Today’s This Week In Records is coming to you from Glasgow, where I’m full of strong feelings about Ed Sheeran’s album. If you are a follower of TWIR, you’ll know that I’ve been yelling about this for a while so it’s time to talk about exactly what’s going on here. Lots of exciting singles too, with Bon Iver, Scouting for Girls, Emeli Sandé and many others hitting us with new tracks.
Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project
Right, I’ve been putting this off long enough. 90% of my job as Records Editor at the moment is just coping with this album and it’s here and I have to write about it (I am so tired). Honestly, I’ve been ranting about Ed Sheeran so much over the last month that all I can do is put together a handy bullet-point list of my impressions. Here we go.
- ‘South of the Border’ featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi B – Sheeran’s take on Latin genres, to go along with all of the other genres he approaches with bold confidence on this record. The repetition of ‘Te amo mami” honestly just feels creepy, but with the increasing presence of Latin music in the charts it’s no surprise that Ed Sheeran is trying to get involved. It’s catchy, there’s no doubt, but the lyrics ruin it.
- ‘Take Me Back to London’ featuring Stormzy – Next on the list – rap and grime. This is just a bragging track about how famous he is now, which to be fair, is something a lot of artists do but Sheeran’s verses just annoy me. I’m really trying here.
- ‘Best Part of Me’ featuring YEBBA – I LIKE THIS TRACK! THIS IS A NICE TRACK! Like I’ve said before, Ed Sheeran’s charm comes from his humble roots and acoustic tracks. This is a nice romantic track that I can get on board with.
- ‘Remember The Name’ featuring Eminem and 50 Cent – There’s literally a line in this about people telling Ed Sheeran to stop rapping.
- ‘Way To Break My Heart’ featuring Skrillex – ‘God this is dull. Bring back Bangarang’ – my sister, Emma, 2019.
- ‘BLOW’ featuring Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars – No. I’m not going back there.
Ed Sheeran’s No.6 Collaborations Project is out now via Atlantic Records UK.
Bon Iver – ‘Faith’
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the other releases. 3 years after their last album, 2019 has brought us a whole host of singles from indie folk artist Justin Vernon. ‘Faith’ is a well-crafted track that combine trademark soft vocals with understated instrumentals, with no part overshadowing another. It’s a gentle track that has pleased fans, leaving you curious about what’s on the horizon for Bon Iver.
Bon Iver’s ‘Faith’ is out now via Jagjaguwar.
Scouting For Girls – ‘Grown Up’
Remember Scouting For Girls? Although they haven’t been releasing at the rate of their 2007-2010 peak, 2019 has brought us their latest single ‘Grown Up’. if, like me, you didn’t know they were still releasing music, you might find yourself checking your phone to make sure you put on the right song – they sound starkly different to the days of ‘She’s So Lovely’. They’ve evolved to adapt to a more modern sound, but they’ve lost that instant recognisably Scouting For Girls sound that we all loved so much. Unfortunately, ‘Grown Up’ isn’t especially memorable.
Scouting For Girls’ ‘Grown Up’ is out now via Sony Music CG.
Emeli Sandé – ‘Shine’
Emeli Sandé seems to be releasing tracks every week, with this week bringing the release of ‘Shine’. It’s a classic Sandé track, with emphasis on the piano that so often defines her sound. It’s upbeat and fun, with strong vocals and a nice message of love and positivity. ‘Shine’ keeps it simple and refreshing here, and encourages us all just to enjoy ourselves.
Emeli Sandé’s ‘Shine’ is out now via Virgin records Ltd.
Pussy Riot & Mara 37 – ‘Black Snow’
Finishing up our weekly roundup we have a weirder track from Russian political punks Pussy Riot, this time protesting the government’s lack of action against pollution and environmental damage. The track starts with the tune of ‘London Bridge is Falling down’, sounding like a straight-up apocalyptic horror movie. It’s much more experimental than the group’s earlier work, this time mixing genres like trap and metal to create something quite bizarre that isn’t really accessible unless you’re into really alternative music. Of course, the track is sang in Russian, so requires a bit of research, but the lyrics detail the horror of pollution in Russia and the effect it has on its citizens. Whether you find it an easy listen or not, you can’t deny that Pussy Riot are always on top of the current issues.
Pussy Riot’s ‘Black Snow’ feat. Mara 37 is out now via PUSSY RIOT.
Other Selected Releases
SINGLES
Ann Marie – ‘Throw It Back ‘
Call Me Loop – ‘Self Love’
French Montana, City Girls – ‘Wiggle It’
Jax Jones & Bebe Rexha – ‘Harder’
Krept & Konan, headie One, K-Trap – ‘I Spy’
Lykke Li, Skrillex -‘ two nights part ii’
Mabes -‘ America’
PVRIS – ‘Death of Me’
Sigrid, High Contrast – ‘Mine Right Now’
ALBUMS
BANKS – III
Blood Orange – Angel’s Pulse
GRM DAILY – Let’s Work (Vol.1)
Isaac Dunbar – balloons don’t float here
Palace – Life After
Sonny Fodera – Rise
Tycho – Weather
Various Artists – The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
To listen to all of these releases and more, be sure to follow The Edge’s handy This Week In Records Spotify playlist, bringing you all of the week’s best tracks every Friday!
