Some really big tracks this week, coming from one of Birmingham’s finest, our Teeside favourites and the most pissed off voice in the north that you need to hear.
Swim Deep – To Feel Good
Birmingham’s Swim Deep announced their third LP “Emerald Classics” with the release of their new single, ‘To Feel Good’, a mixture of luscious dream pop, and hopeful storytelling. Accompanied by Margate’s Social Singing Choir, ‘To Feel Good’ shares the story of frontman Austin Williams at 18, dreaming of a career in music. The track while shot through a sharp, black and white lens, showing Williams being mercilessly attacked, carries an impossibly optimistic energy throughout, lifted further by the soaring harmonies of the choir, showing Swim Deep at their absolute best.
Llovers – Coming Loose
The boys from Teeside are back with a bright eyed new track, ‘Coming Loose’, rapidly becoming experts of the dream pop genre now. As with all their tracks, Llovers’ glistening, synth drenched guitar hooks are a beautiful façade for the deeper narrative they share in their songs, as ‘Coming Loose’ depicts anxieties in a intimacy-lacking relationship. A beautifully display of anxious, dream pop, pits Llovers as a name to commonly associate with the rapidly swelling genre.
Belau – Essence ft. Sophie Barker
Taken from the Hungarian duos upcoming sophomore LP, ‘Essence’ delivers the scarcity of The xx’s early work, expanding into a gorgeous cacophony of light and playful pop. Carrying across this atmospheric sound throughout a plethora of xylophones and kaleidoscopic rhythms, guest vocalist Sophie Barker feels like a welcomed summer breeze, amplifying ‘Essence’ even further into being a completely unforgettable experience.
Deanna Petcoff – Stage Lights
Texture and warmth comes pouring out of Deanna Petcoff when she begins singing, and on her new track ‘Stage Lights’, the Canadian artist is a commanding presence. A comforting aura surrounds Petcoff’s voice, like seeing a life-long friend for the first time in years. ‘Stage Lights’ delivers a message of longing and hope, all with the power and presence of HAIM, wrapped up in a perfectly bundled indie folk edge that fans of Angie McMahon will fall in love with.
Feral Family – The North
With a message to share with the people of the north, Feral Family bring across an abrupt “working class” edge similar to the south’s Real Lies, with an abrasive, gritty garage/grunge edge that gives you no choice but to listen. Truly, politically charged punk, ‘The North’ delivers a reality check that has never heard of the term hedging. With consistent tempo changes and harsh, chunky guitar riffs amplifying the north’s need “for a new power” ensuring that there’ll never be a moment they don’t have your full attention, Feral Family are ferociously pissed off and it’s god damn necessary.
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