The Predatory Wasp
Jenny Hval opens her new album Iris Silver Mist with Lay Down, a track that floats in slowly, all soft synths and whispered intimacy. She sings about lying in the dark with a scythe in her hand, which sounds ominous, but lands more reflective than threatening. There’s a quiet jazziness to the arrangement, loungey and fluid, making it feel like something half-heard through a hotel wall.
Stonefly is the third single from Maria Somerville’s upcoming album Luster, due out April 25 via 4AD . It’s a slow, minimal track built around soft synth loops and Somerville’s low-key vocal delivery. There’s not much in the way of hooks, but it’s easy to get drawn into its atmosphere after a couple of listens. The track also comes with a video directed by Daniel Swan, which fits the mood without overdoing it
An artistic couple, T H R O N E is the union of Hayatheus and YVHIKV, who together craft distinctive, alternative hip-hop from their home in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. Clocking in at a little over a minute, Family Reunion packs a hell of a lot into such a short running time, with crackling beats and a hazily looped sample providing the bed for confidently delivered, insightful lyrics about the complexity and frustrations associated with family relationships.
This came out back in October as the lead single from Keeley Forsyth’s debut album Debris, but I’ve only just heard it. Her voice is incredible, kinda like a female Nick Cave, portentous and anguished. Brief, but very powerful.
The Predatory Wasp 