1. Outfit – ‘Dashing In Passing’
A five-piece from Liverpool, Outfit produce a type of chill-wave music from which it seemed the band were never able to settle down, and the synths employed are subtle but also inherently dark and solemn. ‘Dashing In Passing’ has a conventional chorus from which you can distinguish brooding guitars amongst the echoes. With a certain subdued nature, with the odd bit of electronic warping, similarities can be drawn to Zulu Winter and Breton. Their new EP, Another Night’s Dreams Reach Earth Again can be purchased now.
2. St. Lucia – ‘We Got It Wrong’
St. Lucia, the stage name for Brooklyn artist Jean-Phillip Grobler and the name is aptly picked as ‘We Got It Wrong’ is a delicious blend of Caribbean beats, summer vibes and enthusiastic synth-pop. The song starts off with shimmering synths and vocals which are likely to you get dancing before launching into some repetitive and highly catchy percussive beats. No matter how downbeat you are feeling, ‘We Got It Wrong’ is probably going to make you feel as if summer has already arrived. His self-titled EP is available now.
3. Van She – ‘Idea of Happiness’
With the lead, and indeed title track from their upcoming album, Van She return to full production after a four-year break. Here, the Australian electro-pop group, best known for their Van She Tech Remixes of Feist and Dragonette, outline their ‘Idea of Happiness’. Theirs can only be described as an euphoric yet enjoyable comfort. It is a track whose synths are a throwback to the 1980s with rich sounds that, combined with Matt Van Schie’s sharp longing vocals, signpost towards a trendy beach gathering as the sun sets. The album, Idea of Happiness, is released 9 July on Modular Records.
Contributions from David Martin and Alex Rogers.
