into a screeching cacophony of cranked up distortion and all-out, hot-headed frenzy. With a varied back catalogue already under their belts, spanning from the more moderate post-punk of 'Projector' to the jam band twang of '3D Country', 'Trinidad' indicates that Geese seem to be growing bigger, better and more fearless with every release they unleash into the world. (Hazel Blacher)
Radio Free Alice – 'Toyota Camry'
The engine growls under a flickering streetlight, the ashtray is full, the petrol tank light is on, but the speakers still pulse with sound. 'Toyota Camry' has hit the road, and Radio Free Alice are in the driver's seat. The track opens with pounding drums and a driving bassline, setting the pace for a jagged, angular guitar melody. Raw, immediate vocals lead the verse, cutting through with "I believe in violence, the violence of killing time", a statement that captures the track's restless energy. Radio Free Alice are not afraid of dissonance, letting noise and euphony intertwine in all the right places, but when the chorus hits, it is delivered with melodic clarity and razor-sharp precision. The Melbourne/Naarm-based band are currently tearing through a UK tour with multiple sold-out shows, and 'Toyota Camry', with a rhythm that still thrums after the engine cuts, captures the kinetic force that proves why they are one of the most compelling acts to catch live. (Isabel Kilevold)
Opus Kink – 'Thank You, Satan'
While the arduous wait for south London cult heroes Opus Kink to release their debut album rages on like Sisyphus' struggle up the hill, this week began with news of a project even more seismic. Led by the band's own jaunty cover of French chanteur Léo Ferré (in case anyone was curious why singer Angus Rogers is enunciating 'Satan' like that), they announced on Monday 'A Hideous Collective' – a physical-only double album release in support of the Music Venue Trust and the UK Touring Fund, due 5th September. Championed by (and featuring) Steve Lamacq, the compilation is both a glorious celebration and a much needed awareness raiser for a priceless grassroots culture in the midst of crisis. Also, featuring a 24-strong track list of demos, offcuts and rarities that practically reads like a who's who of UK indie's post-pandemic rising stars, it's a vital document of some of the most essential guitar bands of this generation. (Elvis Thirlwell)
Snõõper – 'Worldwide'
Snõõper are back with the announcement of second album 'Worldwide'. The Nashville punk band distinguished themselves with debut 'Super Snõõper', a bullet fast collection of fourteen songs fit into twenty-two minutes released on Third Man Records in 2023. The new album's title track 'Worldwide' keeps up the band's signature insistent quality with a slight redirection. The pace on this track is just slow enough to make out the cartoon imagery of the lyrics, with the intensity instead coming from the dense texture of the music. Synths splurge against whooping guitar slides, giving the whole thing a video arcade feel that brings out a kitsch punk aesthetic that has always lurked within the band's extended universe. Snõõper's second album is setting up to be a worthy followup, slightly more nuanced but certainly no less fun. (Lloyd Bolton)
Master Peace – 'Shake Me Down'
The dance floor is never far from Master Peace when he steps into the recording studio. "You feel that", he speaks, a quiet declaration breaking through shimmering synths, electrified with static. A punchy drumbeat sets the tone for 'Shake Me Down', a track pulsing with groove and intent. '80s nostalgia drips from gleaming synth lines, while a gritty indie sleaze feel throbs just beneath the surface. Teaming up with producer Dan Carey, the London artist crafts a sound that seamlessly fuses funk's bounce, synth-pop's sparkle, hip-hop's grit, and indie rock's edge, resulting in a track that bursts with energy. Over steady percussion and driving synths, Master Peace showcases his range with sharp, rhythmic verses breaking through smooth falsetto harmonies. If Prince collaborated with LCD Soundsystem in 2025, it might sound something like 'Shake Me Down'. (Isabel Kilevold)
Nightbus – 'Ascension'
Arriving with the announcement of their debut album 'Passenger', due 10th October via Melodic Records, the long overdue return of Manchester duo Nightbus offers up something of a sonic upgrade. Here they take their well-established wispy synth-pop introversions – the perfect soundtrack for, errr, riding a night bus (late trains are probably good too) – and polish them up with a contemporary dance-pop boost. 'Ascension' draws from the acid-tinged house language of contemporary electronic titans like Floating Points, Bicep or Jamie XX, pulling it away from festival fields and into the mysteries of shadowy alleys and dimly lit rooms frequented by indie kids borrowing lighters for their borrowed cigarettes. In short, Nightbus' enigmatic presence has never sounded quite so alluring. (Elvis Thirlwell)
Go Kurosawa – 'autowalk'
Multi-instrumentalist Go Kurosawa has shared news of his debut solo album 'soft shakes', set for release September 5th, alongside first single 'autowalk'. The four-plus minute cosmic odyssey sees Kurosawa – who was also the drummer and vocalist for disbanded acid-folk titans Kikagaku Moyo – intertwine spacey, ambient psychedelia with acid-jazz, taking the listener on an interstellar pilgrimage to sonic nirvana. Truly meditative goodness. Speaking on the single in more detail, Go Kurosawa states, "I am a big fan of moving walkways in airports. Every time I see them, I get excited to choose if I should stand on it or walk on it and go a bit faster than usual. But you are not supposed to go as fast as possible, unlike the autobahn." (Brad Sked)
Gulp – 'Wildflower'
Catapulting the listener directly out of the stratosphere and into Gulp's ethereal cosmic reaches, 'Wildflower' is a groove-laden feast of bewitching psych-pop wonderment. The new single is taken from their upcoming new album 'Beneath Strawberry Moon', and sees the Welsh group, led by Super Furry Animals' Guto Pryce and partner Lindsey Leven, return following a seven-year release break. The song sort of sounds like Saint Etienne's version of 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' if it was written inside a bog-submerged toadstool by tiny lysergic mythical beings. A calypso-style beat underscores the track's gliding bass and dreamy synth lines, all set with an immersive, resonant production style that will sweep you straight into a daydream. Speaking on the track in more detail, Gulp say that 'Wildflower' is "a song is about growth, with a nod to motherhood and our own little wildflower. Tiny, yet somehow reaching the infinite sky." (Hazel Blacher)
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