The New Music of the Week [2nd November, 2022]

Pro Freak

Artist: Smino 

Luv 4 Rent is an anthem to self-love according to the artist, and while this may immediately send your thoughts heading in a dark direction, don’t go there.

Really, he’s looking to get his fans and listeners looking inward for answers rather than outward and that’s no bad thing. Pro Freak is a striking single that gives you solid insight into what’s coming from the rest of the record.

Give it a listen here.

Shots Fired

Artist: Cakes da Killa 

Svengali is the kind of sophomore outing that if you blink, you’ll miss it.

Cakes da Killa (Richard Bradshaw) wants to share his experience of growing tired of the queer dating scene and casual sex and opting for love, instead, and he wants to do it in under 30 minutes!

Shots Fired is an obvious single that will stay with you after repeat listens. This record may not be long, but it is good.

Give it a listen here.

Look Both Ways

Artist: Nosaj Thing 

Continua is the first album from Nosaj Thing since 2017 and it’s clear that he put the last five years to good use, musically.

Look Both Ways is our standout track but we could have picked anything on this record, each song is unique and has a genuine soundscape paired with the efforts of one of his contemporary artists.

This might be the best electronic album of the year.

Give it a listen here.

Sunday School Explosives

Artist: Fatboi Sharif & Noface 

Preaching in Havana is a masterpiece of horror and oddness that you might not expect to find on a rap record.

We’re selecting Sunday School Explosives as the track to listen to, but this is one album that’s best heard in its entirety to be believed.

This is clever, angry hip-hop music with a point and it won us over entirely.

Give it a listen here.

Borderland

Artist: Ásgeir

Time on My Hands is the latest record from the Icelandic folk/electronic/pop-smith Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson.

He’s already a big deal at home and this might be the record that finally sees him hit the big time globally.

Borderland is a beautiful opening track that lets the listener get a handle on the warm, emotional, atmospheric content within.

Give it a listen here.

Remember When

Artist: Field Guide

Field Guide is the second effort from Field Guide and if you want a record to chill out to and make peace with the world?

This is the one to go with this week. It’s so gentle that there are times when it feels like a warm hug against the world.

Remember When is an excellent moment from the whole that captures the frustration of someone with a partner who seeks “attention” more than “affection”.

Give it a listen here.

Genesis

Artist: Benjamin Clementine

And I Have Been is the album that every Benjamin Clementine fan has been waiting for, it’s a seriously accomplished record with even more power than his debut record (which won a Mercury prize).

Genesis is the initial single but any track could have served to capture the listener’s attention to this exceedingly worthwhile album. Don’t miss it.

Give it a listen here.

Do It Fast

Artist: Babehoven

Light Moving Time is a solid folk-rock record seeking to explore how healing takes place and how it doesn’t always go as expected. On Do It Fast, Bon sings, “been thinking about how a hurricane was named after you.”

And the whole album is often slightly unsettling before it begins to strengthen into a tribute to self-respect and digging deep emotionally.

Give it a listen here.

Your Man’s No Good

Artist: Ghost Funk Orchestra

A New Kind Of Love is a stunning retro-soul record that throws you in at the deep end with Your Man’s No Good, which is enough to ensure that you’re going to want to listen to everything else on the disc.

And mostly, that’s a rewarding journey, though there are a couple of missteps along the way, they don’t hang around for long enough to spoil your good time.

Give it a listen here.

We’re Alright

Artist: Trampled By Turtles

Alpenglow is the progressive bluegrass record that we didn’t know that we needed in our lives until it turned up this week.

Trampled by Turtles have gone with wistful and slightly sad as the emotional palette here and We’re Alright is an optimistic number in the midst of a certain amount of angst. This is a record that bears repeated listening.

Give it a listen here.