New Boots editor Phil Moore takes you through the best new tracks this week.
FFSYTHO ‘Ask About Me [Jabro Remix]’
“Of course I’m a force to be reckoned with”. 2020 announced the incredible Northampton rap talent FFSYTHO, keen on putting you in your place in the most witty and smart ways possible. Whilst she works on new material to follow-up those mad-good early singles she has got the remixers in. This one is actually a new/unreleased tune, given a soul-jazz workover from Jabru. This will knock your socks off, both musically and lyrically. The world really is her oyster if she wants it.
Bad Money ‘Loud’
Tommy Francis [Century City, New Cassettes] and Kieran Smith are NNers who have teamed up with two guys from Redditch. Together they make slick synth-pop; ‘Loud’ being the sort of alt-pop that shimmers into your life unannounced and stays for aaaaages. A celebration of a lost friendship, this excellent happy-sad tune should be the start of a beautiful relationship.
Anna Mae Kelly ‘White Lies’
Deep soul ruminations from the Kettering delta, Kelly stretching her heart strings to breaking point on this Billie Eilish-esque power ballad. It’s such a cliche to say her voice “soars”, but it really does reach high and low in an unique and special way. The song production is radio-ready, and it’s a crime that this won’t be heard by more people. Spread the word folks. Kelly in a talent who will smash through county barriers any minute soon.
Louie Jacobs x Olly Calvert x Ocean Stokes ‘Destiny’
Trappy pop from your Kettering manboy, teaming up with a couple of fellow teenagers to explore ideas and lines. Plenty going on here to get your teeth stuck into. There’s a solo Jacobs album on the way shortly New Boots understands.
Lucien Moon ‘Shadows’
Finally seeing the light of day two years after being recorded, as the swish accompanying video, shot in LA, was lost in translation for a while [bloody hard drives! ‘Shadows’ is more of the same soul-pop goodness you’ve now come to automatically expect from the Northampton singer. It’s a great package that should, with any justice, gain him more traction and a wider audience.
Polar* ‘Selfish’
More mysterious and dreamy electronic noir-pop from the Northampton artist. He comes and goes all the time: just releasing an average of just one song a year, his Instagram switching on and off. People like the tunes, he should hang around more often.
Tu-Kay & Ryan ‘What Comes Next’
“Who I am is more than enough/I need to be free to be me”. Sentiments we can all relate to right there. More beautifully rendered singer-songwriter fayre from the Northants duo. ‘What Comes Next’ is about allowing ourselves to just be, without judgement. Amen to that.
Tom Oi ‘Weird Kids’
Kooky lo-fi bedroom-pop from Kettering is the soundbite you’re looking for. Piano-led ’90s vibes, Ben Folds etc, it’s brim full of charm whichever way you cut it up.
Kenneth J Nash ‘Lady’ [The Max Mclean Rock Orchestra version]
Nash and Mclean, frontman of Miyagi Car Wash, have been collaborating musically on and off for four years now; Mclean working on a version of ‘The Explorer’ back in 2019. Nash’s haunting folk ballad ‘Lady’ is given the widescreen psychedelic bedroom-wall-of-sound treatment here, as instruments come in and out of focus. It’s weird and it’s lovely – which you can imagine was the brief in the first place.
Chnam ‘Problematic’
“Cha Nam” deals in the heavy heavy sound from way out. The outer-space version of electronica, there’s a deep rolling story here he speaks in the verses, whist balancing that with lighter-mood, sung hooks every so often. It’s dense, beguiling song for late night chilling. Don’t look it directly in the eyes; you might be sucked in.
