This is the of The Mic Recommends... series hailing in from Germany! And these new releases have been a great soundtrack to features editor, Roxann Yus', first week settling in. Enjoy these tracks for yourself.
Swan upon Leda – Hozier Hozier never fails to simultaneously fill my heart with warmth and send shivers down my spine. After a much-awaited return, Hozier has blessed our ears again with Swan upon Leda, his newest release; a smooth and delicate but powerful piece of artistry- nothing out of the ordinary for such a stunning songwriter. He is able to make darkness and grunge, as well as biblical elements and grace coexist with such ease with music that can only be described as ‘hauntingly beautiful’. The soft guitar is soothing at first; the poetic lyricist sings in prayer-like words of desperation for reproductive rights, telling a sad tale about our society today and his want for change. The power comes from his easily recognisable harmonies, in a chorus of strings and echoing words of societal criticism in a storytelling nature that is consistently imperative to his music. I love it. I always love it. I cannot wait for what is to come from Hozier, his music only seems to get better. I speculate that his upcoming album may be the soundtrack to my autumn walks into uni, and I am not mad about it. Bethany Coldwell
Kammy (like I do) – Fred Again
Fred again.. at one point in, what was at the time, my ignorant life was just merely a DJ. Residing comfortably in the oversaturated market of house music. He fell into the cracks, and I took no notice of him at all. I even missed the opportunity to see him in Madrid because it seemed to me that he was doing what everyone and their nans currently seem to be doing. Spinning decks and pressing buttons. Of course, my ignorance did not remain and I am now reviewing his wonderfully vibrant piece that is Kammy (like I do). Somewhere in East London, where I first heard this song, Fred Gibson was making his debut at the iconic Boiler Room which has now become a critically acclaimed set and before all the sweat had begun to stick to the walls and the legs had become numb from dancing, we heard Kammy (like I do). Obviously, I wasn’t at this gig but even hearing it through my average laptop speaks, I knew this song was ace. Fred again.. deals with intimacy almost exclusively. He’s a keen wide-eyed excitable young man yet his songs are so sombre at times. At least, they leave you thinking in a pensive state and that’s very understandable as he’s an established songwriter. Having worked with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and various other pop bastions and in his own work, the delicacy of his lyrics doesn’t refrain. Yet, I wasn’t aware a beat, a beat that was meant to be danced to and loved and thrived within could be so intimate and warm. The drum machine initiates the whole affair and it’s fast and fine and at times sounds like one side of a tennis rally, we are then slowly introduced to the vocals of Kamile and moments later we are given the warmth. The underlying synth which simply and subtly adds complexity to the entire proceedings. The song carries itself on this synth and we are then given a Fred again.. staple, a sample of speech. ‘My guy Fred’; the unknown man says “When they see you’re here // Ayy you know it’s serious.” It is serious as this song is going to become a house essential, heard anytime at any club from here to the other side of the world. Take this man seriously and be ready, like I am, for his new album Actual life 3 out on the 28th of October. Harry Mangham
Not Another Rockstar – Maisie Peters
Maisie Peters has grown from the adorable folk-pop princess people may have known her for. Her first three singles from the upcoming second album scream this fact, with more production on her tracks making the songs exciting for listeners. Sprinkled with synths, a vast number of backing vocals and vocal effects, and a groovy bass line, Not Another Rockstar is a surprisingly upbeat track for Peters. Lyrically, I found myself laughing at the message of the song- haven’t we all been excited about meeting someone new, only to realise we’ve fallen into the same traps laid by the same types of people we always go for? Peters encapsulates that feeling perfectly: “funny I could pick 'em up in a line-up, line up. Pretty certain I could do it with my eyes shut, eyes shut.” Eventually, I hope that all of this will break out of this repetitive and draining cycle of feeling, but until then, this is a great song to knowingly sing along to. Cat Jordan
Ditch – Lamb of God
The new album Omens by my favourite band ever, Lamb Of God, was released on Friday and I’m a huge fan. They’ve come back with a vengeance, making for a record that is brutally heavy, politically charged, scathingly critical, and most of all amazing for headbanging. Ditch is one of the best tracks on the record, with Randy Blythe exploding out of the gates to bring in the vocals with a devastating yell of “I don’t give a goddamn” before the song bombards the listener into sonic submission. The aural equivalent of a targeted missile, Ditch is a hardcore-inspired groove metal rager that seethes with anger and attitude that feels like it could implode upon itself into riots. As far as consistency goes, the record is up there with the best of them. Lamb Of God have become one of the rare beasts in music that have yet to drop a record that is below a 7.5/10 (at the lowest) with even their ‘worst’ record being brilliant and featuring a couple of fan faves, and it’s only gone up from there, with this their ninth LP as Lamb Of God being a strong contender for metal album of the year, and also looking like one that will become a firm fan favourite in years to come. Jake Longhurst
FORTUNE COOKIE – easy life
Easy Life are a band who are no stranger to sampling classic hits. They do this with Day Dreaming by Aretha Franklin for their hit Daydreams or Dionne Warwick’s Loneliness remembers what Happiness Forgets for their song Nightmares. Their new single Fortune Cookie is no different. It bears a striking resemblance to Randy Newman’s You’ve got a Friend in Me luring the listener into a sense of nostalgia. The message mirrors that of Newman’s song too, in that it highlights if you’re feeling down there is someone looking out for you. Just as the title indicates its sort of a well-wishing statement, you would find in a fortune cookie. This combined with the melodic and memorable backing track which features an orchestral opening that reminds one of a big movie sequence perhaps once again harks back to the sampled song. Overall, the song is simple yet effective in its mission to make the listener feel good, perhaps it’s a little shallow in musical sophistication but it gets the job done and is a perfect example of bedroom pop which compliments the artist’s other work. Olivia Hughes
Edited by Roxann Yus
Cover image courtesy of Hozier via Facebook.
Comments