Fresher Sounds - The best new music - 08/10/18

Freshers events have finally ended, the cosy club nights and sparkling winter parties are filling up the calendars and we can start planning our Halloween costumes.

This week's Fresher Sounds dips into electro-infused melodies, upbeat pop grooves and heartfelt lyricism. But as the colder nights move in, we've popped some scuzzy, October grunge sounds in for good measure. This is a playlist to suit every mood. 

Cub Sport – Sometimes

Fresh out of Brisbane is the quartet Cub Sport, who have swanned into our lives with an anthemic pop single ‘Sometimes’ ahead of their third album due for release in early 2019. ‘Sometimes’ is layered with vulnerable lyrics around self-identity and confidence, and the emotional vocal delivery atop upbeat melodies and contagious grooves make for a perfect pop track.

Hajk – Dancing Like This

The Oslo-based band burst on the scene last year with their debut album. Their latest release ‘Dancing Like This’ comes with the announcement of their second album to be released February 2019. ‘Dancing Like This’ is a lyrically melancholy and eye-opening love song with funky, cheerful notes and melodies that mask an underlying message. Needless to say, album two is highly anticipated after this taste.

Redwood – Magnolia

‘Magnolia’ is the latest track to be taken from Redwood’s brand-new EP, Lay Your Love Down. The 5-piece alt-rock band hailing from Hertfordshire/Somerset take on a softer tone with the single ‘Magnolia’. Their emo/post-rock influences aren’t lost, however, as the track oozes with smoother guitar distortion and dramatic drums alongside heartfelt vocals and grand gestures.

Kagoule - It's Not My Day

Nottingham’s Kagoule have given us ‘It’s Not My Day’, prior to their album release later this month. Fresh from a UK tour with Drenge and multiple festival slots, the trio are strengthening their platform on the live music scene. ‘It’s Not My Day’ contains rip-roaring guitar tones and melodic vocals from both Cai and Lucy, complementing each other and the track.

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Mellah – What It Is

South Londoner Mellah (aka Liam Ramsden) is cementing his place as a singer-songwriter with the latest release ‘What It Is’. With lyrics inspired by his co-workers (“well it is what it is / but what it is isn’t right”) and intended to inspire us to remain hopeful, Mellah’s vocal arrangement and delivery of his writing is spectacular and one that needs to be heard.

MALKA – Don’t Leave Me

Scottish pop artist MALKA’s new track, ‘Don’t Leave Me’, projects masses of genre influences varying from folk to alternative indie to pop. MALKA’s vocal abilities and contagious rhythms throughout ‘Don’t Leave Me’ show a resemblance to the likes of Oh Wonder and Daughter with an alternative pop twang. By blending traditional indie sounds with contemporary pop beats, MALKA has concocted the perfect mix on this record.

Party Hardly – Football

Leeds’ four-piece Party Hardly have released a fuzzy, dream-pop infused record 'Football'. The track shows a clear scene that the band fits into; The Magic Gang, Gengahr, Hookworms and INHEAVEN come to mind. With distorted and twinkly guitars, toned down vocals and vibrant hooks, ‘Football’ is a great indie-pop track.

Laura Gibson – Domestication

Taken from the upcoming album, Goners, ‘Domestication’ is the latest insight we have to the new record from the American singer-songwriter. In ‘Domestication’, we can hear similarities to Sigrid’s distinctive vocals; one-of-a-kind, unique tones and depth to each word that is sung. It’s a slow track with a lot packed into it. Accompanying the single is a cinematic, pastel hue video that tells a troubled narrative.

Gazel - Pointing At The Moon

The London-based singer and producer has released ‘Pointing At The Moon’ - the first instalment of what will be a continuous narrative through Gazel's catalogue. ‘Pointing At The Moon’ is a genre mash-up, with electronic influences and pop clichés, we can only expect great things from this endeavour.