Fresher Sounds - The best new music - 26/11/18

After another week of baffling politics, Brexit deals and the dread of the ever-encroaching year's end, this Fresher Sounds attempts to set you in high spirits with some motivating, energetic and wind-down tracks. 

Image Credit: Clean Cut Kid via WMA

29th March 2019 is the fateful day that we leave the EU and still it seems no-one fully knows what that means for us. However, at least one positive outcome is that Article 13 may not affect us, so we are free to meme to our heart's content and provide quality internet laughs while the country's infrastructure crumbles.

Anyway, on to bigger, more important matters - this week's new releases.

Majestic Minds – Doing This My Own Way

The UK dance duo, Majestic Minds' vibrant single, ‘Doing This My Own Way’ is only the second release from the collaborative project of producer, Haides and singer-songwriter, Marlie, and their respective talents are undeniable. Haides’ glossy electronic production combined with Marlie’s powerful and R&B-injected vocals create the perfect dance anthem. ‘Doing This My Own Way’ is an incredibly energetic and infectious track with messages of motivation. The single leaves us with nothing but excitement about what they’re going to do next.

Moon Panda – Gun

Another fantastic track from the Californian/Danish project that is Moon Panda. ‘Gun’ follows their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Rabbit’, and is everything you could’ve hoped for as a follow-up. With clear Portishead-like smooth and mysterious vocals combined with the indie-psychedelia of Tame Impala, ‘Gun’ is an addictively mellow track.

‘Gun’ outlines darker thoughts within “the capricious human mind”. Further talking about the track, songwriter Myers says, “to help represent the ever-changing, ever-fickle human mind we used a changing time signature - the verse is in 6/8 and the chorus switches to 4/4. It's not incredibly noticeable but I think it disrupts the sway of the song a bit and switches you into a new rhythm.”

Blood Red Shoes – Howl

Brighton duo, Blood Red Shoes, divulge a snippet from their forthcoming album Get Tragic with their brand new single, 'Howl'. The new single follows ‘Mexican Dress’, and was written in lead vocalist Laura-Mary Carter’s mum’s kitchen. Speaking about the single, Laura-Mary said: “it’s about realising that everything in life you have to take charge of yourself and not wait around for someone else to do it. When we worked on it we were partying to a lot of 80s Prince and Janet Jackson, and I can hear that influence on it, definitely very new territory for us!”

The track has rough, heavy riffs that drive it forward with distortions and captivating melodies throughout. Laura’s vocals fit perfectly amidst this heavy atmosphere, lifting it and making it another stand-out Blood Red Shoes single.

Clean Cut Kid – Deafening

Compared to their comeback EP Painkiller, which was full of 70s West Coast influences, ‘Deafening’ shows the band in a different light with a heavier, hard rock vibe. ‘Deafening’ features a stomping drum beat and rolling fuzzy guitar riffs, which distances them an incredible amount from their previous indie-pop aesthetic. Speaking on the track, the band say ‘Deafening’ is about the ever-present battle between artist and industry, and the frustrations that come along with record label politics.

• Article continues below...
• More stories you may like...
• Fresher Sounds - The best new music - 20/08/19
• #GoodbyeTNS - A lifeline at the right time
• Fresher Sounds – The best new music – 13/08/19

GURU – Consumer Helpline

The Brighton newcomers, GURU, hit the scene with an incredibly raucous punk track ‘Consumer Helpline’. The quartet have received early praise for their demos from BBC 6 Music and have been seen already supporting modern punks such as Lady Bird, LIFE and Kagoule who are taking the scene by storm. ‘Consumer Helpline’ is drowned in reverb with gritty vocals and fuzzy guitars all coming together to create the perfect punk track.

HYYTS – DWY

Scottish duo HYYTS (pronounced heights) released their second single ‘DWY’, the follow-up to recent debut single ‘Butterflies In My Head'. Taking a completely different turn from their debut, ‘DWY’ oozes a Bon Iver-esque quality, showing a new side to the band. With stripped-back, beautiful falsetto vocals and acoustic guitars, ‘DWY’ is an incredibly delicate track that ignites a sentimental fire within. This is a big, bold, romantic statement from the duo.

Thyla – Blue

Post-punkers Thyla share their second endeavour 'Blue', ahead of their highly anticipated EP What's On Your Mind. The Brighton quartet are tipped for big things in 2019, having already landed themselves supporting slots with Slaves and Sunflower Bean and having been spotlighted amongst NME’s 100 Essential Acts for 2018. ‘Blue’ is a buzzy track that takes you on a ride. With forceful and majestic vocals from Millie Duthie layered on top of an energetic beat, ‘Blue’ is anthemic punk at its finest.

Hajk – Keep Telling Myself

Norwegian act, Hajk, burst onto the scene in Norway with their self-titled album in 2017. ‘Keep Telling Myself’ comes with the announcement of their second album Drama due for release in February 2019. Hajk have backing from the likes of Sigrid and Chloë Grace Moretz along with international acclaim for their music. ‘Keep Telling Myself’ is a melancholy and wide-eyed love song, with vulnerable lyrics and contagious beats.

Pizzagirl – Blossom At My Feet, Flower

Pizzagirl (aka Liam Brown) has released a steady stream of singles in the build-up to the release of his second EP, Season 2. ‘Blossom At My Feet, Flower’ sees Pizzagirl as your shy, sensitive prom king ready to whisk you away for a retro, old-school night out. Pizzagirl has created an 80s film world for himself, with teasers and aesthetic combining an 80s teen-film nostalgia, 90s internet culture and modern memes. While his music is very much bedroom pop close to the likes of Clairo and Gus Dapperton, there is also a nod to Phil Collins and Janet Jackson.

Arlo Parks – Cola