The return of Tom Vek. Getintothis’ Sean Bradbury welcomes him with open arms.
Tom Vek: A Chore
After a six-year musical hiatus following the release of debut album We Have Sound, Tom Vek has returned with a seamless slice ofelecto-indie alchemy.
A Chore follows a similar blueprint to Nothing But Green Lights on his previous record with a synth line that couldhave been lifted from a forgotten 90s trance track layered overpounding John Bonham style beats, but delivered now with a more refined and confident swagger.
Welcome back Tom Vek – please take note of this esteemed Single of the Week award and let’s hear from you sooner next time.
Wiley: Numbers in Action.
What a difference a remix can make. The radio edit of Numbers in Action – in which Wiley bigs himself up for three minutes solid – is lightweight, playful and more of an album track than a single.
But Sticky‘s b-side version cranks all the dials up and showcases Wiley’s lines with more fitting beats and backing.
Blithe brags transform intoblistering bravado and everything sounds more convincing.
Cat’s Eyes: Face in the Crowd
Pleasant 60s pop pastiche from The Horrors‘ Faris Badwan and soprano Rachel Zeffira featuring all the tropes: sinister Scott Walker vocals calling and responding with ethereal female whispers,plenty of echo and tremolo effects and THAT drumbeat.
It’s decent, but how much more of this is necessary before saturation point? That goes out to you too Mark Ronson. And you Alex Turner and Miles Kane.
Gang Gang Dance: Mindkilla
Hard to pin this one down but I’ll have a go: Kate Bush crunks up nursery rhymes over a dancehall beat.
No idea whether I like it or not. Well worth a listen, but don’t come crying to me if it scars you for life.
Jonathan Jeremiah: Heart of Stone
All the ingredients are in place for a poptastic hit here – earnest and inane vocals, driving horn section, instantly familiar chorus – but Heart of Stone suffers from sounding like the greatest “on hold” tune ever made.
Jonathan Jeremiah – coming to a call centre near you soon.
Joey Seary: Just Another Face In The City
With credits reading like a who’s who of Liverpool urban musicians – production and mixing from Product and KOF, tracks featuring EscoWilliams, Clarity and Karl Sweeney – this 10-track concept album from hip-hop artist Joey Seary is the sound of a maturing voice in agrowing local scene.
Just Another Face and See the Stars are strong tunes which could stand alone even if separated from the city living narrative of the record.
Depeche Mode: Personal Jesus 2011
Passable remix EP of Depeche Mode’s 1989 single with offerings from Stargate, Alex Metric, Eric Prydz, M.A.N. and Sie Medway-Smith.
Most sound like they were knocked out in half an hour on autopilot,but the pulsating drop of Eric Prydz‘s version hits the right note.Give me the croaky acoustic stomp of Johnny Cash’s cover over these any day though.
Times New Viking: Ever Falling in Love
Cleverly conceived lo-fi love song, in which Times New Viking’s Adam Elliot and Beth Murphy attempt to sing over each other but gradually find their way to a shared vocal line via fleeting overlappingharmonies.
Like the warm, fuzzy soundtrack to a half-forgotten happymemory and gets better with every listen.
Barbara Panther: Moonlight People
Barbara Panther was born in Rwanda and raised in Belgium before makinga home in Berlin.
Judging by this single, the upshot of that crazy journey is you become a wonderfully weird, genre-defying electopopper in the Grace Jones mould. Don’t know who the Moonlight People are but after hearing this I want to be one of them.
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi: Two Against One/Black
This double a-side teaser from the much-hyped Rome – a collaboration between Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi inspired byspaghetti western scores and “starring” the vocal talents of Jack White and Norah Jones – bodes well for the album which has been five years in the making.
Both tracks are effortlessly accomplished and set the mind racing with imagined movie scenes. White amplifies the unsettling tone of Two Against One, while Jones seems on natural territory breathily breezing through Black over a hypnotic acousticguitar line.
