Friday 1 July 2016

New Pop Roundup

Blood Orange – Freetown Sound

Blood Orange – Freetown Sound

Some of the most racially provocative albums to hit the mainstream in recent years have come from across the pond, with Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé leading the pack. Over here we have Dev Hynes a.k.a Blood Orange who released an 11 minute track in July 2015 at the height of Black Lives Matter called Do You See My Skin Through TheFlames. That track signposted the way to ‘Freetown Sound’, a meditation on Hynes’ position in society and sense of identity. Much of that comes through the quotes interspersed throughout the album combining the snapshot-in-time feel of Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’, with the black feminist fire of Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’. Here, though, these voices are frequently and intentionally cut short. There’s a deeper level too, Hynes taking us on a personal journey through his past and present – the album title references Sierra Leone, the birthplace of his father, and the opening lines of Augustine directly reference his parents. The overly long structure, though, means the album is more of a mixtape, a collection of the artist’s thoughts and feelings that perhaps lacks musical focus.

Yet where Kendrick’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ was often fuelled by anger, ‘Freetown Sound’ is a more subtle, sombre lamentation. Fans of Hynes’ work will hear the familiar tropes of 80s pop synths, funk guitars and sorrowful saxophone, here given a beautifully mournful tone under the added weight of the album’s concept. His pop roots shine through on multiple tracks, and there are plenty of cameos from the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Nelly Furtado and Debbie Harry. ‘Freetown Sound’, then, cleverly combines pop and politics, for a powerful statement subtly unveiled. It’s the sound of summer at its best and its worst.

4/5

Gizzle’s Choice:
* Augustine
* Best To You
* Better Than Me

Listen: 'Freetown Sound' is out now.




Broods - Conscious

Broods - Conscious

Tove Lo sure does get around, doesn’t she? The Swedish popstar has become the featured vocalist du jour in recent months and shows up here on the best track from Broods’ second album, Freak of Nature. “Freak of Mother Nature’s game, I could blame her for my brain,” she sings alongside Georgia Nott in the yearning chorus. Pair Tove’s raw lyrics with the New Zealand duo’s moody synth-pop and the result is typically heart-breaking. Elsewhere, the album is less inclined to wallow in the misery of their debut, with renewed energy, upbeat tempos, and brighter synths in the likes of Free, We Had Everything and Hold The Line. That’s not to say they’ve lost their angst, but this album edges further into pop territory and loses some emotive power in the process. Lorde co-write Heartlines, though, further proves the duo are best in collaboration.

4/5

Gizzle’s Choice:
* Free
* Heartlines
* Freak of Nature

Listen: 'Conscious's is out now.




Demi Lovato - Body Say

Demi Lovato - Body Say

No, it’s not a banger per se, suggesting that Lovato may have peaked with last year’s Cool for the Summer. Instead, this is a steamy sex jam that’s a banger in a different way…if you get my drift…




Rihanna - Sledgehammer

 Rihanna - Sledgehammer

It’s a Sia-penned track with a badly Photoshopped video. This is hardly a worthy way to follow up ‘Anti’.





Sigur Ros - Óveður

 Sigur Ros - Óveður

This is worth watching for the video alone - its grotesque, otherworldly, disturbing vision is enough to give David Lynch nightmares. The song itself is a gently mournful meditation with distorted drums and the weirdly whirring sonic equivalent of that shot from Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Coupled with the video, it’ll make your stomach churn.




Kiiara – Gold

Kiiara – Gold

Gold is this year’s Royals. Snapping beat. Minimalist production. Dark sex appeal. And an infectious chorus, this time full of chopped up vocals.  




All Tvvins - These 4 Words

All Tvvins - These 4 Words

A new track from the indie-electro band, These 4 Words gives strong summer vibes with its funk bass and glittering synths that make way for a soaring, guitar-heavy chorus (“I’m on top of the world!”). It’s a worthy follow up to the stomping Unbelievable to be sure.




Christine and the Queens – Tilted

 Christine and the queens – Tilted

Christine was one of the major talking points of this year’s Glastonbury festival, with a buoyant and infectious performance. Tilted, her new single, doesn’t quite capture that magic alone – it’s a muted affair with warm synths and a French interlude – but if you missed out on her debut album ‘Chaleur Humaine’ earlier in the year, there’s no better time to listen.




Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris - Hype

Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris - Hype

Past collaborations between these two include Dance Wiv Me and Holiday, slightly annoying songs that were pretty much the sound of 2008. Now? They’ve release Hype, a very annoying song that could well define the summer of 2016 in the same way Brexit has cataclysmically ruined UK politics. Well done everyone.