NEW ADDS: Black Country, New Road, Smerz, & more!
Black Country, New Road - For the first time
Despite having already received some pre-released version of four out of the six tracks on For the first time, London post-punk band Black Country, New Road’s debut album was no less worthy of every bit of hype that it received.
The record gives the listener sonic whiplash in the best way, with each of the seven band members contributing their own unique instrumentation and sound without ever sounding out of place or busy. This is most evident in the distinct drums and saxophones on opener “Instrumental,” which seeks to blend post-punk with heavy influence from the Jewish klezmer genre.
Equally notable, though, are frontman Isaac Wood’s lyrics. Sung with monotonous passion à la fellow British experimental rock group Black Midi, Wood is nothing if not self-reflexive, singing at one point “I told you I loved you in front of Black Midi.”
In fact, most of the album’s lyrics are notable for their resemblance to the absurdist in-joke references of Twitter meme culture. My personal favorite is on “Sunglasses”: “Mother is juicing watermelons on the breakfast island/ And with frail hands she grips the NutriBullet/ And the bite of its blades reminds me/ Of a future that I am in no way part of.” Despite the overall silliness of the lyrics, Wood’s disturbing delivery makes these seeming generalizations fit to the modern Gen Z condition feel weighted and personal.
And yet, by the time we get to their penultimate track, “Track X,” the band reveals an almost classical indie-artist vulnerability. Lyrics and melody mellow out to reveal a romantic tale complemented by whimsical backing vocals that stand in direct contrast to Wood’s harsh delivery elsewhere on the record.
This album encapsulates what’s possible for the future of experimental post-punk. The seamless blend of influences, varied instrumentation, and witty lyrical tidbits works to create a truly cohesive and remarkable record. That this is only the band’s first full-length release is all the more exciting.
- Barbara Rasin, Music Director
RIYL: Black Midi, Squid, Protomartyr
Recommended Tracks: 1, 4, 5
FCC: Explicit (Track 5)
Smerz - Believer
The pursuit of intimacy comes at a price. Oftentimes, those coded as feminine choose to take on the emotional labor, as the partner passively chooses to accept it. The former begins to see toxic patterns and then finds themselves in an internal conflict - Do I stay? Why am I doing this to myself? Your perspective on the relationship then turns muddy, dressed in miscommunications, insecurity, lust and the like. Your head goes in all different directions from the indifference, putting you through chaotic vicissitudes and waves of intense emotion. But, despite the messiness, the relationship is worthy of belief.
The Norwegian duo Smerz (Catharina Stoltenberg, Henriette Motzfeldt) relay similar trials of tangled relationships in their debut album, Believer. A record two years in the making, it lyrically and sonically depicts the meanders and complications involved with loving someone, whether those convolutions are rooted in faults of your own, your partner’s or in the relationship itself.
On the anticipatory instrumental opener (“Gitarriff”), glittery percussion glistens into a string section, teasing the following track, “Max.” Throughout the record, Smerz proves their stellar ability to seamlessly integrate both electronic and acoustic elements, and “Max” is no exception. Used only in certain parts, the piercing synths come through the composition, enhancing the frustration felt from not being able to see yourself as another does. The synths settle into the strings, as Henriette sings, “You say you want me to try / I don’t know how to make it up to you.” She wants to work this out, but she doesn’t know how.
The title track comes next; “Believer” is a more grainy, rhythmic song that lays out a continuous storyline of a fickle relationship that you can’t let go of, even when it ends badly. It effectively establishes the patterns of a confusing, possibly one-sided relationship that feeds off the internal conflict of “should I stay or go?”.
Tracks like “Versace Strings”, “4 temaer” and “Sonette” create intricate, ethereal soundscapes that blend harmoniously into the more groove-driven songs. They allow you to get inside the sound of these moving, otherworldly compositions saturated in intricate string and piano sounds and embellished with graceful melodies.
Other songs like “Flashing,” “Glassbord” and “I don’t talk about that much” show another side to Smerz’s sound that reads as more of a dance track, but with striking lyricism and airy vocals. All three of these tracks cover a range of situations from alternating perspectives on your relationship to blocking out weighty emotions to the uncertainty of how your former partner is feeling after you’ve ended things. Yet, each story has its place in the larger narrative of the record.
The record ends with “Hva Hvis.” With layered violins and a lighter tone, it isn’t your typical closing track, but that’s completely intentional. Smerz doesn’t have the answer to the internal conflict. But they do have hope.
Believer is an album that experiments with different sonic textures to display an elaborate piece that shows the many bemusing layers of a complex relationship. It is a powerful body of work that is able to clearly explicate complicated emotions in both its lyricism and instrumentation, showing that love, though confusing at times, necessitates trust and, of course, belief.
- Olivia de Witt, Alumni Director and DJ
RIYL: Erika de Casier, COUCOU CHLOE, Babyfather, Oklou
Recommended Tracks: 5, 8, 11, 12, 15
FCC: Clean
Mihi Nihil - "Falling Star"
Fresh band MIHI NIHIL (mee-kee nee-keel) promises a wild ride – at least as wild as it gets from a former singer of the NYC Opera backed by three self-taught rockers.
Likened to The Savages, early Sonic Youth and The Cure, the foursome offer a deeper dive into their debut LP with wistful new single “Falling Star.”
HEARTS APART - "Waste Time"
HEARTS APART is the new project from members of well known italian underground band such as Miss Chain & The Broken Heels, Il Buio, Universal Sex Arena and Phill Reynolds.
'Waste Time' is their debut single, recorded by Brown Barcella (Bee Bee Sea, The Peawees) at TUP Studio in Brescia and mastered by Maurizio Baggio (Soft Moon, Boy Harsher) at La Distilleria Produzioni in Bassano del Grappa.
RIYL: The Marked Men, Radioactivity, Jay Reatard, The Exploding Hearts
Tricky Susan - "Undercover"
A London-based post punk four-piece, Tricky Susan immediately snatch your attention with their hook centric melodies and a sincere yet energetic stage presence. Topping it off with a penchant for a good time, it won’t take you long to get what this lot are about.
RIYL: The Long Blondes, The Pretenders, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No
Doubt, Blondie, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys