Galaxians - Chemical Reaction

The second album from Leeds disco funk trio, Galaxians, out via Stargaze, on 26th June.

During the lockdown period and Covid-19 crisis, the music I have reviewed has been mostly works of internal reflection and contemplation, there has not been that music which has been reactionary in a sense of letting your hair down. We forget that the weather has been glorious throughout this period of personal isolation with temperatures soaring to nearly 30 degrees.

This new album release from Leeds' Galaxians is the album this period of prolonged sunshine has been asking for, a burst of potent sunshine that we need for these periods of barbecues and gardening.

Starting off with the title track not merely as a statement of intent, it is a statement of direct persuasiveness, Chemical Reaction is a jolt of five plus minutes of funk that does not give you the vocals of Emma Mason until two plus minutes into the track. The track is a burst of vibrant energy full of retrospective sounds but full of influence and the DIY scene.

Mason along with Matt Woodward (drums) and Jed Skinner (synths) are a band that they themselves refer to as fuelled by 'too much coffee and too many donuts'.  It is this carefree nature that feeds into the tracks ranging from 'Heartbreaker' about female empowerment to 'Not the Money' about working for the pride of working.

This harkens back to old-school summer vibes of Montell Jordan, Coolio yet with the influence of Roisin Murphy in the vocal delivery of Mason; there is the 80s post-disco funk of Evelyn King for example along with boogie, garage and basslines aplenty.

Tracks remind this listener of that other great disco album of the 21st Century, that of the Scissor Sisters debut album which had that infusion of pop and disco cred, this is more akin to that band's apex along with Moloko - a titanic female lead vocalist with cool production chops to match.

Chemical Reaction is out from June 26th and is available here.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Pynch 'Somebody Else'

'Life is strange but at least I get paid' 

The new single from Pynch band is out July 6th from Speedy Wunderground.

A subtle political piece where the message is 'somebody else' the times have caused you to act and feel like someone else, when you are without the routine of everyday life, when it is taken away from you what do you become.

While this has a driving hum to it, there is a melancholy

'I just want to feel something real' - is the rallying cry after the lyrics go back and forth from defiance to being unassured, being uncertain about what you want is the only certain thing in this life currently.

This song is a distant relative of 'Born To Run' and that thread of uncertainty that runs through Springsteen's work or about the individual putting themselves front and centre in his own narrative in reaction to the oppressive society around him.

The video is a kaleidoscope of imagery from walks and activity during the lockdown period mainly in May 2020, so this is a time capsule piece featuring walks across fields, cycling without chains on your bike, harking back to a period of innocence ending on a journey at the lido this mythical place you used to attend when younger and more carefree.

Somebody Else is out on 6th July as a single.

Spice 'All My Best Shit'

The new single release from Californian band, Spice, this is a rip-roaring piece of grungy, fast adrenaline rock.

This is a song as much about anger and how to express it compared to sitting upon your emotions. In this day and age of mental awareness and being expressive about feelings, this is a guitar-driven indie rock song seeking to be heard amidst this pandemic of epic proportions.

The single 'All My Best Shit' is released ahead of the self-titled album out on July 21st from DAIS records.

The album is a nine track 30-minute cut of sonic infusion sparking discussion about co-existing with spikes of loud and soft, short and long but yet full of sparky punch and authority in this world of unrest.

The group comprise of Ross Farrar (vocals) and Jake Casarotti (drums) from the band Ceremony, along with Cody Sullivan (bass), Ian Simpson (guitar) and Victoria Skudlarek (violin) the band have honed a sound from the Bay Area pedigree full of modernity and anthemic yearning.

Spice is out from DAIS records on July 21st

Modern Nature - 'Footsteps'

Modern Nature is a new group from Jack Cooper, famous for being Ultimate Painting; and they have released a new video for new single Footsteps ahead of the debut album release How To Live from Bella Union on August 23rd.

The new video is directed by Jake McGowan; and it follows a thread in the album Cooper says that is 'a journey from the chaos of the city to the sanctuary of the country, so we wanted to condense the idea down over the course of Footsteps with the final scene being a baptism...washing everything away'

McGowan harks back to famous British films that has its lense look upon non city scapes such as Withnail and I, Naked and Wish You Were Here; he uses the monotony and cyclical nature of life to make a statement that we need to get away and get back in touch with our selves and the conditions we live in.

The new group are a combination of Jack Cooper (Ultimate Painting), Will Young (BEAK>) plus Aaron Neveu (Woods) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers) - and having taken their name from a diary entry of Derek Jarman, the band are clearly struck by the mix of urban and rural.

On the new album, the urban and rural cross and collide with cello strings melting into electronic beats, rising melodies on saxophones combat guitar strums.  There is an exoticness to the music on Footsteps - organic compositions create a rich quality to the music.

The new single is a great taster for Modern Nature who despite fighting between the rural and the urban have found a unique world of their own to occupy.

How To Live will be released from Bella Union on August 23rd and available for pre-order here.

White Lies 'Tokyo' New video

PIAS Recordings are pleased to share a new video from White Lies for single 'Tokyo' in anticipation of the album release on 1st February.

Directed again by David Pablos, and was shot back-to-back with previous video release 'Believe It' which was shot in Mexico. This video encapsulates the big anthemic noise coming from the band who are returning to the mainstream after a long absence from the public eye.

White Lies are releasing 'Five' on February 1st from PIAS Recordings, and this writer has had the privilege of listening to a preview of the new album and it promises to be a huge smash full of larger than life hits yet has universal appeal - its a big world but it can be lonely sometimes, yet there is somewhere out there for you to fit into.

From 'Believe It' which has the ear worminess of Bastille to the opus 'Time To Give' which opens the album and is reminiscent of Depeche Mode. White Lies it seems are making up for lost time with this synth-laden soundscape they have produced.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the preview and video link.