In the glooming, in the dark recesses of an October morning, before the clocks go back, when it’s damp, cold, and shit outside, here comes Tracks of the Week. I’d love to say they’re the antidote to it all, but sometimes you just need to wallow. Have a bloody good wallow. I’m a wallower. Some of them might perk you up. There’s a glam stomper in there but a fair amount of recognising the nights and mornings are dark, and the days are grey, and the future is bleak and we’re all on a slow walk to meet the Reaper.
Have a lovely day everyone.
Aisha Badru – In The Making
Why we love it: because 135 million total music streams surely cannot be wrong? And ‘In The Making’ is bound to add to that number. The new single from Nigerian-American artist Aisha Badru is taken from her forthcoming second album The Sun Still Rises which is scheduled for release on November 29th via Nettwerk.
Describing the new single, Aisha Badru explains, “‘In The Making’ is a reflection on personal evolution and the continuous journey of self-discovery. This song embodies the essence of change, the fluidity of identity, and the desire to break free from expectations.”
It is a gentle, reflective piece of music, an expression of the human spirit and the path of self-determination. The fissures in Aisha Badru’s voice reveal the dual strata of strength and vulnerability as she charts her course through life. (Simon Godley)
Clara Mann – Stadiums
Why we love it: because the beauty of ‘Stadiums’ lies within its breathless control of space. The latest single from the London-based multidisciplinary artist Clara Mann bears an almost silent witness to her fragile, haunting voice hanging in suspended animation over such a delicately sparse melody you fear it just may break. That it makes it through to the end of the song is testament to her continual mediation of conflicting emotions.
As Clara Mann explains, “‘Stadiums’ is about running towards someone who’s running towards something else. Loving someone whose passion, whose driving force, is creative (in this case music) is like having a third person in the relationship. Someone’s creative brilliance is a beautiful, powerful, mysterious thing in them, often the thing that is most magical and attractive about them, and the thing that, in the end, is always pulling them just out of reach.
It’s ‘I want you, you want This’, and in writing it I was forced to ask myself ‘what does it mean if I’m a person who wants that, like you are – is it hard to love me, too?'”
Clara Mann is also set to tour across Europe later this year supporting Christian Lee Hutson. (Simon Godley)
Sorry – Waxwing
Why we love it: because Sorry are back back, ruddy bloody back. This is so very reminiscent of their Demo Tapes they had online years before they signed for Domino, the subsequent singles that didn’t appear on their debut record 925 like ‘Wished’, ‘2 Down 2 Dance’ ‘Twinkle’ and the original version of ‘Lies’ which was much darker and heavier than the album version. This also has shades of the EP Twixustwain that was sandwiched between the debut and follow up Anywhere But Here. Glitchy, lo-fi bedroom pop that was so intriguing and engaging.
The only comment they make on the new track is this “Mickey is desire ? Mickey is the bomb? Mickey makes me money? Mickey makes my songs? Mickey makes a poem? Mickey in the drugs ? Mickey is liar ? Mickey making love? Mickey is desire ?” He’s so fine.
New album maybe, new EP? The last record was a bit of a step away from what made them such an interesting band when they started as they stood out from the crowd with angular, wonky, even awkward pop, Asha and Louis have almost reluctant vocals that charm, and they didn’t really like the standard song structure. This feels more like it comes from that organic place that they are most comfortable. Sometimes stepping out of you comfort zone helps make things different but when your comfort zone is different and the outsider, anything else is quite normal. (Jim Auton)
Father John Misty – She Cleans Up
Why we love it: because ‘She Cleans Up’ completes the perfect trilogy of singles to be taken from Father John Misty’s forthcoming album Mahashmashana. First there was the eight-and-a-half-minute disco country dance floor epic that is ‘I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All.’ Then came the almost-as-long atmospherically emotional fireworks of ‘Screamland.’ And now there is this.
On ‘She Cleans Up’ Father John kneels at the altar of glam rock and once suitably blessed gets right on up and tears into this song with such swagger and stomp it makes you start counting down those days until he sets out on tour early next year.
Before that, though, Mahashmashana will be out on 22nd November in the UK & Europe via Bella Union and Sub Pop for the rest world. (Simon Godley)
Korda Korder – What Have You Done
Why we love it: because this incredible, stark, isolated debut single from Korda Korder is such a stunning and beautiful introduction. Very lo-fi, reverbed, atmospheric microphone capturing the room, the hiss, it is lived in, born and raised in that space, it feels like it appeared from the ether and was just put on tape. Improvised and impressive.
Accompanying press says “What better way to mark the darkening nights and days than with a spellbinding song from Hastings self-described ‘indie witches’ Korda Korder? On the whole, What Have You Done? is more cosy than spooky, despite the lovely hangdog melancholy which laces the spindrift soprano of its lead vocal and the spare production which adds a ghostly edge to its comfortably earthy guitar”.
Nobody mention fucking Spooky Season (shit!!) but this has a spectral inhabitance. Also, hesitate to use the words spiritual but if there is another world, another dimension, then this is probably being played as you arrive. (Jim Auton)
Pit Pony – Well Well
Why we love it: Newcastle’s Pit Pony share new single ‘Well Well’ released via Clue Records and EMI North. Inspired by a moment of literary discovery in Katie Atkinson’s ‘A God In Ruins’, it dives into the unique experience of staring death in the face. Channelling the rawness of the North East, the track canters along at pace, the drums never slowing down throughout. The twangy guitars layer in beautifully adding such depth to the overall atmosphere. The vocals of Jackie Purver are effortless, the quality ringing out. They blend with the instrumentation to create this alt-rock bundle of exuberant energy. The accompanying video for ‘Well Well’ is a playful portrayal of the monotonous routines and seemingly never-ending to-do list that comes with parenthood, a sense of humour that Purver relates to as a mother juggling her day job alongside being a musician. She comments:
“As an emerging artist, you don’t have many conversations about parenthood or often second guess doing so. You’re working towards goals like getting a booking agent, manager or label, who at the end of the day need to put food on their tables and are inevitably thinking ‘how much money can I make out of this band if they can only go on tour and be away from home for a couple of days tops at a time’. I remember reading an article by Emmy the Great where she talked openly and proudly about taking her baby on tour, and it was so refreshing to see her embrace motherhood without feeling the need to sacrifice her music goals. Sometimes it feels like there’s an unwritten rule that women in music aren’t allowed to get old and have children, and that’s one of the reasons why we wanted to do this video – the more we talk about being mothers the better, because it is obviously a massive lived experience and should be normalised”. (Julia Mason)
Sixth Day – Run!
Why we love it: Manchester 5-piece Sixth Day release new single ‘Run!’. It’s taken from their forthcoming debut EP and follows the lead single ‘Down and Out’. The new track reflects the ups and downs of relationships. The drum beat throughout dominates with the injection of echoey guitar riffs adding touches of tension. The lead vocal of Alex Nuttall are confident and assured. Thematically ‘Run’ highlights the challenges of relationships, and how expectations can vary creating difficulties. Sixth Day have followed up the EPs edgy lead single with this slower paced track, hinting at versatility in their arsenal. They play their biggest headline show to date in Manchester at the end of November. By the way the bassist is Alex Nuttall too – what are the chances! (Julia Mason)
