The week's essential new singles, also ft. Search Results, Why Horses?, Pebbledash, Louis O'Hara, Ugly Ozo and Wax Head.
Dove Ellis by Xander Lewis | Words: A.L. Noonan, Brad Sked, Isabel Kilevold, Hazel Blacher, Lloyd Bolton
Dove Ellis – 'To The Sandals'
For many, singer-songwriters are the most intimate breed of musician. Typically presenting as solo entities, said artists are often championed for their vulnerability, and raw talent tends to negate any need for an ensemble to bolster them. With the release of Dove Ellis' debut single, 'To The Sandals', it is clear that another singer-songwriter talent of this ilk is breaking through. Sliding, sparkling acoustic guitars drift under gentle slowcore drums before upright bass depth bolsters the delicate verses. Ellis' voice is without a doubt the highlight of the track, blending Jeff Buckley's agility and control with the writing and sensitivity of a young Thom Yorke. Fluttering, melismatic vocal passages soar into effortless falsetto phrases narrating a failing romance, accompanied by whistling sax lines and morphing studio quirks and splutters. On 'To The Sandals', Galway's Ellis is masterfully controlled, proving himself to be an emerging talent to get excited about. (A. L Noonan)
Melody's Echo Chamber – 'Daisy (with El Michels Affair)'
Psych pop's ever-wonderful Melody's Echo Chamber have made a welcome return with their aptly-titled new single 'Daisy', teaming up with El Michels Affair for a whimsical wonder that stands at under 3 minutes. Opening with a soulful jangle that evokes Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 'Daisy' lulls the listener into an enchanting realm, combining French pop with a sun-drenched baroque pop akin to Margo Guryan or the balmy ballads of The Beach Boys. 'Daisy' feels like an odyssey into a bucolic, Alice in Wonderland-like magical garden, enswathed by dancing flowers and rainbow-washed skies. A glorious return from one of the finest and most underrated artists in modern day psychedelia. (Brad Sked)
Search Results – 'Excruciating Heights'
The needle drops onto the record player and 'Excruciating Heights' starts spinning. There is an analogue feel to the Dublin band's latest single, with rough textures and softened contours giving it a tactile presence. Search Results, evolving from the friendship between Jack Condon and Fionn Brennan, are a group that fuse alternative rock with indie pop, resulting in a sound that is both urgent and nostalgic. 'Excruciating Heights' crackles with bursts of energy, balanced by a grounded, steady pulse. The vocals drift in like a signal from a radio, blurred at the edges and half-submerged in the mix, while the percussion cuts through with crisp precision. The bridge is torn open by a guitar that screeches like a needle scratch on vinyl. The track feels deliberately uneven, where balance gives way to honesty. It is unrefined but heartfelt, striking a genuine chord. 'Excruciating Heights' pulses with raw energy, every worn surface and scratch carving out an unmistakable authenticity. (Isabel Kilevold)
Why Horses? – 'I've Got A Fever'
Tossing and turning with a shivering delirium - the sort of malaise-inflicted, liminal narcosis that conjures up a tapestry of nightmarish hallucinations across your bedroom ceiling - 'I've Got A Fever' is the restless new cut from Cardiff newcomers Why Horses?, released via brand new Welsh label BWGiBWGAN (pronounced 'boogie-boogan' in case you were curious). As the song title aptly suggests, lyrically the track is about a real fever experienced by guitarist and vocalist Gabriel Lester when he was 17, which he describes as "the worst fever I can remember" that left him "feeling incredibly awful". Gliding tentatively on the precipice of all out psychobilly bedlam without ever fully untethering into its chaotic recesses, the track is paved on a hypnotic tension that sways like a ruddy cheeked drunkard eight pints deep (and attempting his ninth). An intriguing introduction to this new Welsh outfit. (Hazel Blacher)
Pebbledash – 'Tiles & Moss'
Vigorous drums and groaning guitars erupt in a frenzy on 'Tiles & Moss', before the track dissolves into a hazy, soft-focus vocal duet. Asha Egan McCutcheon's voice, with a delicate lilt that adds haunting depth, weaves beneath Fionnbharr Hickey's introspective, self-deprecating lead, delivering minimalist lyrics that linger with quiet intensity. Cork-based five-piece Pebbledash fuse shoegaze and noise rock, letting intricate guitar textures and pulsing percussion steer their sound fluidly between ethereal dream-pop and gritty post-punk. On 'Tiles & Moss', melodic dreamscapes are allowed to momentarily float before sharp, dissonant instrumentation grounds them in something more visceral, offering a compelling glimpse of their upcoming EP, 'To Cast the Sea in Concrete'. Pebbledash craft a sound that balances atmosphere, abrasion, and emotional depth in equal measure, and on their latest single, it drifts like mist, then strikes like feedback. (Isabel Kilevold)
Louis O'Hara – 'Just Grand'
Announcing his signature to cult Welsh label Libertino Records, Louis O'Hara releases new single 'Just Grand'. The song is a masterpiece of pop subtly, short lines pushed gently forward by the melody adding up to a beautiful song of love and grief with a charm particularly reminiscent of the likes of Trust Fund and Euros Childs. Opening intimately with a mixture of acoustic guitar and squawking birds, the song blossoms gradually into a stirring choral conclusion over primary colour piano. Out of what seems at first to be a simple set of elements, O'Hara weaves an intricately beautiful composition and an exciting first taste of an album he promises is on the way. (Lloyd Bolton)
Ugly Ozo – 'sink or swim'
Rising from the shores from the often-forgotten Isle of Wight scene – the chalky-landscaped South coastal island that's nurtured the likes of Wet Leg and The Pill – are fellow PO outfit ugly ozo, the indie-grunge pop project helmed by Jess Baker. After making swift strides over the last year, they return with new single 'sink or swim', a heady anthemic titan full of zestful, pint-spilling moxie. Alongside the single, ugly ozo also have shared news of their debut EP 'stargirl' out October 24th, and will be playing a run of dates in the UK, stopping off in London at The Shacklewell Arms on the 30th October. Speaking on the single, ugly ozo explain: "'sink or swim' came from a really vulnerable place. Lyrically, it's a superpersonal insight into my own struggles with self-comparison and jealousy. It can be kind of embarrassing to admit insecurity - I'm quite good at pretending to be confident in myself when in reality, I'm the opposite." (Brad Sked)
Wax Head – 'Clatter Coats'
Psychedelia is having a little renaissance right now in the British Isles. Each corner of the country is seeing a new batch of artists arise, each of which brandish a set of psychotropic sonic stylings that are uniquely their own. One of the latest such acts to emerge is Manchester shred-fiends Wax Head. Their newest offering 'Clatter Coats' sees the galactic quartet channel the psychedelic garage-punk frenzy of Californian gods Oh Sees, alongside Aussie monarchs King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Built on a leviathan sized beast of a riff, 'Clatter Coast' doesn't let up and will have you catapulted far into the depths of the cosmos, before hurling you back down at lightning speed. An almighty racket that's worthy of your time. (Brad Sked)
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