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AUG-SEPT 23 Jordan Higgins Quartet – 'Light & Sha
de' ‘Light & Shade’ follows the release of single ‘Spanky’ in March and provides a welcome broader context for the halftime instrumental cookout. The Quartet is comprised of instrumentalists with unarguably rising acclaim, notably with how festival-audience friendly ‘Light & Shade’ is. A zero additives production style is a welcome departure from lofi of bands such as Vulfpeck, or Surprise Chef with the clarity of instead borrowing more from Brian Blade’s Landmarks or Yussef Kamaal’s Black Focus, a methodology which really lets the music & performance breathe. ‘Light & Shade’ is for fans of influential players Larry Coryell or John Scofield, and meticulously tight grooves of Medeski, Martin & Wood. CmcC Sun Mahshene - 'Reverie' The first single taken from the debut album of Dublin based six piece Sun Mahshene, ‘Reverie’ is a perfect taster for what’s in store as the band’s signature ethereal guitar drone underpins a deft synth arrangement to produce their strongest single yet. The drops are dynamic and the shoegaze melodies are good enough to keep interest levels high for the big release at the end of August. PF Forest Swords - 'Butterfly Effect' Since Matthew Barnes first dropped his utterly unique ‘Dagger Paths’ EP around 2010, he has been among my favourite producers. Forest Swords project from top to bottom seemed immediately cohesive, as though birthed fully, perfectly, bloodily formed. His return to the moniker after some years composing for film and video games may hopefully yield more of his unique work in this vein, but this fantastic composition and its stark, minimal b-side, ‘Tar’, are worthy additions to a standout electronic discography. AOC Ian Veenman – 'Gentle Ghost' Veenman’s sophomore single opens with an intimate piano and strings intro which meets the perfect balance between captivating and incidental. ‘Gentle Ghost’ holds strong possibilities for sync due to the conversational quality of how the vocals interplay with the piano part. An instrumental bridge envelopes the latter end of the song and lets the arrangement blossom before an emotive solo from additional vocalist Jane Patterson, paired with bright high register piano. For fans of the conversational elements of lyricists such as Sufjan Stevens, early Bon Iver. CmcC Vandal - 'Best Days Of Your Life' Vandal hail from west Belfast and are a still youthful Gerard McLarnon’s second band. With a fresh drummer Michael Timnelly they continue to evolve in sound. Vandal wear their influences on their sleeves with last years ‘Come Back Around’ nodding to Led Zeppelin and February’s ‘Devil’s Child’ revealing they’ve heard of Pearl Jam and Metallica. Best Days of Your Life is the most accessible thus far and most modern (in a way) channelling Foo Fighters and The Killers, though a brief solo has a distinctly 80’s metal vibe. They have a big energetic sound, befitting larger stages than the one’s they’ll continue to grace while still emerging. I’ll certainly check in when they venture south of the border to see what’s coming next. DC The Fae - '2004' A lot of hype around this young band and it’s justified. Starting out as a jaunty alt pop piece with super sweet harmonies, the song takes a brilliant veer into the underground at the midway point and finishes out in a grand guignol style that made me press play again immediately. This band could be anything and everything. PF JUSTIFIED HYPE Coach Party - 'Parasite' This is Coach Party at their most angry and visceral. At only 1:38 in length singer Jessica Eastwood still manages to leave us in no doubt they want rid of whatever parasitic individual has plagued her band shouting “Why do you feed on us all?” Rapid beats and aggressive guitar riffs leave me wanting even more of this exciting new band. The band wanted the song “…to feel like a punch in the face”, well consider me floored. Hitting repeat will also allow you to squeeze a tireless 37 turns of this track every hour while you wait not only for the album but their highly anticipated appearance in The Workman’s Cellar in December. DC Scattered Ashes - 'Homeowners' These guys are moving on up and their latest opus, the Daniel Fox (Gilla Band) produced ‘Homeowners’ should see them handily placed to grab the post Fontaines DC attention that inevitably follows the success of a non London band. While it doesn't have the post punk urgency of debut single ‘Love Is Not An Option’ or the gothic splendour of ‘Feral’, it does showcase the band's urge to cast away their influences and strive for distinction. It’s a timely conceit and all eyes will be on how UK radio embraces them. PF PAGE 11