Not to like, toot my own horn or anything, but since starting this blog series there have been significantly more rays...
It appears that spring has sprung! The sunshine has made a very welcome appearance this week. That, paired with a release radar filled with bright-eyed and optimistic pop gems, has set the tone for the start of a new season and a world of possibility. With permission from BoJo himself.
My release radar is glowing with lovely new tunes to soak into my ears as the rays beam down.
Wolf Alice – ‘The Last Man On Earth’
Liking Wolf Alice was pretty much just my personality back in 2016. This phase lasted a good few years and Visions Of A Life etched itself as a time capsule marking the end of my teens and releasing me into a technicolour swirl of existentialism in a new beginning ending youth as I knew it.
Their return with ‘The Last Man On Earth’ has that grip still. Ethereal and multi-textured; draped with ghost-like echoes and layered with shards of crystalline keys, the song swells and evolves with every moment a pure beauty. The vocal is delicate, wise and knowing, exploring the arrogance of humans. Wolf Alice’s defining of folk is forever haunting.
Zara Larsson – ‘Look What You’ve Done’
Whoever broke Zara Larsson’s heart has done her the biggest favour. This is a break-up anthem devoted to self-loving, grooving and moving on up.
‘Look What You’ve Done’ is an exhibitionist by nature. Larsson’s shiny bright vocal bounces like light off a disco-ball that spins with glittering glory. Go on, girl!
Tash Sultana – ‘Musk’
Oh, to have a diffuser that just plays Tash Sultana songs. The oil could be called ‘Musk’. It would be quite simply divine. I'd have it fill my whole home.
‘Musk’ as a single is transportive, drenching listeners in calming sounds that inhabit new possibilities, new love and new beginnings. Small surprises like the sound of a trumpet, and a gentle upbeat bring moments of pure joy.
Josef Salvat – ‘Peaches’
Josef Salvat is synth-pop royalty and ‘Peaches’ is absolutely credit to that. Atop a glossy, smooth landscape, Salvat soothes heartfelt, almost grief-stricken lyrics before shyly confessing that even looking at fruit conjures sore feelings. It is bittersweet and tempting. You can’t help but want to sink your teeth and take a bite.
Ariana Grande – ‘test drive’
It’s a bop. As in, it’s the perfect bop for a roof-down drive. Grande’s harmonious vocals reach heavenly heights, as a thumping bassline runs as slick as her signature ponytail. At just over 2 minutes in length, ‘test drive’ is a cheeky lil number that leaves you wondering exactly needs a test-drive. It’s a wink and a wave, a tongue in a cheek and it’s utterly delicious.