In the second The Mic Recommends article of this week (don't say we don't spoil you!) read about new songs from Charli XCX, State Champs, 5 Seconds of Summer, The Vaccines, Stand Atlantic and local Nottingham artist Gemma Danielle.
End Game - Gemma Danielle
Nottingham-based singer songwriter Gemma Danielle has released her new single End Game. Don’t let the title fool you, it is not in fact about the Marvel film of the same name (which I happened to watch for the first time on the day of writing this) but instead, it is inspired by James Bond. The track is a sultry electronic jazz song, and it serves as the first single from her upcoming debut EP HEARTS DEVOTION, which it set for release in April. Gemma’s vocals are the highlight of the track, oozing with seductive confidence and demonstrating her impressive range. One of Nottingham’s brightest up-and-coming local talents, Gemma Danielle definitely deserves your attention. Gemma Cockrell
hair out - Stand Atlantic
Australian pop punk quartet Stand Atlantic snap back to their critics with the angsty hair out. No-nonsense front woman Bon Fraser described hair out as being about "plebs on the internet", so naturally, I anticipated their quintessential swagger to accompany a thrashing guitar; and I was not disappointed. Immediately, I was hit with what felt like a dirty riff inspired by the sounds of DON BROCO and Ocean Grove. Fraser retains her aggressive singing style as showcased in their furious earlier single Molotov [OK] from their upcoming album F.E.A.R (Fuck Everything and Run), which appealed to me. Equipped with adlibs of Fraser and the band joking around ('MILF Atlantic, haha') in their typical style, Stand Atlantic broadcast their feisty and fun attitude perfectly in hair out, whilst still perfectly blending that with introspective lyrics, "expectations give me vertigo/wasting away to the pressure". This particular effort is a fun and easy listen, and has left me even more excited for their third record. Jodie Averis
COMPLETE MESS - 5 Seconds Of Summer
Beloved Australian four piece 5 Seconds of Summer make a return with COMPLETE MESS , their first release in two years ahead of an upcoming tour. This more pop-inspired single kickstarts the beginning of a new era for the band, with their eagerly awaited fifth album due to be released in the coming months. With a very evident but much appreciated nod to the band's previous heavier, punk rock era, COMPLETE MESS makes reference to a much-loved T-shirt worn by vocalist, Luke Hemmings, with 'you complete me(ss)' written on the front. Whilst acknowledging their pop punk past, the band is straying from what they’ve previously released, finding their way in the world of pop with their first release completely written and produced by and for themselves. Explaining that “For this record, we realized if you want something done that truly represents how you feel, you’ve got to do it yourself”, the band explore a new, more evolved sound, showing their growth and maturity within their own music that they feel is “so authentically us”. With the undoubted success of this single with 5SOS fans, the new album couldn’t come sooner, but for now COMPLETE MESS will be on repeat for the foreseeable future. Beth Coldwell Baby - Charli XCX Another single from CRASH, which is being released imminently, Baby further demonstrates the direction that Charli XCX (Charlotte Aitchison) is taking on her upcoming album. While it may not be to the typical taste of those who were fans of her 2020 experimental hyperpop record how i'm feeling now, with repeated listens I promise that it will grow on you. The song is built around an incredibly catchy instrumental melody, which will remain in your head for hours (if not days). Baby is the perfect soundtrack to getting ready for a girl's night out, and it is bound to make you feel confident and sexy, and it is clear that Charli is also feeling this way herself in this new era of her music. It may be very different in comparison to her last album cycle, but even though I loved how i'm feeling now, different isn't always a bad thing. It is clear that the album will see Charli at her most fun, and I'm ready for it. Gemma Cockrell
Everybody But You - State Champs feat. Ben Barlow
Having had State Champs’ new song pop up on my Tiktok 'for you page' numerous times in the run up to its release, I couldn’t help but revert back to my 14 year old self and eagerly count down the days till Everybody But You was available to stream in full. It’s safe to say the song is the absolute perfect pop punk song to scream at the top of your lungs about just about every bad ex, friend and every other person in between you’ve ever had. Whilst the song perfectly homed in on State Champs’ classic sound that they have refined over the past few years, I am hoping for them to bring back some of their older influences in the rest of the soon to be released album. Everybody But You’s verse from Neck Deep’s Ben Barlow felt like an attempt to do this, however despite further appeasing my inner fan girl, I couldn’t help but feel slightly like the song would’ve been just as good without the feature. Abi Kara-Fernandes
Thunder Fever - The Vaccines
Not shy to playing around with their indie rock sound, The Vaccines have taken a pop twist on their new single Thunder Fever. Their first song of 2022 and their first single following the release of their fifth album Back In Love City last year, The Vaccines are better than ever with this catchy, hyperbolic tune. Self-proclaimed as “out of this world” and “heaven sent” in an Instagram post, we can see their point; spacey, dreamy and poppy, we are transported to a world full of synths, fast paced drumming from Pete Robertson and autotuned lyrics to make for something entirely different than what we’re used to from this staple indie band. It’s clear The Vaccines are trying to reinvent themselves from their first albums and play around with their sound. This single just cements their new vibe that started with Back In Love City. Although it seems some aren’t yet convinced by this drastic change in sound from the band (and I can see their point, it’s no If You Wanna), nobody can doubt that frontman Justin Hayward-Young had a lot of fun playing around with his voice and stepping out of their genre comfort zone to give us something that’ll be rattling around in our heads for days on end. Molly Hancock
Edited by: Gemma Cockrell
Featured image courtesy of Charli XCX via Facebook.
Yorumlar