God damn summer.
Each year we get our hopes up, and each year the bottle of sun lotion remains tantalisingly untouched. Normally ClashMusic enjoys a burst of sunshine right now, with Dundee typically gaining a temperature boost for the Freshers returning.
This year? A hurricane. High winds are lashing through the city, stripping the trees bare and pulling grey clouds across the sky.
Sometimes, you just can’t catch a break…
Shuttered indoors, the team have been leafing through the week’s singles. Expect releases from Laura Marling, WATERS, Summer Camp and more.
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Single Of The Week
Cloud Boat – Lions On The Beach
New R&S signings, but you could probably tell that within a few seconds of ‘Lions On The Beach’. The Belgian label have built their reputation all over again, and it’s thanks to release such as this that the imprint have such a high standing. The bass textures owe much to Joy O and the distorted vocals are indebted to Burial but really, Cloud Boat have a very distinct identity of their own. The tumbling snare cracks push the cut forwards, adding a sense of paranoia amongst the heavenly frequencies. Meanwhile, flip-side ‘Bastion’ bears comparison with R&S alumni James Blake – beautiful songwriting matched to a production style while could only stem from the soundsystem scene. By turns uplifting and utterly desolate, this release marks the emergence of something quite, quite rare.
RS1105 – Cloud Boat by R & S Records
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Summer Camp – Better Off Without You
The latest release from Jez and Liz, ‘Better Off Without You’ just isn’t rocking our world the way ‘Round The Moon’ did. Sure, it’s got a catchy melody and smart-as-feck lyrics but something isn’t clicking. It’s not them, it’s us.. But hey – Summer Camp are looking good these days, something better will come along. It’s just not the right time! Maybe we want different things… But keep in touch, yeah?
Laura Marling – Sophia
Laura Marling may not be the most avant garde, cutting edge if artists but the woman knows how to piece together a song. ‘Sophia’ is essentially split into four parts, building from a folk lament to a country driven stomp. Sure, it’s trad but it takes a rare kind of talent to piece this together and not be drowned amongst her influences. ‘Sophia’ will no doubt drive everyone within reach of commercial radio crazy by the end of the year but – with overkill merely lingering on the horizon – you simply have to admire her talent.
Young Knives –Vision In Rags
Acerbic. Witty. Spiky. Fun. Young Knives reviews almost write themselves these days, which is hardly the fault of the band. The post-punk troupe have steadily built up a sterling back catalogue which rarely dips below really-rather-good, such is the consistency of their songwriting. Perhaps it’s the weight of their own past which holds them back, but ‘Vision In Rags’ probably won’t reach the audience is deserves. What a bleedin’ shame.
Twin Sister – Gene Ciampi
‘Gene Ciampi’ sounds a bit like an Ennio Morricone scored reconfigured in the lost 80s. Imagine if The Man With No Name wore shoulder pads and you’d be close to what Twin Sister sound like. Immense fun, the single can sometimes seem like a put on but ‘Gene Ciampi’ has a naivety which breaks through any cynicism.
WATERS –For The One
Now this is something special. WATERS have the same lo-fi feel that drives Mazes, Lovvers and more but with a real pop heart. ‘For The One’ sounds like a classic Beatles single if you took a wire brush to the vinyl, adding some scuzzy noise to drown out Paul’s bleating lyrics. With a defiantly slacker attitude, WATERS can’t help but remind you of The Replacements – potentially great, if they can be bothered.