It’s easy to put a downer on things. Why can’t things be how they once were? People so often lament. Well, tough, they’re not. Equally, there’s some pretty terrific things going on right now too. With last week’s Mercury Prize nominations out, it’s hard to say with a straight face that there isn’t a plethora of truly glorious sounds currently out there.
Here’s some of this week’s quality new music.
Calvin Harris (feat. Stefflon Don, Chloë, Coi Leray) – Woman Of The Year
Calvin Harris drops Volume 2 of his Funk Wav Bounces today, which as its album cover depicts takes us away to an island retreat of laidback beats where all your favourites reside. ‘Woman Of The Year’ is one of the album’s brightest moments, with not just a woman but a tripartite of three powerful female artists.
Ela Minus, DJ Python – Pájaros en Verano
Colombia’s Ela Minus and New York-based DJ and producer DJ Python (Brian Piñyero) have released the first track from their forthcoming collaborative EP, the ♡ (referred to as
corazón), which is set for release mid-September – and, interestingly, is being released via Domino’s new dance and electronic-focussed imprint, Smuggler’s Way. ‘Pájaros en Verano’ translates to
Birds in Summer – a fitting title for a track that flutters in your ears.
pinkpirate – Daisy
20-year-old pinkpirate (aka Caitlin Brown) has put out this lovely tune ‘Daisy’, which aims to tell a positive story about being young, queer and in love. Inspired by Caitlin’s partner, this melodious track comes ahead of their forthcoming EP,
i don’t want to grow up boring, due out in late September. By the sounds of it, it’ll be anything but boring.
Suede – 15 Again
Another song about falling in love, though not necessarily with another person this time, but about “falling in love with life for the first time,” Suede’s ageless Brett Anderson has explained. ‘15 Again’ is the second release ahead of Suede’s forthcoming ninth studio album,
Autofiction – an album on which, as this track’s title suggests, they sound as fresh as ever.
ENOLA – Strange Comfort
Something very new and exciting in this. Australia’s singer and multi-instrumentalist ENOLA has a background in electronic music, but in truth this is a tune that bristles with punkish intent. The song is an ode to that, yes, strange comfort found in the idea of suffering amongst us all. That may be, but we still have quality music to get us through it all.
Eminem – Is This Love (’09) (feat. 50 Cent)
Eminem’s compilation
Curtain Call 2 comes almost two decades from the first collection of Slim Shady’s greatest hits. Given the obvious fact that we’ve heard much of its contents before, there’s only a smattering of strictly new material, the most interesting of which is this Dr Dre-produced, 50 Cent-featuring track. ‘Is This Love?’ It might just be.
Panda Bear, Sonic Boom – Edge of the Edge
Friends and creative collaborators, Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) and Sonic Boom (Peter Kember), continue their fine partnership in the run-up to their forthcoming record
Reset, out next week. Featuring a sample of Randy & the Rainbows’ 1963 doo-wop hit ‘Denise’, this certainly feels like a nostalgic throwback, with a dash of something new and scintillating.
Harvey Whyte – Gyally From West
Hackney-based producer and rapper Harvey Whyte already has collaborated with the likes of Greentea Peng, as well as Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn. A self-taught classical pianist, there’s a twinkling background amidst this track’s heavy beat. If you’re a fan, and want to see more his musicality on show,
check out his Backlights Studio session, too, which opens with a rendition of this track.
Art Moore – Inspiration and Fun
Art Moore is a brand-new project from Taylor Vick, aka Boy Scouts, who’s teamed up with Ezra Furman collaborators Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks. Their self-titled debut album is out today and it’s really rather beautiful. Soft and meandering, ‘Inspiration and Fun’ is the record’s closer, epitomising the delicate, pensive project as a whole.
Sophie May – Cadillac
For anyone
who’s been following Sophie May, especially on TikTok, the release of her debut EP,
You Do Not Have To Be Good, will be as much a relief as anything else. The singer-songwriter has built a large fanbase and is now successfully transposing her work onto the major platforms. As if another sign of her growing fandom were needed, her upcoming debut headline show at Servants Jazz Quarters on 7 September sold out within three hours. A second show at Folklore in Hoxton the day after was added, and guess what happened? It sold out within hours. Listen to Sophie May, get it while it’s hot.
