Well it comes round quicker every year but slap my arse and call my Wizzard if it’s not Christmas already. I’ve been smashing Noddy and the Boys all weekend and now hammering the Fairytale out of New York. I’m just looking forward to next year when it’ll start BEFORE Halloween. Merry Christmas. Here’s Tracks Of The Week. Although there isn’t a single Chrimbo song. What a bunch of dozzy twots we are. Try and enjoy them anyway. Jingle my bells.
Carpet – Ok for Now
Why we love it: because with songs as good as ‘Ok For Now’ Rob Slater won’t be a stranger for too much longer. The man behind the wheel of the Carpet vehicle has driven for far too long under the radar, but with the Leeds-based artist’s new EP Fruit having arrived last Friday via Launchpad+ he will now be clearly visible on the wider musical sonar.
Described by Slater as “a reflection of a “lockdown song,” capturing the helplessness and unresolved feelings that many experienced during that time”, ‘Ok For Now’ is the third track on the EP and just as he rightly suggests shines fresh light on what was a dark period of desolation for many people. Yet for all of the futility that bleeds out of the song’s pores, ‘Ok For Now’ comes wrapped in one of his gorgeous lo-fi melodies and imbued with his distinctive sonic character. (Simon Godley)
OUIJA – The Man Who Would Not Die
Why we love it: because ‘The Man Who Would Not Die’ endures. The song was written by Paul Fryer – the man who records as OUIJA – whilst he was recovering from eight hours of extensive surgery to remove Stage 4 throat cancer.
“When I was diagnosed, I was given survival odds of 60/40,” Paul Fryer explains, “I asked my consultant, presuming I survived, would I still be able to sing? The doctor told me I might still be able to speak. It was then that I thought, If I survive, I’m going to sing my heart out.”
With the chalk lines of ‘The Man Who Would Not Die’ rising phoenix-like from Paul Fryer’s hospital bed, the song was then heard by the underground musician Malcolm Doherty who has previously collaborated with Damo Suzuki (Can) and Lawrence (Felt/Denim/Go-Kart Mozart). The pair joined their considerable forces before hooking up with the Burt Bacharach-affiliated arranger Rob Shirakbari and the artist Daphne Guinness whose ethereal vocals are a key feature of ‘The Man Who Would Not Die.’
Capturing the indefatigability of the human spirit, ‘The Man Who Would Not Die’ is a dramatic, empathetic song, a powerfully evocative reflection upon mortality. That it appears here harnessed to an elegiac, monochrome video – filmed on location in Kent, England and reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman‘s 1957 film classic The Seventh Seal – magnifies the song’s strong emphasis upon the themes of life, death, and God.
The song is taken from OUIJA’s forthcoming album Show Tunes From Oblivion. ‘The Man Who Would Not Die’ is available via Bandcamp, YouTube, and as a strict edition of 50 individually lathe cut 7” 45rpm vinyl records. Each record is packaged in a custom sleeve with inserts and stickers designed by Paul Fryer, individually stamped and numbered, with the paperwork embossed with Paul’s studio seal. Each edition also features an individual drawing created by Paul Fryer by hand and signed by the artist. Each drawing is unique. (Simon Godley)
Hang Linton – Wishbones
Why we love it: Leeds-based, Berlin-rooted interdisciplinary artist Hang Linton has released their excellent new single, Wishbones, via Come Play With Me Records / EMI North. As the lead track from their highly anticipated debut EP, Demonstrations, out November 29th.
‘Wishbones’ inventively blurs genres like alt-rock, two-tone, acid jazz, and psychedelic hip-hop, lobbing it in your direction like a Molotov cocktail of multi-coloured sound. Underpinned by a thudding bassline, chants, and soulful asides, Wishbones takes listeners on a sonic journey of self-discovery, challenging societal norms and celebrating liberation. Echoing the likes of Gorillaz and Young Fathers, and nodding to Jimi Hendrix, it’s an impressive track brimming with imagination and carrying with it important messages.
“Wishbones came to life during a pivotal time in my journey,” Linton shares. “Leaving the intensity of Berlin’s racially charged atmosphere and experiencing a creative rebirth in rural Scotland, all while preparing for parenthood, shifted my perspective. It made me more aware of the deeper societal issues I wanted to confront in my music. Wishbones is an anthem for anyone who feels constrained by societal structures, who longs to break free from expectations and fully embrace their authentic self.”
To mark the release of the Demonstrations EP a limited edition run of cassettes will be available exclusively via Bandcamp—offering listeners a rare opportunity to own this groundbreaking work in a collectable format. (Bill Cummings)
Sunday (1994) – Blossom
Why we love it: Sunday (1994) return with ‘Blossom’ another sumptuous track ladled with a delicious and poignant melancholia, it’s a new offering that completes their deluxe debut EP. They say it’s “about taking life one day at a time” it simmers with gorgeous guitars, rolling basslines and piano interludes, it is another bittersweet indie pop gem that slowly unfurls, with Turner’s words cloaked in swooning melodies and laced with a dark pathos ( “I‘m not in possession of a Smith & Wesson/ Or I’d decorate the ceiling/ The Sistine of my feelings (Oh my God)” ). ‘Blossom’ expertly turns introspection into an anthem for small moments of joy, and it’s perhaps their best moment yet. They say: “It’s a reminder to open the curtains once in a while; you need sunlight to bloom!”
‘Blossom’ is part of the band’s recently released deluxe edition of their self-titled debut EP, which also features three additional tracks. The EP is available now on Arista/RCA Records.
On the release of the now nine-track project, Sunday (1994) said: “We were left speechless by the overwhelming reaction to our debut EP earlier this year. To complete the picture, we’ve added the final brushstrokes, and now present the deluxe edition. Nine songs from a band scattered across the world, all trying to figure out if our lives will become a blockbuster, a cult classic, or maybe something else entirely.”’ (Bill Cummings)
Fionn Regan- O Avalanche
Why we love it: ‘O Avalanche‘ is the sublime titular track from Fionn Regan‘s latest album featuring his long-standing friend Anna Friel, whose luminous vocals spellbind and cradle his bringing depth and magic in this rippling hallucinatory hymn to companionship. Anna Friel also stars in the video which Regan directed himself and features footage captured across Spain, Berlin, Ireland and Copenhagen. Regan says: “There’s an atmosphere in this song that I don’t think any of my songs have had before. Which is mysterious in its own way and reminds me of roads at night in Deia and the quality of the light there. Anna Friel is the only other artist on the album and sings on the song so beautifully. She brings a level of magic to the song that only she could.”
Regan describes his latest album as being, “very much on a level” shimmering with poetic mystery and bolstered by a sustained feel for atmosphere and shape. As Regan explains, “I see it sort of like a film that starts cinematically and develops in abstract ways. It moves in different sequences, backwards and forwards. And if you’re thinking about it in a visual way, there’s a quality about it where it’s always magic hour.” Fionn Regan is touring the UK and Ireland now. Catch him while you can. (Carmel Walsh)
Shady Baby – Held In
Why we love it: Brighton indie-rock project Shady Baby round-off 2024 with the reflective raptures of new cut ‘Held In,’ fresh off the back of a performance on the main stage at Y Not Festival. Shady Baby were picked up by Nice Swan Records in 2022 after playing just one gig and you can see why. With buoyant driving percussion and a rich, intense hazy wall of sound Shady Baby’s latest track is laced with the angst and euphoria of U.S 90s Alt-Rock. Sonorous vocals and soaring harmonies, evoke Beck in this bona fide banger. ‘Held In’ offers a music of resistance and grit; of powering head-on through the heartbreak. Recorded with Dan Crook (Nadine Shah, Nuha Ruby Ra) the single dovetails driving pared-back productions and a surging heart-on-sleeve melancholy, creating Shady Baby’s most mature and emotionally tender offering to date.
Songwriter, Sam Leaver says “‘Held In’ reflects on those lingering dreams that feel real but fade away suddenly when you wake up – so the lyrics are quite loose, with some references to those dreams I was having. The backing vocals, part-sung by my sister, were lifted from the demo and reflect that fading feeling in the chorus. It’s both about that and a sense of renewal and determination to keep moving forwards.” (Carmel Walsh)
