Earlier this week, we started a quick series of posts designed to catch us up with some of the fantastic tunes we’ve missed in recent weeks and months.
The first five of the (planned) 25 tracks we’ll be looking back at can be found here and the next five, such is the way a series works, can be found after the snazzy line on the page below.
Enjoy.
Penny Bridges – “For The Things”
Blessed with a gorgeously delicate voice and unconventional pronunciation, it was no surprise that we fell for Penny Bridges last year. Her distinct style and beautifully layered arrangements are soft and enchanting and her latest, “For The Things”, is no different.
Like a cool breeze on a warm summer’s day, Bridge’s vocals drifts over and soothes what ails you. The piano drips enticingly and the melody floats dreamingly and delicately. It’s beautiful, becalming and wonderful. We could, and have, listen to it for hours.
Get to know Penny Bridges: Facebook / Twitter
Yonaka – “Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya”
Look to the absolute opposite end of the spectrum to Penny Bridges and you will find Yonaka.
With its immediate and sprawling intensity, “Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya” is an attitude fuelled kick to the balls. It has the kind of swagger and brooding coolness that makes kids want to learn guitar and be a rock star. Jesus, it makes us want to learn guitar and be a rock star and we’re [age redacted to protect our own sense of wellbeing] and cursed with stubby fingers! Full of frenetic energy, it’s jump up and down and get entirely lost in the moment brilliant.
Get to know Yonaka: Facebook / Twitter
Luca Chesney – “Return”
When we last featured Luca Chesney, the New York based singer was soothing us with the gently beautiful “We Made A Fire”. That was a couple of years ago now and the intervening period has seen Chesney take a turn onto the road marked ‘electronica’.
Her most recent offering from this journey is the wonderfully monochromatic “Return”. A melodic and glitchy piece of electro-pop whose sparseness is perfectly juxtaposed with Chesney’s rich and alluring vocals. As the digital beats spit like a fire in the darkness, the synths purr and growl with a soft vigour to give us something mysterious and magical.
Get to know Luca Chesney: Facebook / Twitter
Painted Heathers – “Party For One”
Having got together in 2015, Norwich based Painted Heathers are now starting to get some well deserved attention thanks to airplay from the likes of Future Radio and celebrity endorsements from the likes of Elastica.
The Elastica nod is especially relevant as they, along with ‘transition period’ Blur (when they began to move away from Madchester and towards what would become brit-pop) appear to be two of the bands biggest influences. “Party For One” for example, showcases the addictiveness of the Frischmann/Matthews guitar sound and effortlessly relatable Albarn vocals. It is a heady wooze of angular mid-nineties riffs and sweet-smoke-thick melodies.
Get to know Painted Heathers: Facebook / Twitter
Ginger and the Ghost – “Kindred Spirits”
If you were to put up a checklist of things that we love to hear in pop music, Australian’s Ginger and the Ghost would hit a fair few of them with their latest, “Kindred Spirits”.
Produced by Avec Sans collaborator, Benbrick (tick) “Kindred Spirits” is a very scandi-pop (tick) song with an undulating melody (tick) that sounds like Robyn (tick) meets Oh Land (tick) meets Niki and the Dove (tick). It reaches up into the sky like a twisted beanstalk of tribal beats (tick) and soaring synths (tick) before swirling and dancing in a kaleidoscope of colour and sound.
Get to know Ginger and the Ghost: Facebook / Twitter
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