Eugene McGuinness is a solo artist. Yet 'Eugene McGuinness' is also a band. Confused? Maybe you should be.
Returning with his new album 'The Invitiation to the Voyage' the London based artist took a sharp change in direction. Recruiting close friends to his live band, Eugene McGuinness swapped the troubadour image of his debut album for a slicked back, amped up approach. Recent single 'Sugarplum' is a case in point.
All jagged edges, Krautrock influences and bulldozer guitars it found Eugene McGuinness steering down his own path. Absorbing and denying influences as he sees fit, the London artist is the right person to take charge of our latest Singles Round Up.
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Alex Clare- ‘Hummingbird’
Really like the space on this, all the tribal rhythms and piano stabs. It sort of has ‘X Factor’ written all over it (if that can ever be a good thing… well, I don't know.) He has a beautiful voice and it has a gigantic chorus which is probably making me say such a nutty thing.
Dog Is Dead – ‘Teenage Daughter'
To soundtrack an arena full of embracing couples in slo-mo. Or a whimsical passage in a film where our hero strolls with glistening eyeballs along the docks at magic hour… It’s a song to get your heart pumping after tea and biscuits and then finally text that special someone that you're really sorry or something like that.
Richard Hawley- ‘Down in the Woods’
Hooray for balls! I'm still chewing on 'Truelove’s Gutter' but I’m loving the new sweaty leather stuff. The breakdown in the middle is one of the coolest things I’ve heard this year; deliberately too long, rumba toms, swimming in effects before going into the last chorus. Amazing – not as good as 'Leave Your Body Behind You'.
The Killers- ‘Here With Me’
You've smoked too many cigarettes, sitting in your unmade bed made in a vest, hands through smelly hair. Cut to a scene of an argument not dissimilar to that in David Brent's music video… I'm all for those epic sentimental chest-thumpers but I’d rather listen to 'Read My Mind' from ages ago. Reign all that bombast in, just a little.
Lucy Rose- ‘Middle of the Bed’
Yeah, I don’t really know how to respond to this type of music. It’s my own fault, it's probably staggering. I’m being way to butch but can’t help it. It makes me want to listen to Motorhead because that’s the exact opposite of whats going on. i know i'm doing it a disservice, but nothing else was ever gonna happen. it'll be massive.
Paul Weller – ‘Dragonfly’
Returning quickly to my comfort zone… These past 3 albums from Well'ard have been wonderful, you can hear how personally unique the sounds are, it’s the unusual stuff but delivered straight from the gut. This could be any number of songs from Sonik Kicks, and it resonates with me because it's primal but not stupid. Stupid music's always fun, and brains often kill it, but Weller’s recently mixed oil and water which is sort of the whole point.
Robbie Williams – ‘Different’
Christ, he was massive when I was in school. It was OK to own 'I’ve Been Expecting You' back in the day. (Yes, that’s my way of saying “I loved I’ve Been Expecting You) ‘No Regrets’ is amazing, so my main issue is that if you're gonna be referencing self-harm then maybe do something like that, rather than a Coldplay/Take That beige odyssey. Growing old ungracefully.
