New Tracks - what's caught our eye...
Track of the Month
In this section we pick out our track of the month. Note - these tracks may NOT have necessarily been released during the month in question. It just so happens to be the track that's been our favourite listen during that month. So, theoretically, anything ever released has a chance of featuring...
March 2020 - ARBOURETUM - Let It All In
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Arbouretum have released many albums but the title track from 2020's Let It All In is simply stunning. If you like your lengthy motorik jams like their label mates Wooden Shjips, then this is for you.
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February 2020 - NADA SURF - Come Get Me
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These guys have been around for a long time but rarely have they released anything as perfect as Come Get Me from recent album Never Got Together. The best thing they've ever done? Quite possibly.
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January 2020 - COURTEENERS - Better Man
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Turn on the radio and wait for a Courteeners track. Nine times out of ten - if they're even on the station playlist - it'll be Not Nineteen Forever. As unfair as this may seem, it's undoubtedly one of the best tracks they've ever released even if it does hark back to their very first record. Finally, maybe the radio stations have something to challenge it for airtime. The irresistibly catchy Better Man is possibly the best thing they've done since and easily sits proudly at the top of their new album for 2020, 'More. Again. Forever.'
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December 2019 - UNDERWORLD - Listen To Their No
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Underworld have been around forever, right? So to find them putting together an experiment where art was released every week - not ONLY songs - was astounding. Innovative, fresh and captivating, the DRIFT series was an immense undertaking and largely highly successful. Of the sample edition album, the mesmerising Listen To Their No takes some beating in our opinion, see what you think.
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November 2019 - MICHAEL KIWANUKA - Final Days
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Michael Kiwanuka's latest album 'Kiwanuka' is an absolute must-have. There were four or five tracks we could have selected as our track of the month but after much deliberation we've settled on the stunning Final Days. Great artist, great album.
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October 2019 - FOALS - The Runner
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Second of the Foals albums featured one of their best ever singles, with fans of the FIFA game series treated to this as part of the FIFA 20 soundtrack. In fact, it's almost the perfect single - catchy as hell, decent guitar solo, singalong chorus. Neither album quite nailed it, though, but there's no arguing at the quality of this and our February 2019 entry.
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September 2019 - MOON DUO - Lost Heads
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After its first couple of cracking singles, the new Moon Duo album Stars Are The Light was eagerly awaited. However, it soon became clear that we'd already heard the best of the new collection, with brilliant second single Lost Heads clearly being head and shoulders above anything else you will probably hear from Moon Duo in a long time.
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August 2019 - FEEDER - Youth
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It's not often we hear something rather special from the bands we followed more closely years ago. Although not particularly at the top of our ex-favourites or all-time favourites list, Feeder have always been there or thereabouts and Youth, from their latest album Tallulah, rolls back the years in style.
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July 2019 - THE SOFT CAVALRY - Spiders
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The Soft Cavalry dominated our July. What a fantastic debut album it was, as Slowdive's Rachel Goswell supplemented her husband Steve Clarke's incredible yet previously hidden songwriting talents with her own inimitable vocals. There were five moments of true magnificence on the album but we reckon Spiders was the cherry on the cake.
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June 2019 - FROTH - Department Head
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Plenty of contenders for our favourite track for June, but Froth battle it out within their own album Duress for our best of the best. We could have picked any of the three crackers that are A2, Department Head and Xvanos but it's Department Head that gets the nod.
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May 2019 - COLD SHOWERS - Shine
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Los Angeles' outfit Cold Showers plough a familiar field, that of post-punk early 80's The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs to name but a couple of obvious influences. Third album Motionless is an excellent collection that any self-respecting muzo freak should check out; best of the bunch is lead single Shine, a supremely sparkling pop-nugget.
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April 2019 - BEAR'S DEN - Crow
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Following on from the success enjoyed by Red Earth And Pouring Rain, Bear's Den's third LP So That You Might Hear Me boasted more of the same folky efforts tinged with a streak of sadness. Tough to pick out a top track but Crow just edges it from Breaker/Keeper, both tracks in our view being for the essential pile.
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March 2019 - STRAND OF OAKS - Weird Ways
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Since 2014's HEAL, Timothy Showalter has excelled with his Strand Of Oaks album releases and Eraserland continues the trend strongly. Pick of the bunch is six minute opener Weird Ways, a colossal track that builds in intensity throughout as his band mates - namely My Morning Jacket this time round - gradually pitch in to create a sparkling gem.
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February 2019 - FOALS - In Degrees
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Foals albums these days are eagerly awaited items and delirious fans will undoubtedly herald 2019 as The Year Of Foals, with two collections promised. The first, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt 1, yielded three singles before it was released but In Degrees was surprisingly not one of them; we think it's the best of the lot, though.
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January 2019 - THE TWILIGHT SAD - VTr
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The Twilight Sad's 5th album dropped during January, and lifted from that album is a track initially released in November 2018, VTr. It epitomises everything that's good about this excellent Scottish band.
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