New Boots editor Phil Moore takes you through the best new tracks this week.
Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver ‘Exile’
Usually she goes big on marketing promo, but this album slipped out with a days notice. Morphing into a stateside Laura Marling, Swift goes toe to toe with perennially wounded animal Justin Vernon. Ryan Adams once covered 1989 in its entirety, and this is her glorious revenge.
Marilyn Manson ‘We Are Chaos’
‘We are chaos/We can’t be cured.’ The title track of forthcoming eleventh studio album, it is, despite the name, quite a slow-burner . Beginning with acoustic guitar classicism, it ends up quite anthemic, with a smudgy Lennon-esque melody that has a certain charm.
BLOXX ‘Off My Mind’
Perhaps the poppiest thing the new London indie darlings have released, it’s 80s-style vocal outline does it no real harm, and it’s got that Republica/sassy chorus that is perfect for sweaty gig singalongs.
Izzie Gibbs ‘Join The Club’
“If I fall, tell my shadow pick me up”. A full mixtape from the ShoeTown don with the red hot flow; he’s not slowing down until he’s won every one in the UK over. Nine tracks in total on here, and he’s roped in some fellow NN talent in cousin Dizmack on ‘How Many Times’ and Manners on ‘No Lie’. Essential listening.
ghostofblu ‘Backbone’
Headache-inducing industrial brilliance from the emo-rap Yorkshire/NN man-boy. His sound never deviates from the full-frontal, in-the-red beats and skittery synths, and he pretty much fucks his throat delivering his vocals on this one. Brutal and alarmingly addictive.
Garden ‘Help Help’
The first real rocker of 2020 from the sex-pop lads on this fifth single of the year. This claustrophobic rage against the modern, intolerant world rides along on a nice riff’n’drum interchange, and has that The 1975 sass that will win them plenty of plaudits far and wide. Cam in a dress in the video too…
Empyre ‘Just A Ride’
An ode to a famous Bill Hicks sketch, this is another of their acoustic treatments for tracks off 2019’s album Self-Aware. More Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Counting Crows rootsy rock vibes in this format, and it suits them very well. Great video too.
Celine Ellis ‘Paper Aeroplanes’
Welsh-born Northampton singer Ellis hits that sweet spot of power, heft, and melody. Simple arrangements – the music is predominantly just guitars and voice – mean you can revel in the words and storytelling. There’s an EP full of this lovely stuff waiting to be explored.
Kind Lies ‘Straight Lines’
Another project involving Northants’ Corrina Jane, this chill-pop trio sees her team up with two London songwriters and producers. This is an absolute banger of the crisp-pop variety. Her vocals sound great in this context, and this deserves to do big things for them.
Cameron Grace ‘London Water’
Northampton singer-songwriter finally gets some music on streaming services. This is seemingly a song riffing on the Jack And Jill fable, amongst other folk tales. It hangs together really well, and based on this he should feel justified in focusing on his own material for once.
