Uncle Luc – ‘Plateaux’
After a couple of years focusing on Super Fan 99 Records, Uncle Luc makes a welcome return with this American-tinged slice of power-pop – complete with handclaps, DIY keyboards and a cute sense of playfulness. Luc sings about keeping notes in his iPhone telephone and considers how he doesn’t always believe what he preaches before demanding: ‘Don’t look back’.
El Morgan and the Divers – ‘Decorations’
A new signing to Specialist Subject Records, El Morgan and the Divers’ ‘Decorations’ opens with some acoustic strums to start before the stark guitars and compelling vocals join the mix. Almost gothic sounding at times, it reminded us of ‘The Libertine’-era Patrick Wolf: ‘All the bulbs in the garden are blowing one by one. I don’t want to put you down but I don’t know how to pick you up.’
Tigercub – ‘Faking Laughter’
Brighton trio Tigercub continue to go from strength to strength and this Soulwax-meets-grunge anthem tackles the way politicians and people in power continuously lie to us but how we don’t ever take them to task over their behaviour: ‘Take our tears and turn them into cotton candy’; ‘No one will benefit’; and repeated sayings of ‘This is a low point’ really wanting you to start a revolution.
Why Bonnie – ‘Made of Paper’
Signed to Sports Day Records and hailing from Austin, Texas, Why Bonnie are a bedroom pop quartet who specialise in dream-tinged indie with gorgeously striking and passionate vocals. You’ll want to drift away and find a better place as you listen to this Fear of Men-meets-The Pains of Being Pure at Heart-esque 3 minutes.
Tiny Moving Parts – ‘Warm Hand Splash’
We’re so excited about the new Tiny Moving Parts album and the latest song to be unveiled from it, ‘Warm Hand Splash’ opens with a tantalising combination of faltering keyboards, angst-ridden vocals and huge math-pop hooks. The band offer moments of self-reflection (‘You’re warm, I’m cold, there’s no argument I shrunk, you grew. I just can’t pretend to be something greater than me, to be someone you want me to be’) before a brass-led change in tone slows down the pace, brings out the harmonies and backs a change in perspective: ‘Could you please keep the light on for me?’; ‘You shine so bright. I am lost without the lights’
