Five Fresh Tracks for the Week #24
New season, new tracks...
Hello! After a brief hiatus as we galivanted in faraway places, we’re delighted to welcome back ‘Five Fresh Tracks’, bringing you some of the finest up-and-coming music around.
We hope you enjoyed the interviews with James Liandu, Ocean LeClair and Mike Nisbet over the last few weeks, and there will be plenty more ‘Five Minutes with…’ chats on the horizon.
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The March Afternoons - If you find please KILL KILL KILL
We featured The March Afternoons earlier this year, covering the fantastic slice of nostalgic indie ‘Desperate Measures’, which was taken from ‘the march afternoons aren’t real’ record. The good news is that they’re back - although perhaps not as expected - with a second album of the year, ‘I hope you don’t get anyone else’. The interlocking guitars and wistful melodies have been replaced with a more diverse, experimental and electronic sound. Lead single ‘If you find please KILL KILL KILL’ is a foot-tapping indie dance instrumental, with hints of The Rapture or LCD Soundsystem, and would perfectly complement sweaty dancefloors across the nation.
The record itself only has three tracks, allowing the expansive songs to sprawl and sliver in unexpected directions. Billed as the final release from The March Afternoons, we certainly hope that’s not the case. Either way, it’s a compelling and extremely inventive way to bow out. Listen on your streaming service of choice here or purchase on Bandcamp here.
Nia Wyn - Your Team
It’s always nice to have a fellow North Walian on New Sounds Union, and ‘Your Team’ is the cracking new single from retro-soul devotee Nia Wyn. The song has a beautifully rich vintage production, with stirring strings and emotive horns. At the centre is Nia’s strong, raspy vocals, which give gravitas to the track’s catchy melodies throughout. The song explores Nia’s experience of navigating the world as a queer woman, and the assumptions and judgements made by people along the way. With a new record on the way, we can’t wait to hear more based on this. Listen on your streaming service of choice here.
Cordless Kites - The Music Within
Next up is the opening track from the excellent new album, ‘Heavy Gravity’, by Cordless Kites. ‘The Music Within’ is certainly a strong way to start a record, with unsettling piano chords providing an atmospheric bed for brooding baritone vocals. The song builds dramatically, with the rest of the band choosing apt moments to enter the fray. There’s certainly a touch of Jeff Buckley to proceedings as the vocals open up, adding to the dramatic narrative of the track. It sets the tone for a record that consistently taps into heightened emotions and powerful musical moments. Listen on your streaming service of choice here.
They Call Me Max - Algorithms
A change of pace now with the laid-back sound of They Call Me Max and his latest single ‘Algorithms’. A combination of hip-hop beats, jazz-tinged piano and heartfelt lyrics, ‘Algorithms’ creates a perfect brew of genres that float effortlessly around your head. They Call Me Max’s vocal delivery is both nonchalant and captivating, gliding along the soothing sonic palette created. Definitely one to explore for fans of Arlo Parks or Loyle Carner. Listen on your streaming service of choice here.
AMILLS - Aimlessly
We crank up the volume for our final track of the month, the energetic pop-rock ‘Aimlessly’ by AMILLS. Exploring the theme of feeling lost on a day-to-day basis, it’s a thrilling three minutes that combines heavy guitars, pounding drums and passionate vocal delivery. The frantic verses lead into a hooky chorus, which will certainly appeal to fans of Paramore or Jimmy Eat World. It’s certainly a step change from the equally impressive previous single, ‘Your Rolling Stone’ - a moving acoustic ballad - and shows an artist capable of moving between styles whilst still maintaining a clear identity. Listen on your streaming service of choice here.