From South London
Recommended if you like Charli xcx, Confidence Man, Klaxons
Up next UK tour starts 21 April
If this was April 2008, Punchbag, AKA south London siblings Clara and Anders Bach, would be headlining an NME tour alongside Alphabeat and Frankmusik, while the Popjustice forum would have hailed them as the new face of “wonky pop”. The sonic calling cards of that ramshackle iPod-era micro-genre – off-kilter, unvarnished electropop piled high with myriad other genres – were streaked across Punchbag’s debut single Fuck It. A sweaty riot of 90s rave, maximalist bass and Clara’s spit-soaked vocals, it felt tailor-made for soundtracking an awkward snog on Skins. Last May it was joined by three other frantic bangers on the duo’s debut EP, I’m Not Your Punchbag, the highlight of which, You Used to Be So Sexy, sounds like a GarageBand-produced the Veronicas had they grown up in east London as opposed to Brisbane.
This month’s follow-up EP, I Am Obsessed, takes that neon palette and adds a few darker hues to the mix. Lyrically, the pair have said they were keen to zoom in on the scabby surface of our current reality, with the dry ice balladry of Playing God ironically dedicated to the men in power. It’s a sonic palette cleanser that also acts as an example of the duo’s musical evolution, with its atmospheric unfurling and rich melody leaning towards arenas rather than headache-inducing squat parties. However, if you’re like me, and only a glorious racket will suffice, then the shouty, nu-rave adjacent I Love This!, which channels both Sucker and Brat-era Charli xcx, is the perfect antidote to mainstream beige, while the frazzled sugar rush of What’s in My Bag (“underwear in case I stay”) keeps Playing God’s crafted musicianship but spikes it with something spicier. Michael Cragg
This week’s best new tracks
Tara Clerkin Trio – Silently
Gauzy synths, a low-slung beat and Spanish guitar evoke a dusky, lapping shoreline in this utterly relaxing song that never blurs into wallpaper: the curious vocals and piano breaks are too beguiling for that. LS
Babyfather – Slumpz
With EsDeeKid’s go-to producer Wraith9 on the corroded-symphony beat, Dean Blunt’s steady, faintly amused flow is ever welcome, as his rap project with James Massiah returns with the excellent EP Icl. BBT
Thistle. – Pylon
The Manc trio catch a giant wave of pondwater surf, riding this wobbling mass of noise through two and a half minutes of gorgeous grungegaze before suddenly wiping out. BBT
Katseye – Pinky Up
Avoiding the controversy surrounding Manon Bannerman’s hiatus, the girl group lean into brat-pop party anthems: chant-along chorus, upbeat tempo, hyperactive production and an unexpected lyrical hat-tip to Socrates. SA
Massive Attack – Boots on the Ground (ft Tom Waits)
Wheezing breath, mournful piano, clattering drums, eerie wailing: Massive Attack make their long-awaited return. Waits’ part would sound like a lost blues recording – were he not playing a brash, unrepentant warmonger. (Not on Spotify – buy it at Bandcamp.) LS
Disgusting Sisters – Weirdo Magnet
Excellently named band and single: the real-life sisters split the difference between Smerz, Brat-era Charli and debut-era Billie Eilish, with succubus-style vocals prowling around playfully creepy bass. LS
PPP – Wisco
DJs Piezo, Plead and Python unite for a steamy, syncopated track that recalls the harder end of DJ Koze’s most recent album, and makes summer feel tantalisingly near. LS
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