release radar: october 2019
As the month of October draws to a close, here are some new songs I recommend adding to your 2006 iPod Nano... or current Spotify playlist... up to you. This month we've seen the release of some majorly anticipated albums (See: King Princess' Cheap Queen), along with some surprisingly catchy singles (See: Cub Sport's 'I Never Cried So Much In My Whole Life' and Horror My Friend's 'Dopamine Waster'). Summer's approaching fast in the Southern Hemisphere and you may be feeling a little festive or nostalgic; I can recommend one quick fix that'll help you celebrate the end of your winter blues: some lovely October songs that I like a whole lot and hope you will enjoy too.
★★★★★
A mid -September release you may have missed from the beautiful Alex G. This is his eighth album, but his third release through label Domino Records. Picture a beautiful combination of acoustic guitar, violin, saxophone, flute-like keyboard, and, magnificent lyricism and that's what Alex G provides. This album feels more like a journey than a track list, and reads like a story. The characters depicted in Alex G's lyrics in songs such as 'Bad Man' and 'In My Arms' show how dynamic and empathetic Alex G is as a writer; I honestly cried the whole way through. My favourite tracks include but are not limited to 'Hope', 'Gretel', 'Cow', and 'SugarHouse'.
★★★★☆
One of Cub Sport's more relaxing releases, 'I Never Cried So Much In My Whole Life' is a song about falling in love with life and presumably about Tim Nelsons' husband and fellow band mate Sam Netterfield. "I didn't know that it could get this good, but I love my life, love this neighbourhood," he sings. This song was released in collaboration with Darren Hayes, lead singer of Savage Garden and also a queer artist. Fluttery acoustic guitar and singer Nelson's falsetto performance provides a dreamy and poetic backdrop to this iconic collaboration.
★★★☆☆
The boys are back and so is their cherished Aussie twang. This is Good Boy's first release for 2019 and feels like a very small taste of what the band's truly capable of; a very risky strategy if you ask me, but they've set the bar very high with their smash hits 'Poverty Line' (2015) and 'Transparency' (2016). The classical piano is the only thing ethereal about this song with its heavy punk guitar and thrashing drums mixing courageously with their politically skewed lyrics. Keep an eye out for their next album due in 2020.
★★★★★
How is it that Horror My Friend never fail to release an incredibly catchy song? 'Dopamine Waster' is a fantastic follow up from 'Turned Loose' with its incredibly energetic guitar wails and classically dynamic drums. This song is about mental health, namely anxiety, and the support systems required to thrive through the crippling fear having anxiety can occasionally thrust onto you. It's very powerful. You can catch Horror My Friend on Saturday the 2nd of November at Jive co-headlining with their Melbourne mates RAT!hammock.
★★★★☆
Caroline Polachek is the grooviest cowgirl of the moment. Pang is an angsty solo debut for the New York based singer/songwriter. This album reminds me of Charli XCX's latest album with its hard-hitting pop and dance tracks, all laced with superb vocals that carry heavily from song to song. Songs like 'New Normal' showcase her love of twangy bluesy guitar while songs like 'Insomnia' flaunt Polachek's emotive yodels and impressive vocal range. Her best songs include 'Pang', 'Ocean Of Tears', 'So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings', and 'Door'.
★★★★☆
Deceiver is possibly one of the most sober releases from the shoegaze, indie rock group Diiv, both emotionally and physically. But sobriety is not something that can be committed to completely, a belief that singer Zachary Cole Smith held firmly throughout the making of their third album. This album was written not in the midst of addiction, rehab, or recovery, but in hindsight of it all, overlooking and reflecting on all the pain caused. Wailing guitars, soft vocals, and punchy lyrics lay basis to a beautiful awakening for Diiv. Check out their songs 'Taker', 'Blankenship', and 'Acheron'.
★★★☆☆
This song is pure eighties personified in a 21st century way, as if the era never existed; I guess to us kids it didn't. This song features the infamous and lovely Dev Hynes and his lusciously soft backing vocals. This song makes me picture a couple of teens driving around their small town in their parents' Rangerover, doing reckless things and having fun. The chorus consists of the lyrics "I wanna live, I wanna live, I wanna live...", which adds to the bubbly, romantic, and child-like feel of the whole song; it's already a nostalgic one for me.
★★★★☆
This album is quite subdued compared to King Princess' often eccentric and flamboyant online presence; I mean, she is a queer icon for goddess' sake. However, Cheap Queen is surprisingly the type of album you can listen to while driving in your car or wallowing in self-pity. This album touches on themes of heartbreak, longing, and moving on in an intentionally trashy way. KP's lyrics are backed by a solid RnB pop soundtrack that compliments her buttery vocals beautifully. Her best tracks on this album include 'Cheap Queen', 'Do You Wanna See Me Crying?', and 'Hit The Back'.
★★★★★
Two words that best describe this track: Synths and Reverb. 'It Might Be Time' is a magnificent nod to their smashing 2015 release Currents except with an edgier Psych-pop and RnB twist. It is a song about "losing one's mojo" to use the words of songwriter Kevin Parker himself. 'Patience' and 'Borderline', two tracks the band dropped earlier this year lack the familiar energy Parker has captured in this latest track. The drumming is captivating, the synths are funky, and the bass is sensual. Tame Impala's next album The Slow Rush is due Valentine's Day next year.
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