One of these one-the-rise fellows that us in the music press like to write about so very much, Josh Record is a south London-based singer-songwriter very much on the… um… rise. Well, he is – and the proof is in the chart positions.
Record’s debut EP ‘Bones’ debuted at two on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart, and his immediate harmonies will be collected on an album later in 2014. He played a stack of festivals in 2013, including an appearance on the bill at the Bruce Springsteen-headlined Hard Rock Calling, and will support Sam Smith on the Disclosure collaborator’s own headline jaunt at the end of February.
Check out Record’s new track ‘Pictures In The Dark’, from that forthcoming LP, below – and beneath that, his verdict on the week’s new-release singles.
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Lorde – ‘Team’
“‘Team’ is actually my favorite Lorde song, along with ‘Tennis Court’. I’m not going to lie, ‘Royals’ has been played so much that it’s lost its magic for me, and I even read that Lorde herself wants to give fans a little break! She does have such a sound, so unique to her, which is so admirable, and it’s refreshing for that pop market, as well as her attitude. I was fortunate enough to support her on her first London show – it was so packed and the buzz was huge, but as soon as she stepped on stage you realised why: she is so mesmerising, and it just kills me to think she is only 17. The video is like a movie ands it’s got me hooked.”
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September Girls – ‘Green Eyed’
“It’s been raining all week, while I’ve been listening to this, and the lo-fi production and reverb-drenched vocals are fitting my mood exactly. It’s not everyone’s cuppa though, that’s for sure – I have had requests to turn it off from my friend, because they can’t hear the vocal properly. I’m trying to no avail here to explain that this is the sound they are going for. You can’t please everyone.”
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The Wave Pictures – ‘Missoula’
“My mate is an absolute music snob, but I am a music slag. I manage to find things I like in pretty much everything. This is by no means my favourite, the repetitiveness of the guitars/melody/structure that is so key to this kind of genre isn’t something that really connects to me, as I often need more highs and lows in a song for it to really grab me. However, the looseness of the vocal and live, raggedy feel of the production is real nice.”
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MT Warning – ‘Midnight Dawn’
“Loving this. One of my favourite artists is a guy called Citizen Cope, and this track reminds me a little of him in many ways. It really takes you on a journey that is well accentuated by the video. This is a beautiful, emotive song, and the vocals are amazing too – at the beginning, especially, it just sucks you right in. I feel like if I close my eyes, every lyric is drawing me in. I’m gonna be going to bed listening to this…”
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Sam Smith – ‘Money On My Mind’
“I’m about to go on tour with Sam Smith, which I’m well excited about. I already had tickets for the show before I found out, so I’ve got two spare if anyone wants them? I was obsessed with ‘Latch’ for a long time, and ‘Nirvana’ too… Personally ‘Money On My Mind’ is not my favourite, but I can totally see why he’s winning every award going at the moment. This song is proper catchy and has the commercial sound that I think will help see him make a real impact this year.”
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Royal Blood – ‘Little Monster’
“I saw them a couple of months ago at a gig when there was a crazy amount of hype around them, and I loved them. They’ve got attitude, great songs, vocals on point, real good sounds, and it’s not try hard – it’s just great music. I used to listen to The Black Keys every time I got in the car, now I wanna put this on and go for a night drive.”
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Rudimental – ‘Powerless’
“They have literally been everywhere! And every song is a hit. I love what they’ve done for up-and-coming singers, too. I don’t think this is their strongest, but having said that it could be a total grower as I’m sure it will get the airplay. Becky Hills’ vocals are so good though – I loved her on Wilkinson’s ‘Afterglow’, too.”
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Find Josh Record online here. See him on tour with Sam Smith as follows…
February
23rd – Old Market, Brighton (Hove)
24th – Shepherds Bush Empire, London
27th – Ritz, Manchester
28th – HMV Institute, Birmingham
March
1st – Liquid Room, Edinburgh
Clash’s singles columns are archived here.
