The Keepers photo by Ola Hać
New Boots editor Phil Moore takes you through the best new tracks this week.
The Staves ‘Good Woman’
The title track of the Londoner’s upcoming fourth album [Feb 5th] is a bespoke beaut. The retro three-part harmonies are as gorgeous as ever, and layers of synth washes and reverberating guitars help solidify them the UK’s answer to Bon Iver/Fleet Foxes. Luxurious and comforting, safe music in scary times will always out.
Black Honey ‘I Like The Way You Die’
Six years into releasing music, and Brighton’s widescreen fuzz-rock quartet are as interesting as ever. Building on what their debut album did, this one is the sleazy, sparkling glam stomper
Sleaford Mods ‘Mork n Mindy’
“Outside there wasn’t anything nice to see/I wanted things to smell, like meadows not like hell”. Lead track off new album Spare Ribs [Jan 15], Jason Williamson remembers his colourless childhood, aided and abetted by a lovely turn from Billy Nomates.
Tankus The Henge ‘God, Oil, Money’
Available on 7”, with 50% of sales go to a charity who put on live performances in refugee camps, this track from the London outfit chimes with the themes of hope and equality. Excellent, trippy avant-indie, or “Gonzo rock’n’roll” as they call it. Taken from new album Luna Park! [Dec 4], this is soul-stirring stuff.
Children Of The State ‘Hot Money’
Lead song from EP ‘Tragic Carpet and the Magical Wasp Gang from Notre Dame’ [Nov 20], the Manchester-via-Yorkshire quartet journey to the dark side, their musical palette here a clattering post-punk baggy anthem for the dispossessed. A big future is beckoning for these lot. FFO: Working Men’s Club, Fat White Family, The Moonlandingz.
The Keepers ‘Deadly Penny’
Just their second single of 2020, the refurbished line-up of the ShoeTown quartet led by Jordan Jones take a slight left-turn musically. Borrowing liberally from early Suede, this is as dark as anything local forebears Bauhaus put out. Much muddy, after-dark vibes, plus tons of lovely little production touches hidden away – it’s the proggy glam-punk you didn’t know they were capable of. It’s great to have them back.
Har-Q ‘Taking The Title’
Wrestling metaphors to life on the streets of NN; it works. Jason Williams is the Heavyweight Champion of rhymes. No contest.
Smoak feat. Deadboi ‘Blind’
Nice hook-up between KTown’s new breed. Dark beats and menacing lines, manipulated vocals and the evils of greed are all here.
The Wax Lyrical Sound ‘These Streets’
Northampton’s rap-rockers must be hating 2020 more than most, their fierce live show on hold ’til better times. Third single of the year though: downtuned heaviness this time around, bemoaning the state of the town’s underclass. We can all relate. Get your Deftones-style relief here!
Heartache ‘Control’
New Northampton solo artist that I know nothing much about. Regardless, this is a Nirvana-inspired rough lo-fi outpouring of anger and frustration to jump around your bedroom to.
