Further Listening:

5. Anna Burch Is Writing You A Letter

After two excellent singles, Detroit’s Anna Burch has this week confirmed the release of her debut album, Quit The Curse. That record will arrive in Spring next year, but ahead of its release, Anna has this week shared her new single, Tea-Soaked Letter.

Anna has previously made her name as a member of Frontier Ruckus and more recently as the co-front person of Failed Flowers, but now as a solo artist she is exploring new musical ground. Anna’s take on hazy, complex pop is well showcased on Tea-Soaked Letter, a blurring of the middle-ground between Frankie Cosmos and Alvvays; its gorgeous, hazy dream-pop, with a winning dash of melancholia. Discussing the album, Anna has suggested Quit The Curse is on a personal level, “the end of an era of uncertainty”, listening to the singles so far this is a songwriter sounding confident, inspired and a certain star in the making.

Quit The Curse is out March 2nd on Heavenly Recordings (UK) / Polyvinyl (US). Click HERE for more information on Anna Burch.

4. No Need To Apologise For Laura K

As a member of Tigercats, Ski Saigon and Milk Skin, we’re already well aware of the talents of London-based musician Laura K. This week, as part of the excellent Art Is Hard singles club, Laura has shared her new single, Apologies.

Discussing the track, Laura has suggested it is a record about being in a relationship and coping with the anxiety and insecurity of, “not knowing if problems are real or in your head…classic!” Musically, it’s a lo-fi blurring of indie-pop and electronica; gentle ukulele’s sing out accompanied by electronic swells, squelches and delightfully simplistic sounding drum machines. Laura’s vocal is the real star here though; perhaps underused in some of her other projects, here, via distant, wistful production it’s allowed to shimmer and shine. With her day-jobs keeping her busy, we’re not sure what plans Laura has beyond this single, for now just enjoy this for what it is, as a wonderful and memorable one-off.

Apologise is out now on Art Is Hard. Click HERE for more information on Laura K.

3. All Eyes Are On Mint Field

Like a lot of the world, we’re probably a bit guilty of focusing far too much on the music of the English-speaking world, and we’re always happy to be reminded of that fact. Further evidence for that this week are the duo of Mexican 21-year-olds, Mint Field. The Tijuana-based pair are set to release their debut album, Pasar De Las Luces next year, and have this week shared a stunning new single, Ojos En El Carro.

Translated by our rudimentary Spanish, Ojos En El Carro becomes Eyes In The Car, but we can’t help but feeling that isn’t right. Whatever it means, it sounds wonderful; reverby guitars ring out atop steady drum beats and washes of synth, before Estrella Sanchez’s stunning vocal enters. Mint Field’s sound will be a definite winner for fans of Beach House, Warpaint or The  Cocteau Twins. With the release of their debut album next year Tijuana’s finest might just go a long way to capturing the world’s attention.

Pasar De Las Luces is out February 23rd via Innovative Leisure. Click HERE for more information on Mint Field.

2. We’re Sure About Hatchie

Hatchie is the pseudonym of rising Brisbane songwriter, Harriette Pilbeam. A songwriter inspired not by her surrounding so much as by turning her gaze inwards, soundtracking her daydreams and emotions. With a first ever UK date at The Great Escape to promote next year, Hatchie has this week shared a sublime new single, Sure.

Sure is not perhaps the sound you’d expect for a young songwriter from Brisbane, it sounds more like a rainy day in Manchester in the early 1990’s. Muted vocals, jangling guitars and steady ticking drum beats, add up to a beautiful wash of sound perfect for a spot of escapism. The lyrics of the track are inspired by watching the patterns of a friend’s relationship, “it was about a couple that decided to give it “one more shot” over and over again because they couldn’t bare to be apart”. We can sort of relate, because Sure is a track we find ourselves going back to time after time.

Sure is out now. Click HERE for more information on Hatchie.

1. Lionlimb Put Their Album To Tape Recorder

With their debut album Shoo, Lionlimb quickly established themselves as one of the most intriguing musical prospects of our times. A dense, complex and most importantly brilliant sounding record, it established Stewart Bronaugh and Joshua Jaeger, as much more than members of Angel Olsen’s backing band. This week the band have announced their second record, Tape Recorder, and shared the first offering from it, Maria.

Proving they’re as fascinating as ever, the track is inspired by the life of Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints to be canonized, as Stewart explains further than that, it is a track, “about feeling a part of something bigger than yourself”. Musically too, it’s a track that shows great progression; the dense layering and stunning drumming of their previous releases remain, and the addition of strings add an almost cinematic feel to Stewart’s compositions.  Inspired as much by minimalist composers from the 1970’s as it is by modern alt-rock, Tape Recorder is set to be one of 2018’s most intriguing, and quite possibly, best records.

Tape Recorder is out February 23rd via Bayonet Records. Click HERE for more information on Lionlimb.

Header photo by Guy Eppel – http://www.guyeppel.com/