New Boots editor Phil Moore takes you through the best new tracks this week.
Alfie Templeman ‘One More Day’
Today sees the release of ‘Forever isn’t Long Enough’, the debut [mini] album from the 18 year-old Bedford bedroom-popper. This relaxed groove is a slightly different vibe from the Day-Glo funk-pop of recent times, and reveals he’s no one-trick pony. The main vocal here is courtesy of Irish guest April, who puts in a turn and a half here. A US tour just announced too! Alfie Templeman will own the world in about twelve months at this rate.
Self Esteem ‘I Do This All The Time’
NN’s Sophie Galpin has thrown her lot in with former Slow Club singer Rebecca Taylor since her departure from PINS. And what an inspired choice that was, as Taylor blossoms with each release, this one being a hyper-confessional tale set to a slow-jam R&B sound. That gospel chorus almost brings to mind Soul II Soul, but the lyrics are from another idiosyncratic dimension entirely, touching on misogyny in society and the personal trials and tribulations of falling in and out of love. Glorious, Technicolor stuff.
ghostofblu ‘Set To Break’
First release of 2021 for the Yorkshire/Northampton digital punisher, and this one has a phat bassline to boot. It’s almost slowthai-esque in it’s intro. Hell, there’s a collab I’d love to hear! “I’m trying to flick the switch in my head” he screams; this one has a breakdown-in-the-post edginess to go with the clubby beats. It’s another excellent track in his burgeoning collection.
Samuel Jared ‘Falling From The Sky’
Bit late on this one, its been online a few weeks now. The MK/Northampton singer-songwriter debuts here with a folkie alt-rock song that harks back to the late ’80s sound of R.E.M., or maybe a James Bay. The boys a talent, recording all the instruments himself. There’s some gusto going on here which you inevitably get swept up in, plus its an easy hum-along. Let’s see where he goes with this – it might have legs.
Mousai ‘Anubis’
AKA Aleks from Wellingborough. She’s on a journey that started in Poland and continued in London. Now in ShoeCounty, on ‘Anubis’ she takes a faintly middle eastern flute line as the melodic hook to base her throbbing instrumental house excursions around. Only a year into her recording career and she’s already got a buzz surrounding each release. Feels like bombs will drop once Mousai is released on clubland later this year…
The Big Dirty ‘Under The Crimson Moon’
In the middle of 2020’s lockdown the Northampton rockers put out their debut proper ‘The Sex’. And everyone raved about it, what a shame they couldn’t capitalize on it by touring. Hard working basterds they are, their back again with new sounds this year already. This is a riffy juggernaut of fun, that gets a tad serious near the end, – before knocking you out with the comeback in the final stretch. Catch them return to live work at The Picturedrome on June 24th to celebrate the video release of ‘Swine’.
Har-Q feat. Zefar ‘Dolphins’
Now back in the game with a live band, for Jason Williams doesn’t ever sit still. This latest one a team-up with one of the most exciting prospects of the new breed in NN, the poetic Zefar. ‘Dolphins’ is lyrically dense, awash with synths intermingling and doing sexy things with [what feels like] three million vocal lines. This is audio gold for late night drinking and toking.
Sean Grant & The Wolfgang ‘Murder Scene’
The second single from upcoming album ’33’, the MK band channeling some of the darker 90s alt-rock moments in this look at the bleaker side of life. Musing on his personal development, “This murder scene/The night’s been killing me/Anything for that high” hints at what prompted Grant’s big life changes. This is beautiful and bruised modern gothic music that will turn heads. There’s a nice trippy video too out today.
Three Day Monk ‘Osaka’
The vehicle for Bedford singer-songwriter Tristan Nelson moves in hushed tones in a universe also occupied by the likes of Ben Howard and Bon Iver, but with more psychedelic undertones. ‘Osaka’ is one of those subtle productions that reveals new layers upon each playback. It’s been a slow build to now [his first release was just two weeks into lockdown, what bad timing eh], but the rewards are clearly great based by just this one song. Don’t take your ears off him.
Keiron Farrow ‘Monkey Shoulders’
If you could find a midpoint between Lee Mavers and Howlin’ Wolf, you’d land approximately here. New four track EP ‘Fast Awake’ [from which this track is taken] is on the beefier side of his repertoire, the slide work fuzzier than usual, putting him in a “lo-fi Black Keys” territory, which he sounds very comfortable in. He’s the coolest Green Party candidate in the NN postcodes, so dive in and feel enlivened by the spiritual vibes pulsing from your speakers.
