EP: Anushka
‘Yes Guess’ (Brownswood Recordings)
The hype machine has been whirring for this duo since last summer and we’re thrilled that their debut EP has finally been released. Producer Max, formerly of hip hop act Dirty Diggers, and magnetic front woman Victoria are a perfect match, creating tracks that are gloriously light despite rambunctious bass lines. Merging 90s house influences with playful, soulful vocals and cut-up beats, Anushka make an original sound that’s equally appropriate for a dirty dancefloor or driving in the sunshine. (JMM)
Album: Charley Bickers
‘Our Frail Hearts’ (charleybickers.com)
Having spent time in the industry as performer (with War Makes Heroes), label boss and publisher, songwriter Charley Bickers’ solo debut has been a long time coming, sidelined by a succession of personal tragedies that inevitably colour the finished album. Despite the shadow of death, uplifting songs like ‘Three Little Words’ and ‘Burning Bridges’ help keep ‘Our Frail Hearts’ on the sunny side, with a full cast of collaborators (including The Verve’s Simon Jones) filling out Bickers’ lively tunes. (SH)
Single: Blaenavon
‘Into The Night’ (Paradyse)
Blaenavon is a town in south Wales, but the indie rock trio who’ve taken its name split their time between Brighton and Hants. However unassuming the boys appear, they’ve been quietly going places in the last 12 months, with this debut 7” arriving on an imprint of Foals’ home Transgressive Records. Blaenavon are a little moodier, the choppy guitar melodies of ‘Into The Night’ continually butting their heads on the chorus’ ceiling, while ‘Denim Patches’ is a shuffling, dour epic. (SH)
EP: The Creaking Chair
‘Noise Body’ (Bouffant)
With roots as an alt-folk trio, The Creaking Chair have narrowed focus to become essentially the solo project of Andrew AC Cooper. As the musicians decreased, the scope of the music has widened, with layers of keyboards, loops and electronics colouring the palette. The title track appears twice, first as a mysterious, literate pop song, later as a lo-fi but lush instrumental, while ‘Spun’ adds effective synthetic brass and steel sounds. It’s a sweet and slightly ambient package. (SH)
Album: Kellar
‘Fulminant’ (Foolproof Projects)
Reduced to a duo following the departure of David McNamee, Kellar’s Dan Cross and Andy Pyne get seriously creative with this epic double album of noise improvisations. The 14 tracks shift from simmering percussion rumbles and distant guitar to boiling battles of thundering drums and scorched effects work. The fearsome nine-minute descent of ‘Through Mantle And Core’ is the most full-on and impressive sequence, but there’s ample more on-the-fly electric experimentation here to get lost in for months. (SH)
Album: Laish
‘Obituaries’ (Folkwit)
Based around the songwriting of Willkommen Collective member Daniel Green, five-piece folk pop band Laish reconvene at last for this second album. Despite the gloomy title, much of ‘Obituaries’ is a breezy listen: ‘Warm The Wind’ and ‘Carry Me’ are among Laish’s poppiest songs, and the 60s nugget ‘Choice’ positively swings. Longer tracks ‘Visions’ and ‘Petty Ruiner’ find the Laish musicians enter into waves of flowing repetition, throughout which Green cunningly examines themes of love and death. Feels like springtime at last. (SH)
EP: Murder He Wrote
‘Your Code’ (Skint)
The latest release on Skint’s Under 5’s imprint is the debut EP from Brighton’s prolific Murder He Wrote. He’s released remixes for a diverse set of artists including Daughter, Sergio Fernandez and Mwen, but this three-track EP shows a stylistic progression into something deeper, more anxious and more synthy. Owl-eared listeners may recognise the tense rumblings of ‘Your Code’ from recent mixes by Throwing Snow and My Nu Leng, but even if you’re familiar with the sound, it’s unsettlingly good. (JMM)
