This week our writers are showcasing girl power in their recommendations with new tracks from artists such as Laufey, Baby Queen and WARGASM (UK). Have a read of our glowing reviews whilst enjoying the glowing sunshine.
Dear Soulmate – Laufey
Icelandic-Chinese jazz singer-songwriter Laufey impresses yet again with her third release from her upcoming debut album, Everything I Know About Love. Dear Soulmate is a delightfully delicate letter to a future lover, exploring potential ways of meeting and falling in love, going from trope to trope in search of the perfect storybook romance. The twinkly harp and dreamy violins paired with her deliciously rich and warm tone, especially in those smooth low notes, creates a romantic and reflective mood that suits her yearning in such a magical way. This slow waltz is perfect for longingly gazing out of a train window, falling deeper and deeper in love with her transcendent vocals. For anybody who hasn’t ventured into Laufey’s fairy tale world yet, this is a perfect introductory point that will surely have you falling in love with her. Isobel Morris
Part Of The Band – The 1975
2022 has seen the return of The 1975, and subsequently them going back to their musical roots on their latest single Part of The Band, straying away from the experimental nature of 2020’s Notes on A Conditional Form. Instrumentally, the track bases itself on staccato strings with echoed, almost haunting, woodwind, which almost sounds like it is leading up to a big crescendo in the chorus. Whilst this does not happen, this is almost appreciated, as it makes a statement that the band are back to simply making music and not following industry formulas for impact. Whilst the track’s progression can be described as flat and drawn out with its 4-minute and 20-second length, the involvement of a completely instrumental section missing frontman Matty Healy’s vocals also draws allusions to the fully instrument-led-interludes found on all four of their albums – a nice nod to their musical continuity. Like on their third studio album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, lyrics are the song’s stand-out feature, with its story-like parallels creating a whole other world within the track. Given the band’s unpredictable nature, I am excited to see what their forthcoming album Being Funny In A Foreign Language holds for the band in a busy indie scene. Amrit Virdi
Nobody Really Cares – Baby Queen
Nobody Really Cares continues Baby Queen’s anti-pop, alternative style. She stands out in today’s music scene, subverting stereotypes and being open in her music about her struggles with mental health and sexuality. The guitars throughout provide a great backdrop for Bella’s introspective lyricism, tackling themes of liberation and encouraging self-acceptance because nobody really cares except you. The song overall is a fantastic addition to her discography, not only because of all of this but because she also deals with difficult topics like addiction in her work that desperately need to be spoken about. The track follows Baby Queen’s winning formula of poetic spoken word verses, with great melodies and powerful choruses. This song also continues a running theme of Baby Queen’s music, specifically her love of Jodie Comer – one that I’m sure many fans of Killing Eve agree with. After writing Want Me as an ode to Comer in 2021, she references the actress again in Nobody Really Cares – “Tell your boyfriend that it’s over / write a song for Jodie Comer”. This track is driven by 90s rock undertones and makes for a really fun listen. I would recommend her music to any fans of Olivia Rodrigo (they are on tour together currently), Gracie Abrams, and Maisie Peters as the influence of Taylor Swift’s music and lyricism is a common thread through all of these artists. Baby Queen is always producing exciting music, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Holly Madden
FUKSTAR – WARGASM (UK)
FUKSTAR is a fundamental WARGASM track: sadistic, climactic, heavy, and genre-bending. Continuing their discourse on feeling like a god, FUKSTAR exists as the antagonist to that, as both a compliment and insult by nature of the name they’ve created. Milkie and Sam’s contrast of vocals only adds to the fantasy that a protagonist and antagonist roam the chaotic world they’ve designed in their music. But the chaos doesn’t stop there because WARGASM bring that energy to every live performance they play, enthrallingly inviting us to join them in their quest to disclose, in a raw and furious way, the reality of people and life, and even sometimes the delusion of god-tier self-worth. FUKSTAR will appear on their upcoming album that’s been in the work for some time now. It’s the product of their rock-star lives having travelled across the world to complete the intricacies of it, such as FUKSTAR’s music video. The video shows the band rocking out in the middle of the desert, but despite being in the middle of nowhere, they’re enclosed even further in a geometric dome protected from zombie-like characters. Again, I raise the point that WARGASM are in a world of their own, dare I say even a league of their own. Their creative and aesthetic prowess will go far in the competitive line of talent in the UK’s rock scene at the moment, and I for one cannot wait to see and hear what’s next. Roxann Yus
Cigarettes – Dan Selwood
Dan Selwood is a new name in the music scene, with Cigarettes being the second single in his discography, taken from his forthcoming EP. The track shows off Selwood’s controlled vocals, a talent considering his young age, as well as his lyrical ability to evoke emotion with heartfelt singings of a failing situation within a 3-minute 20-second track. Structurally, the song follows a traditional indie-rock structure, initially reminding me of the likes of The Night Café. With belting vocals in the chorus layered over drum and guitar-led instrumental crescendos, leading to an epic outro which fits the live music setting, Selwood clearly put his heart and soul into this track to make it a fitting entrance for him in the genre. I found myself humming the song subconsciously after a few listens, and if this is anything to go by then Dan Selwood is definitely one to watch in the indie-rock scene. Amrit Virdi
Small Talk – Francis Karel
I’ve been disappointed by the underwhelming range of heart-breaking ballads that 2022 has had to offer this year, so finding Francis Karel on Instagram through one of this song’s co-writers was such a relief. Small Talk has beautiful vocals (particularly the backing vocals and harmonies); the classic instrumental build that any great pop ballad needs, and of course heart-wrenching lyrics. Highlights include “forever is a word that we romanticised” and “I'd rather have small talk than nothing at all”, but the whole song is filled with lyrics that feel vulnerable and personal, yet at the same time relatable for us as listeners. If you haven’t had the honour of listening to Francis’ beautiful song, I highly recommend you give it a listen right now; I can’t wait to hear what he comes up with next. Cat Jordan
Edited by: Roxann Yus
Featured image courtesy of Baby Queen via Facebook
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