September? Where did you come from? The new university year is now just a matter of weeks away, DJs across Ibiza are packing up their decks for a winter of cavernous club-chasing, and festival season is beginning to relent mildly. Fortunately, that means lots of artists are about to release new material to tour over the next few months, so stick with us for all the best bits. 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]!
Izzy Bizu – A Moment Of Madness
With a superb appearance on HONNE’s Warm On A Cold Night now out of the way, the long-delayed debut record from half-Ethiopian Londoner Izzy Bizu has finally arrived. Our review, published yesterday, calls A Moment Of Madness, an album that shifts seamlessly between jazzy, self-conscious slow periods to grittier sections with rocky flairs, “a gorgeous homage to [a]bygone era of soul.”
Everything Everything – ‘I Believe It Now’
You’d be forgiven for expecting the first new music from Everything Everything since 2015’s tremendous Get To Heaven to be some sort of absurd commentary on this year’s unendingly baffling political climates. Instead, they’ve come out with a song about “the rise and fall of hopes and dreams and the joy and pain that goes with football,” according to Music Week, for BT Sport’s coverage of sports of various ilks. Fortunately, it’s still rather good even if the kicking and screaming of Saturday afternoons isn’t quite your cup of tee (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Jamie T – Trick
His first release since 2014’s Carry On The Grudge, Trick brings the fourth dose of Jamie T’s oft-imitated yet never matched style of rock-based fusion. Typically, its first two singles demonstrate wildly clashing ends of the record’s spectrum: ‘Tinfoil Boy’ is a startling punk cut with wandering moodiness, and ‘Power Over Men’ trades that for catchy hooks, reggae tinges, and a video that follows a dominatrix.
Zara Larsson – ‘Ain’t My Fault’
More than a year has passed since Zara Larsson’s ‘Lush Life’ began to exhibit itself beyond her homeland of Sweden, and the output to capitalise on that international breakthrough has seemed a little sparse. Recent features on David Guetta and Tinie Tempah tracks have somewhat kept the tide turning, but ‘Ain’t My Fault’ springs forcefully into action with a co-write from ‘Never Forget You’ colleague MNEK. It even features (on launch day!) as the second track on a new Sony compilation called EPIC LIT, so you know it must be down with the proverbial kids.
Wretch 32 – Growing Over Life
Since his chart bow with 2011’s ‘Traktor,’ Tottenham rapper Wretch 32 has built a strong reputation from both his work on the more commercial side – Ministry Of Sound debut Black And White alone delivered three top 5 hits, including a week at the peak for ‘Don’t Go’ with Josh Kumra, and last year’s ‘6 Words’ features as track 6 here – and as a star of 1Xtra’s Fire In The Booth freestyle series. Growing Over Life, his second label release, follows recent singles that showcase both angles (‘All A Dream’ and ‘Antwi’) and features guest spots from Emeli Sandé, Laura Mvula, Avelino, and more.
James Blake feat. Vince Staples – ‘Timeless’
James Blake’s is a name that always seems odd when put into a hip-hop context, though it certainly seems like something we should be getting used to post-The Colour In Anything. Just like his 2013 release of a single version of ‘Life Round Here’ with added Chance The Rapper, ‘Timeless’ gets the Vince Staples treatment just one week after Blake produced two tracks on the rapper’s short and sweet Prima Donna EP.
Selected Other Releases
Albums
A Day To Remember – Bad Vibrations
Angel Olsen – MY WOMAN
Beach Baby – No Mind No Money
Bibio – The Serious EP
Chris Lorenzo – Foot & Mouth EP
Clean Cut Kid – We Used To Be In Love EP
Dagny – Ultraviolet EP
FRENSHIP – Truce EP
Isaiah Rashad – The Sun’s Tirade
James Vincent McMorrow – We Move
King Creosote – Astronaut Meets Appleman
Skye & Ross – Skye & Ross
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Familia
The Divine Comedy – Foreverland
Wankelmut – Sirens EP
Ward Thomas – Cartwheels
Wretch 32 – Growing Over Life
Singles
AlunaGeorge – ‘Mediator’
Bastille – ‘Send Them Off!’
Blink-182 & Steve Aoki – ‘Bored To Death’
Bon Iver – ’33 “GOD”‘
Chris Lorenzo feat. Alex Mills – ‘Sleep Talk’
Courteeners – ‘No One Will Ever Replace Us’
Declan McKenna – ‘Isombard’
DNCE – ‘Toothbrush’
Elderbrook – ‘Closer’
Fetty Wap – ‘Make You Feel Good’
Foals – ‘Albatross’
Kent Jones – ‘Alright’
M.I.A. feat. ZAYN – ‘Freedun’
Michael Bublé – ‘I Believe In You’
Mr Sanka – ‘Flight Mode’ / ‘Midnight Air’
Nilüfer Yanya – ‘Small Crimes’
Rebecca Ferguson – ‘Bones’
SAFIA – ‘My Love Is Gone’
Sampha – ‘Blood On Me’
SOHN – ‘Signal’
Tempa T – ‘Not A Rocker’
Ten Fé – ‘Turn’
The Black Eyed Peas feat. The World – ‘#Wheresthelove’
Tkay Maidza feat. Killer Mike – ‘Carry On’
T.I. – ‘Warzone’
Tulisa feat. Akelle – ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’
Usher feat. Future – ‘Rivals’
WNDR – ‘Meant To Be’
Youngr – ‘Out Of My System’
Zedd & Grey – ‘Adrenaline’
