We’re back in print, the way many of you like to read us, and we’re just happy to be here. These are the warmest months of the year (hopefully), festivals are just around the corner, and there’s still plenty of great new music, so let’s crack on with the latest SNACK Bits.
One thing that’s notable about F.O. Machete is that they take a bunch of recognisable features and mash them together into something rather unique. ‘Sleeper Cell’ continues this trait: a sharp, in every sense, poppy-punk blast that bodes well for the next album, out later this year.
The sound effects on ‘FIZZY!’ by PINLIGHT will have you heading to the fridge for a soda, but musically, you’re straight to the dance floor. It’s funky, sassy, and yes, it fizzes with electro-pop excitement. The All Things Nice album is out on 15th May, and this is a slice of nice right here.
‘Overload’ by Thaladela is moody and atmospheric. Don’t expect to take it all in on first listen. It’s orderly, and while it has lofty ambitions, it gets there without too much of a struggle. It’s dreamy but grounded, hitting its stride for the chorus with sumptuous lead vocals. The launch gig takes place at McChuills on Wednesday 27th May, so there are midweek plans, if you fancy it?
‘Can’t Believe I’m Here’ is the title track of Ample House’s EP, and it has a devilish strut, offsetting the matter-of-fact vocal delivery. It’s a tempered rocker, neatly paired with ‘Makeup’, a looser and more laid back number.
Sometimes, even when a song is good, there’s a little bit that stands out as excellent, maybe even getting under your skin. Halfway through ‘The Wind and the Rain’ by Rufus Case Stone, there’s an underlying guitar passage, less of a riff, more a shift, and it’s easy to stick the song on rotation. There’s a lot going on, including an unexpected time change, but a lot to like.
Adam Ross has an album out in May, and ‘I Never Thought You Couldn’t Not’ is a lovely introduction to it, recalling classic Dexys. For someone who has been in the business for some time, Adam appears to be making catchier and more enjoyable music the longer he goes on.
If you’re a guitar band from Lanarkshire, history could well weigh heavy on your shoulders. Not that bogle worry too much about that, and while they trade on the past, they’re not taking that as their only gospel with their new double A-side single. ‘Lost’ is rockier, in a mid-90s style, while the intro of ‘Dying Art’ is jangly enough to see them lumped on playlists with their local forebears. This sort of thing never goes out of style, and this is more than pleasant.
We mentioned festivals in our intro, and The Kaves are ready for outdoor stages with ‘Somber’. Big choruses, snappy guitar fills, and plenty of drum rolls and moments that reach for the sky. The same goes for Late Night Getaway Drivers, whose ‘Heard It On The Radio’ is a confident guitar workout, strengthened by female backing vocals. Indie rock hasn’t gone away, you know.
Flair opted for a big sound on ‘Ritual’, coming across dark and clean. The circular guitar motif is great, the vocals are strong, and there’s a polished yet menacing feel going on.
Tomorrow Woman has an EP called Plays Machines available at the start of May, and lead track ‘Ultrasound’ has our attention. It’s glitchy, it skips, and frankly, it’s pretty darned cool. If you’re looking for solid electro that gets your shoulders dipping, this is worth your time.
Ellijai is ‘Stupid Sometimes’ but hey, aren’t we all? There’s plenty of emotion here, and by the end, the song develops a considerable theatrical style, crescendoing to a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll. The song takes quite the journey in reaching an end you don’t expect, and it’s another one to stick on repeat.
‘When My Shoulders Were Smaller’ features Holly Powers in a reflective mood, fingerpicking and delicately unfolding her story. The yearning accompaniment makes for an enjoyable listen.
That’ll do us for this issue: hopefully you’ve found something new you love, and we’ll see you again soon.
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