Tag: pop

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Jackie Lynn – Control

Control is the final track on Jackie Lynn’s (aka Circuit des Yeux’s Haley Fohr) latest album Jacqueline, and it’s a pretty phenomenal way to wrap up the 30 minutes or so of eclecticism that precedes it. Ranging from electro-inflected punk to soaring, ethereal folk to out-and-out pop, it’s a disorienting experience of being flung from one genre to another without the slightest bit of warning. And then there’s Control, an epic, grandiose finale that’s both fragile and foreboding, and a fitting end to a hugely ambitious release.

https://jackielynn.bandcamp.com/album/jacqueline

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Dua Saleh – smut

Sudanese-American artist Dua Saleh started off their artistic career as a poet before releasing their debut single First Take back in 2017. smut is one of the tracks on their new EP, ROSETTA, which dropped last week. It’s an intoxicating pop-r&b-electronic hybrid: unpredictable and constantly shifting in tone and style over the course of its four-minute running time, and I absolutely love it.

https://twitter.com/doitlikedua

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Elisabeth Elektra – Sadie

Shimmering electronic pop from the Glasgow-based Elisabeth Elektra today with Sadie, which is far and away the most restrained track from her new album Mercurial, steadily building the tension for its duration with billowing pads and an increasingly anguished vocal. I love it: it’s pure, glacial melodrama and the rest of the album is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the market for 40 minutes of joyous, synthy escapism.

https://www.instagram.com/elisaelektra

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Charli XCX – 7 Years

I’m surprised how long it’s taken me to post a Charli XCX track, given how much I like her and how rapidly she bangs out new material. 7 Years is taken from her new album how i’m feeling now which was entirely produced over the last two months or so of lockdown. Produced as a collaborative project, with Charli holding regular Zoom chats with up to 1000 fans to get feedback and ideas, it’s not a huge departure from previous albums and mixtapes, except there aren’t any features. Basically, if like me you’re into her, you’ll probably really like this too, and 7 Years is a definite highlight.

https://www.instagram.com/charli_xcx

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Kehlani – Can I feat. Tory Lanez

This is the second track on Kehlani’s very well received second album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, with a guest verse from Tory Lanez with whom I became vaguely obsessed with around the release of his I Told You LP, but haven’t really paid attention to since. Both are on excellent form on Can I, which is a sultry, lugubrious banger.

https://www.kehlani.com

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Austra – All I Wanted

All I Wanted is taken from Katie Stelmanis’s fourth album as Austra, HiRUDiN, which is about as positive, uplifting a way to start the week as you could hope for. Her voice is absolutely incredible, and shines especially bright on this and the next track on the album How Did You Know?, both of which are utterly brilliant.

https://austra.fyi

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Ferdous – Counting Stars

I have a real soft spot for anything that sounds like it’s harkening back to an especially synthy period of the 80s, and Counting Stars fits very neatly into that particular little box. Vocally he also sounds quite a lot like Toro Y Moi, who released one of my favourite albums of the decade a couple of years back. Really very good indeed.

https://www.instagram.com/ferdousmusic/

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Cindy Lee – Plastic Raincoat

An alias of former Woman frontman Patrick Flegel, this is taken from Cindy Lee’s fifth studio album What’s Tonight to Eternity?, which is partly inspired by the music and ultimately tragic story of Karen Carpenter. If these names mean nothing to you, worry not: you don’t need to know any of the backstory to enjoy it. The album’s a real gem packed full of spectral synths and icy vocals, and Plastic Raincoat is a superbly absorbing opening track.

https://www.thefader.com/2020/02/20/cindy-lee-whats-tonight-to-eternity-profile-interview

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Empress Of – Bit Of Rain

Frothy pop from the eternally effervescent Empress Of today to celebrate surviving another week of #lockdownlife. Really love this, and serves as a reminder that at some point we’ll all be able to drink ciders in the sun and watch actual live music again. Won’t that be something.

http://www.empressof.com

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Patricia Taxxon – You

Pop meets trance in a hyperactive bubblegum echo chamber. About as positive a record as you’re likely to hear this year. Plus the entire EP Beauty is on YouTube, which is what I’ve posted below: You is the first song on there. Or there’s a pay what you like option to buy via the Bandcamp link. Florescent pink gold.

https://patriciataxxon.bandcamp.com