This week, Clash is pleased indeed to welcome Wiltshire’s finest rock trio Thought Forms (pictured, sort of) to the guest seat for our singles column. Hello, Thought Forms!
For those at the back – hello to you, too – Thought Forms is Charlie Romjin, Deej Dhariwal and Guy Metcalfe. The threesome’s second album, ‘Ghost Mountain’, came out in 2013 to a decent ripple of acclaim – the BBC wrote of “grand ambitions” and “outstanding moments” in their assessment of the LP.
The band is about to hit the road in support of 65daysofstatic – but before that, there’s the small matter of releasing a split-EP (or LP, if you like – it’s a 12”) with Brighton’s gloom-core crew Esben And The Witch, through Invada Records. Thought Forms contribute four tracks, Esben two, on silver vinyl, and we thought we’d kick things off by asking Charlie and Deej for their verdict on their flipside compadres…
Right after you listen to one of their four cuts, ‘For The Moving Stars’.
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Esben And The Witch – ‘No Dog’
“This is such an intense song. It kicks in, all guns blazing with that dark, primal drum beat all (The Cure’s) ‘The Hanging Garden’-esque, before allowing a few moments of foreboding calm, eye of the storm… It grows ever more unrelenting and spine tingling, particularly with the ferocious vocal line: “I! AM! NO! DOG! I! AM! A! WOLF!” The video helps to capture the energy of their live set.”
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Josh Record – ‘For Your Love’
“The start of the song is very pretty and twinkly, and some really nice sounds crop up throughout. But some of these subtleties in the music get lost behind the vocal. The video, though, is intriguing… where did he get his spy equipment? What made her scream? And why, after hours sitting in the car outside, did he then just casually stroll up to the house instead of running? Reminded us a bit of ‘Skinny Love’ by Bon Iver.”
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Special Request – ‘Hackney Parrot’
“We’d be dancing to this if we were out and about. We’re a bit concerned, though, that if someone actually did own a Fiesta and went to move it, only to find out that it was on the record all along, that’s their night ruined. They’d feel a right prat, and the bouncers might not let them back in. That’s how fights start.”
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Phantogram – ‘The Day You Died’
“There are lots of separate bits within this track that remind us of different bands: elements of Mogwai, The xx, Interpol, Placebo, but all squeezed together in a shiny polished package. We’d like to see them live, as it would probably be a bit more hazy and noisy. Like the vocal melody and harmonies.”
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Mike Will Made It – ‘23’ (feat. Miley Cyrus, Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa)
“Bit confused by this. Is it an advert for trainers? There’s a bloke dressed as Dennis The Menace and Miley Cyrus is in the bathroom doing a number 23, whatever that is – sounds painful – and telling of how she is “standing on the couch like it’s her house” and smoking a cigarette because she gives zero f*cks. Comes across like it might be a spoof… a catchy spoof…”
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Iggy Azalea – ‘Fancy’ (feat. Charli XCX)
“Love everything about this. Drawn in immediately by the fact that the video is based on the cinematic masterpiece Clueless – but the track is wonderful, too. Great vocals throughout and love the contrast between the two. Will definitely be checking out more. Absolutely flawless.”
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Thought Forms are online here. Their split with Esben And The Witch is released on April 7th, and the band tours as follows (dates w/ 65daysofstatic unless stated):
April
10th – Full Moon, Cardiff w/ Esben And The Witch
11th – Rise Records, Bristol w/ Esben And The Witch
13th – The Hope, Brighton w/ Esben And The Witch (free tickets with split purchase)
14th – Junction, Cambridge
15th – La Maroquineire, Paris
16th – C-Club, Berlin
17th – Club AB, Brussels
18th – Tivoli De Helling, Utrecht
Related: watch the Clash premiere of a full Thought Forms live session.
Related: previous singles columns.
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