Solidarity Not Silence – ‘This Is Sisterhood‘
Having spoken out against their abuse at the hands of a male music industry figure in 2016, ‘Solidarity not Silence’ are a supergroup using music to raise the money they need to fight an ongoing defamation case. Featuring The Tuts, Petrol Girls and Riot Grrrl legend Kathleen Hanna, Tuts singer Nadia Javed is the poignant storytelling force behind the verses, but it’s that driving gang chorus that’ll really stick in your head — a no-nonsense, straightforward message of recognition, solace and, ultimately, fight.
Little Simz – ‘Woman ft. Cleo Sol’
The latest in Little Simz’s bid for world domination, ‘Woman’ is noughties RnB opulence redefined; a silky Cleo Sol vocal draping elegantly over Simbi’s rapid-fire appreciation for all the black women out there, hard at work securing the proverbial bag of self-affirmation – “he was getting bitter/ while she was getting better”. A banger this smooth deserves serious amplification — spread it far and wide.
BASH! – ‘Lovely, Smart and Beautiful‘
Southampton five-piece BASH! have perfectly captured the inner joy we feel sashaying our way to an outdoors brunch with pals we haven’t seen in 18 months, hoping that our avo toast doesn’t fly away in the breeze. Self-described by the band as an “ode to being strong and ambitious”, it’s the second song they ever wrote as a group, and a solid reminder to follow what feels good. In their hands, big, shimmery, 80s-inflected pop feels bloody great.
LUMP – ‘Animal‘
When you’re used to hearing Laura Marling’s distinctive voice over gentle acoustic guitars, LUMP can take some getting used to. That said, as Marling’s duo-collaboration with Mike Lindsay of Tunng revs up for their second album, ‘Animal’ has a decidedly nostalgic bite. In fact, there is something in its discordant bleeps and off-kilter breakdown that recalls the glory days of the indie-noughties, where everything was Late of The Pier and nothing hurt. If you bought all your clothes from Topshop in the years where Scandi-cool festival gear lived harmoniously with nu-rave neon, this song goes out to you.
Mimi Bay – ‘pick me up ft. Stevan‘
Favourite of Matty Healy and labelmate Zara Larsson, Gothenburg artist Mimi Bay is keen to let the world know that she has outgrown bedroom pop but there is still a soft spot in her heart for a late-night duvet-and-diary confession. On ‘pick me up’, her woozy Frank-Ocean melodies play perfect tug-of-war with Stevan’s side of the love story, wistfully texting “u up?” in the hope of a reconciliation. Nearly all of us will have been through something similar, but very few could execute digital-age heartbreak with such panache.
Listen to these and more new tracks on our BRAND NEW playlist.
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