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The Mic Recommends...

Check out newest tracks from Phoebe Bridgers, shame, and James and the Cold Gun.


So Much Wine – Phoebe Bridgers

Adding to a repertoire of melancholic Christmas covers, Phoebe Bridgers releases her rendition of Handsome Family’s So Much Wine, donating the proceeds to the Los Angeles LGBT centre. The song serves as a sorrowful ode to a loved one battling alcohol addiction. The lamentable subject matter, combined with Bridgers’ delicately painful vocals, serves to counteract the usual plethora of artificially joyful holiday tracks. Bridgers’ fragile melody is punctuated by the twang of Andrew Bird’s fiddle and echoed by the background vocals of Ethan Gruska, Harrison Whitford, and Bridgers’ partner Paul Mescal. Bird’s whistling serves as a comforting whisper upon the measured winds of Bridgers’ guitar acoustics. While we tip-toe upon the threshold of a cinnamon-spiced, consumerist-driven, festive season, Bridgers refuses to forget the pain which underlies the sickly-sweet traditions. So Much Wine is a tender reminder that it’s okay to feel sad in the face of overly romanticised festivity. Maddie Dinnage


Fingers of Steel – shame

The new single by South London post-punk five-piece shame is the first for the third record Food For Worms, the self-proclaimed “Lamborghini of shame records” that promises to boast an eclectic range of influences, propelling the band’s sonic evolution past their established area of post-punk expertise. The track opens with an ominous piano intro; perhaps a slight, surprising departure from their previous sound. However, it’s a welcome one as the band’s abrasive wall of sound enters with urgency immediately afterwards. Drummer Charlie Forbes’ tight grooves that dominated the group’s sophomore effort Drunk Tank Pink remain a driving force in the opening single for their new track, similarly found in Water in the Well and Nigel Hitter. Fingers of Steel presents lyrical content of friendship and belonging, and the anxiety of losing these senses of identity, with Steen’s signature vocal flair dominating the nostalgic essence of the track, a common occurrence that is somehow felt ever more prominent here compared to their previous work. Whether the new record can deliver on the band’s already highly praised discography remains up in the air, but if this single is anything to go by, shame are only just getting started. They’re solidifying themselves as a household name in the competitive new era of post-punk. Luke Bower



Chewing Glass – James and the Cold Gun

Just as the name James and the Cold Gun nearly left my vocabulary, they reminded me today of how quintessential their name is to modern rock in the UK. Branded as South Wales’ Loudest, they certainly deliver some of the most exciting music out of the quiet western coast, racking up a very impressive discography alongside tracks like She Moves and Plug Me In. I’ve been lucky enough to catch their wholesomely punky sets twice now, and even more fortunate to get a restaurant recommendation in Cardiff from James. If their taste in vegan cuisine is any indication of how tasty Chewing Glass is, then the future of Welsh rock is in safe hands. And of course, by safe hands, I mean energetic jumping, moshing, and simply throwing hands in the air by how insanely contagious the music they create is. Listening to Chewing Glass reminds me of how unbeatable, for me, the UK rock scene is, and how insanely much I miss concert-going there. So, in summary, this is a desperate plea that James and the Cold Gun come to the small Black Forest city of Freiburg to show Germany what the Welsh mean by safe hands. Roxann Yus


 

Edited by Roxann Yus


Cover image courtesy of James and the Cold Gun via Facebook, taken by George Girvan Photography.


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