With warmer weather, lessened lockdown restrictions and schools finishing the year, summer finally feels like it’s rolling around (although that isn’t an excuse to stop wearing your masks). The newest tracks this week have given me a distinctly light, summery vibe. Here’s my thoughts on a few of my favourites.
TUNE OF THE WEEK: The Go! Team – ‘Cookie Scene’
The Go! Team have become my go-to band for those peak good vibes. Their songs just reek of fun, carefree feelings, and are impossible to not dance to. ‘Cookie Scene’ is a perfect example of this. With an addictive backing beat, the 6-piece Brighton-based band have knocked it out of the park again with the perfect indie boogie track. If I could describe The Go! Team’s music in a phrase, it would be ‘perfectly eclectic’. There’s always just so much going on at once in their tracks; about 400 instruments all at once, all 6 band members acting at some point as lead vocalists, different styles all mashed into one – you name it they have it. ‘Cookie Scene’ opens with a flute, xylophone, drums and trumpets, with an accompanying killer hip-hop style verse from one of the members. It’s a combination that shouldn’t work but it works perfectly, and this perfection carries on to the rest of the song. It’s easily taken the prize as my tune of the week.
‘Cookie Scene’ is available to listen to now via Memphis Industries.
Jamie Cullum – ‘Don’t Give Up On Me’
I am unashamedly a massive Jamie Cullum fan, and I honestly don’t think he gets near enough the hype that he deserves. This newest track follows the more upbeat, lively vibes that he explored in 2013 album Momentum, with low strings layered underneath a jazzy piano beat, banging drums and the occasional guitar strum. The best thing about this song for me is just how well all this elements seamlessly work together, weaving in and out and around one another to create a perfectly whole constructed sound. Parts of the song rise and fall, leaving gaps for Cullum’s smooth charming voice to croon well-crafted lyrics detailing fears of being left behind, and then bursting out in an explosion of near-elation. Speaking of hope, reaching out to those you love and hoping that they’ll still take you in despite how far you’ve fallen, the tune is despondent, despite the upbeat nature of the instruments, inferring that despite the song’s obvious sadness, there’s still a brightness to be found. Jamie Cullum once again has come out with another great track.
‘Don’t Give Up on Me’ is available to listen to now via Island Records.
Troye Sivan – ‘Easy’
Following on from the release of ‘Take Yourself Home’ back in April, Australian singer Troye Sivan is back with his newest single, ‘Easy’. A lot more upbeat than the previous track, ‘Easy’ is the next release from Sivan’s upcoming EP, In A Dream, set to be released this summer. ‘Easy’ is a fun song, still retaining that classic Sivan airy light vibe whilst not delving too deep into the dance track territory to be defined as such, following themes of heartbreak and ending relationships, contrasting against the quick pace of the instrumental backing. Sivan sings of frustration at how seemingly ‘easy’ it is for a romantic partner to end a relationship, despite the turmoil that the other person faces because of it. Classically honest, and yet deceivingly dance-y, ‘Easy’ has me very excited for the next EP from Troye Sivan.
‘Easy’ is available to listen to now via Universal Music Australia.
beabadoobee – ‘Care’
beabadoobee‘s newest track, ‘Care’, gives me those peak I-don’t-give-a-damn-anymore angry vibes. Bea, the mastermind behind beabadoobee, sings of not wanting ‘sympathy’, and for people to ‘stop saying you give a shit, because you don’t really’. Rather than being a subject of pity and fake comfort, she’d much rather be left alone, a relatable feeling. In her singing the repeating line ‘But you don’t really care, care, care’, she vents her frustration, with an accompanying killer guitar riff that gives me major Courtney Love vibes. The leading track from her upcoming debut album, Fake it Flowers (FINALLY she’s releasing an album), ‘Care’ is exactly what we’ve come to expect from beabadoobee; honest, good indie music.
‘Care’ is available to listen to now via Dirty Hit.
The Valla – ‘Shut My Mouth’
We here at The Edge are no strangers to The Valla. I first found out about them through their being on The Edgetival lineup. A local band that have been smashing the southern music scene, ‘Shut My Mouth’ is a great summer tune, with lilting guitar riffs and catchy vocals. You’ll find it hard to get the leading chorus lyrics ‘Wish I could shut my mouth/ keep it locked down/ long enough to not affect you somehow’ out of your head, and the later classic indie rock ‘woo hoos’. I think one of my favourite things about this song is how they’ve actually structured the lyrics, with the line ‘You know it’s so cathartic/ Once you get started’ being a big standout; the way they stress certain words just makes it so damn memorable.
‘Shut My Mouth’ is available to listen to now down below.
Other Selected Releases
Singles
boy pablo – ‘honey’
BTS – ‘Your eyes tell’
IDLES – ‘A Hymn’
DMAs- ‘Criminal’
Jefferson Starship – ‘It’s About Time’
Surfaces ft. Elton John – ‘Learn to Fly’
Anne-Marie ft. Doja Cat – ‘To Be Young’
YUNGBLUD – ‘Strawberry Lipstick’
blackbear – ‘i feel bad’
DEV – ‘mango’
Albums
Ellie Goulding – Brightest Blue
BTS – Map of the Soul 7: The Journey
Juice WRLD – Legends Never Die
Pretenders – Hate for Sale
Margo Price – That’s How Rumours Get Started
Meghan Trainor – Treat Myself (Deluxe Edition)
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
Need a weekly music fix of all the songs you should care about? We’ve made a super handy playlist of all of this week’s biggest releases, so just sit back and listen to the good stuff. Updated every Friday.
