Now that the summer of 2019 is over, I've been in a retrospective mood, so it felt appropriate to look back on some of my favourite tracks of the last month. August was a pretty busy and diverse time for new releases, so I limited myself to my five favourite tracks to keep things concise. Get this stuff in your ears!
Foals - 'Black Bull'
The Oxfordshire indie giants are really spoiling us this year. Following the March release of Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part I, perhaps their best album to date, the band have recently dropped the first single from the upcoming Part II record. 'Black Bull' is a rough and raw bulldozer of a track, probably the heaviest Foals have ever released, and I absolutely love it. 18th October can't come quick enough, nor can a chance to hear this hard rock rager live.
The 1975 - 'People'
Foals are not the only band to have dipped their toes into heavier sounds lately, with indie-pop megastars The 1975 having turned their hands to socially-conscious punk rock and surprisingly pulling it off with gusto. Some may have expected a foray into punk by Matty Healy and co. to come off as contrived or even slightly embarrassing, but the band's delivery is sincere and the performance explosive. I may just become a 1975 fan yet!
PVRIS - 'Hallucinations'
Following up the colossal 'Death of Me', which you can read my review of here, Massachusetts trio Pvris have delivered the goods again with 'Hallucinations'. Continuing the band's successful blend of rock and electropop, the chorus of this new track doesn't hit with as much force as its predecessor's, but that doesn't make its strong hook any less effective. As ever, Lynn Gunn's powerful vocals and introspective lyrics are a highlight, whilst the clear and punchy production lifts the song to greater heights.
Charli XCX - Cross You Out (ft. Sky Ferreira)
Over the last couple of years, Charli XCX has reaffirmed her reputation as one of the most inventive, forward-thinking and must-listen artists in the world of pop. Her upcoming album Charli is shaping up to perhaps be the best pop record of the year, thanks to a string of strong singles characterised by collaborations with a 'who's who' of hot pop artists. 'Cross You Out' may not make quite the same instant impact as preceding singles 'Gone' or last year's '1999', but it's cold, booming synths and excellent, futuristic-sounding production, by now a hallmark of Charli's sound, give it a personality all of its own. Expect a review of the full album later this month.
IDLES - 'I Dream Guillotine'
Released as a double A-side vinyl with 'Mercedes Marxist', this 'revolutionary' (ahem) new track from acclaimed post-punk outfit IDLES is a worthy follow-up to last year's incredible Joy As An Act of Resistance LP. Between this and a summer full of incendiary festival sets, Idles are continuing to prove themselves to be the most essential band in British rock today. Great stuff.
That's all for now, so go and check out these tracks if you haven't already and let me know if you'd like this kind of thing to become a monthly feature. Thanks for reading!
- Danny
Follow me on Twitter @realdannymoore
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