This Week In Releases: 4/26/2020 (Angelo De Augustine, The 1975, Juice WRLD)
Artists have been busy dropping music this week. Here’s enough to keep busy listening!
Angelo De Augustine & Sufjan Stevens: “Santa Barbara”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Sharing a great deal with the barebones acoustics of Stevens’ 2017 ‘Carrie and Lowell’, this new collaborative cut from Angelo De Augustine and Sufjan Stevens delivers a stunningly gorgeous ballad about watching life go by. Despite their strikingly similar voices, Stevens and De Augustine come together to create a harmony that delivers much more in the way dynamics than either of their recent solo efforts.
Hayley Williams: “Dead Horse”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Final single to be released from her new EP, Hayley Williams continues to build upon the electro-pop sound of Paramore’s ‘After Laughter’. Radio-friendly sensibilities of the songwriting and melody distract somewhat from the fact that the track still has a slightly darker edge to it, although it would be a stretch-and-a-half to say she’s on her way back to her noughties era emo roots. Worth a listen for fans or anyone who’s deciding between skipping it when their pop playlist throws it on.
Deerhoof: “Farewell Symphony”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
There is no denying that this track may be a challenging track, though Deerhoof is known for all but easy listening music. Beginning with an off-kilter drum pattern with a fuzzy guitar riff played atop. Singer Satomi Matsuzaki soon joins in, lamenting the inevitability of society’s inability to return to normal. The tune goes through several phases, slowly breaking itself apart until settling on a dejected piano refrain and intrusive bursts of fuzz to backdrop the final bow.
Jayson Green & The Jerk: “Too Much Beauty”
I feel bad about missing out on Orchid frontman Jayson Green’s progression from masochistic screamo to synthpop, but I’m glad that this Adult Swim Single turned me on to his current project. On this seven minute track, Green trades overwhelming hardcore intrumentals for a synthetic one with an oppressive groove and linear-progression that continues to build into oblivion. Backup vocals can be heard later on in the track, a familiar one comes from Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem; a group which undoubtedly provides inspiration to many aspects of the track.
The 1975: “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Not sure how many singles it will take for this group to put out their next record, though they’ve all been pretty solid as of yet. This new tack is no exception. Fusing 80s style synth-heavy pop rock with lyrics that can only be applicable in this day and age, Matty healy sings praise to the girl on the screen; preferring her to the one in front of him in real life. Can’t decide whether the instrumental or the lyrics are more tongue in cheek, but I’m sure they come together to make a great song.
Quelle Chris & Chris Keys: “Mirage”
Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp
Chris Keys provides a melancholic and meandering piano centric beat on which Chris and some friends feed us some real poetics. Earl Sweatshirt brings a level of excellence to be expected in the sparsity of his features, as well as fellow Mello Music signee Denmark Vesey. A lengthy spoken word bit from Big Sen towards the end detracts from the song’s overall impact, in addition to some nondescript vocal embellishments from Tune Yards’ Merrill Gabus that make up the chorus. It’s a solid cut though, I can’t deny.
Jonsi: “Exhale”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi has finally followed up his 2010 solo debut with this new track featuring production from PC Music mastermind A.G. Cooke. As to be expected, the pair come together to create an art-pop track that emphasizes the art more so than the pop. “Exhale” is a song centered around an attempt to alleviate the guilt of another, and begins with a fairly minimal sound which builds into a triumphant finish.
JPEGMAFIA: “BODYGUARD!”
In line with a lot of material off his recent “All My Heroes Are Cornballs” album, this new track features some very lowkey balladry which is soaked in unmistakable autotune. Peggy’s emotion breaks through the veil of vocal manipulation to relay his feelings of absolute security with the ambiguous significant other. Additionally, I am detecting a strong influence in some of the cadences in the track; though this may be due to it being so close to the anniversary of his passing (LLP).
Everything, Everything: “In Birdsong”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Marking a common theme with a lot of this week’s releases, “In Birdsong” is a minimal electro-pop tune with a building, linear progression. In my opinion, EE has done it the best with a track that does not compromise for one second, as it builds more and more layers of synthetic tones. After the climax, the track literally feels as though it is exhaling from the weight of the previous few minutes; closing out with passage of ambient tones.
Charli XCX: “Claws”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
This is the second track off her highly publicised quarantine project which Charli and her innumerable collaborators/fanbase have been working on over the past month or so via various social media platforms. Featuring the characteristically glitchy and bombastic production of 100 Gecs’ Dylan Brady, “Claws” still manages to convey a feeling of love and affection. Another spectacular addition to what will likely be one of the most inventively created records of the foreseeable future.
James Blake: “You’re Too Precious”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Harkening back to the more avant-garde electronics he made his reputation on, Blake’s new song makes use of pitched and chopped up samples of his own voice to make up the bulk of the hooks and refrains. Over hand-clapped percussion, he croons some of the most original romanticism I’ve heard in a while; going as far as to say he’d eat the hair out of his lover’s food. Although the track’s experimental qualities and quirks take center stage, it still might be the best love song I’ve heard this year.
Juice WRLD: “Righteous”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
Juice’s first solo posthumous single capitalizes on his signature blend of trap and emo, to produce one of his better ventures into the aesthetic. His lyrics about depression and drug abuse are nothing new to listeners well versed in his back-catalogue, though they do hit a little different in light of his passing.
The Killers: “Fire In Bone”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
The Killers’ recent output is quite the far cry from their emo-pop that brought them to prominence, having more in common with the blues-rock of Springsteen and the E-Street Band. “Fire in Bone” begins with a very groovy bassline that follows Flowers’ narrative through the song, featuring repetitive statements on how he feels. The track may be a little one note conceptually, but it is saved of monotony by some jarring synth leads that show up here and there.
THE SCOTTS (Travis Scott & Kid Cudi): “THE SCOTTS”
Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube
I’m not spending too much time diving into a song that was premiered on Fortnite, though there isn’t really all that much here to break down. It’s another solid nocturnal trap banger from La Flame and Kid Cudi who pulls off a very La Flame-esque flow. Not the greatest thing we’ve heard from either artist, but definitely far from the worst.
Check Out This Week’s Playlist on Spotify & Apple Music
Category: New Music, News, Rotation Adds
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