Welcome back to your new-look This Week In Records, your weekly roundup of everything that is new and good in the world of music. If there’s anything we’ve missed or you’d like to see your upcoming release featured on this page, let us know by emailing us at [email protected]!
Biffy Clyro – Ellipsis
Set to headline at Reading & Leeds next month, the angsty Scottish rockers haven’t released a new collection since the ambitious double album Opposites over three years ago. Fortunately, they decided to melt our faces off a few months back with ‘Wolves Of Winter,’ a track packed with Simon Neil’s trademark visceral roars. Ellipsis hits in full today through 14th Floor, complete with Neil and the Johnston brothers curled into foetal positions on the cover, perhaps in an attempt to join the choir of children on the brilliant ‘Friends & Enemies.’
John Newman – ‘Olé’
‘Tis the season to listen to Calvin, fa la la la la, la la la la. After what feels like an epoch since he graced us with, well, whatever 2014’s Motion was meant to be (because ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ with Disciples wasn’t really a proper Calvin Harris throw-your-hands-in-the-air-to-the-goofy-synth-magic moment), he’s been all over the place since being substituted out of the tabloids. His mission, apparently, was to remind us after the whole Anti thing that Rihanna is really great at plain old pop stuff and adorn Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Hype,’ a track that didn’t quite deserve the anticipation its billings and title forged, with scratchy echoes of I Created Disco. Now, he’s penned and produced ‘Blame’-sharer John Newman’s third album bow, a reggae-tinged record via Island that, with lyrics like “Low key, you won’t tell none of your friends about me / You won’t tell them I occupy your dreams and your thoughts,” is most certainly definitely not written from Hiddleston’s perspective about alleged infidelity or something like that at all.
Lawson – Perspective
Not many boybands would wait four peaceful years between albums, and even fewer would make a music video based on their lead singer proposing to his girlfriend in a scenario that, while with the veneer of being contrived or for dramatic effect, was actually genuine. That said, Lawson’s not your regular bunch of pop blokes. Our review of new effort Perspective, which focuses on the “life-changing moments” the band has been through since Chapman Square‘s success and is released today by Global Talent Records, is coming very soon.
RIVRS – ‘Falling’
Charli XCX’s launch of Vroom Vroom, an experimental imprint of Atlantic, back in March came as a two-pronged attack: her own boggling EP of the same name produced by notorious sound manipulator SOPHIE; and the sweet yet to-the-point ‘Friend Lover’ by RIVRS. Their new single, released by the superlabel rather than Vroom Vroom, steers from the collected electropop of its predecessor to a sneering dose of R&B.
Shura – Nothing’s Real
Though it seems like Shura’s been riding waves of excitable alt-pop hype for many a year now, including a nod in the BBC’s Sound Of 2015 poll, her full-length Polydor debut has eluded us until today. Highlighting her quirky, meandering nature and vast talents – alongside tracks with the likes of Mura Masa and Talib Kweli, she’s also remixed Tegan & Sara, Jessie Ware, and Mabel – Nothing’s Real features a 10-minute rendition of the “ethereal” ‘White Light‘ and the infectious 80s-infused new single ‘What’s It Gonna Be?‘
Bright Light Bright Light feat. Elton John – ‘Symmetry Of Two Hearts’
Bright Light Bright Light, the delightful project of Rod Thomas, is, if you’ll forgive my lazy attempt at a pun, one of the brightest lights brightest lights in pop. Choreography, his third album, is now just one week away from being released by Self Raising Records, and it burst fabulously into view recently on The Graham Norton Show with a performance of lead track ‘All In The Name,’ which sports a verse from Elton John and auxiliary work from 60% of Scissor Sisters. This latest teaser is the second of three tracks with Elton on board, starting with a grubby, almost Gesaffelstein-y intro before launching into a glorious display of chantable synthpop.
Selected Other Releases
Albums
Aphex Twin – Cheetah
Emily King – The Switch
Feed Me – Feed Me’s Family Reunion
gnash – me
The Knocks – 55.5
Pitbull – Climate Change
Róisín Murphy – Take Her Up To Monto
The Avalanches – Wildflower
Woodkid & Nils Frahm – Ellis
Singles
Benjamin Francis Leftwich – ‘Summer’
Bob Sinclar – ‘Someone Who Needs Me’
Clean Cut Kid – ‘We Used To Be In Love’
Crystal Castles – ‘Concrete’
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – ‘Stay With Me’
Feed Me feat. Nina Nesbitt – ‘What It Feels Like’
Gregory Porter – ‘Consequence Of Love’
James Vincent McMorrow – ‘Rising Water’
Jodie Abacus – ‘I’ll Be Your Friend’
Lady Leshurr feat. Wiley – ‘Where Are You Now’
Laurel – ‘San Francisco’
NZCA LINES – ‘Chemical Is Obvious’
Olly Murs – ‘You Don’t Know Love’
Phoebe Ryan feat. Kid Ink – ‘Dollar Bill’
Pixies – ‘Um Chagga Lagga’
Pixx – ‘Baboo’
Rat Boy – ‘Get Over It’
Rizzle Kicks – ‘Everyone’s Dead’
Sampha – ‘Timmy’s Prayer’
Slow Club – ‘In Waves’
