Further Listening:

5. Munroe Crashing In On A Wave Of Destruction

Splitting her time between her native Hamilton and Los Angeles, Munroe is the musical moniker of Kathleen Munroe. That said her latest single, Wreak Havoc, is inspired by neither city, instead it’s that city of so many dreams, New York that takes centre stage, “I love New York, but it’s got a wild energy. It can be a hard place to feel vulnerable. When I wrote this song, I was heartbroken, and felt like the city had kicked the shit out of me”.

Produced in collaboration with Benjamin Schwab, of the bands Golden Daze and Drugdealer, Wreak Havoc is the first taste of the pairs recent recording sessions, and feels like a significant leap forward for Munroe. There’s a winning simplicity to the track, as a reverberating piano carefully picks out chords, and Kathleen’s vocal is given the melodic room it’s so clearly capable of filling.  The only other adornments comes from a perfectly judged, “roving sax”, which Kathleen heard in her head, and then Joseph Renolayan brought to life. It may be a song about surrender, yet it’s also one about power, about finding the strength in giving in, and coming back from that place. With more songs on the way soon, this feels like the start of something very special indeed.

Wreak Havoc is out now. Click HERE for more information on Munroe.

4. En Attendant Ana Find The Words

Signed to the always intriguing Trouble In Mind label, Parisian quintet, En Attendant Ana first emerged back in 2018 with their debut album, Lost & Found. For their follow-up the band set about to re-shape themselves, and the result is their upcoming album, Juillet, out in January, which they’ve previewed this week with new single, Words.

Discussing Juillet, the band have suggested it’s a more focused affair the, “wild & reckless” sound of their debut, streamlined into something sharper and more demanding of your attention. That said, as Words shows, that isn’t at the loss of any creativity; from an intro so direct and demanding Interpol would be proud of it, the track blossoms, as spiraling brass takes it off into less instant, but no less compelling territory. Re-invention never sounded so good.

Juillet is out January 24th via Trouble In Mind Records. Click HERE for more information on En Attendant Ana.

3. Babehoven Will Help You Not Make Ass Of Yourself

Babehoven is the musical project of Philadelphia via Los Angeles songwriter, Maya Bon. Having previously caught the ear with a pair of well-received EPs, 2018’s Sleep and Solemns from earlier this year, this week Maya has shared her latest offering, Asshole. The track is the first to be lifted from upcoming EP, Demonstrating Visible Differences Of Height.

Discussing the track, Maya has suggested it’s about, “the wish to bear witness to every part of a new beloved, about the dysfunctionality of beginnings, of learning how to manage emotions with someone new”. The track charts a new relationship, a pair of people wanting to know each other and slowly learning to let themselves embrace intimacy. Musically, the track is a delightfully gentle build; from a minimal intro, with just Maya’s easy vocal style and her chiming Soccer Mommy-like guitar, layer upon layer of sound is added culminating in a crescendo of disorienting noise. The track creeps up on you, gradually engulfing you into its delightful world of noise. This feels like a new chapter, a bold step into intriguing musical territory that bodes well for whatever Babehoven does next.

Asshole is out now. Click HERE for more information on Babehoven.

2. Adwaith Take A Seat And Find Falsity In The World

One of our favourite new bands of recent years, we’ve admired South Wales’ Adwaith since the first time we heard them. Following an enthusiastic response to their debut album, Melyn, the bands profile has been on a stratospheric trajectory. The band’s recent double-A single, gave us a taster of where they are going next, and they’ve shared two more tracks to whet our musical appetites this week, Orange Sofa and Byd Ffug.

Written in English, Orange Sofa is in the band’s own words, “about the feeling of being stuck in your hometown at a dead end”, the title being lifted from the sofa in Heledd from the band’s house, where they have spent four years honing their musical craft. Musically it starts life as a moody, psych-fuzz number, before switching gears into a dreamy middle section, and concluding on a dance-floor worthy outro The Orielles would be proud of. Our favourite of the two though is Byd Ffug, translating as False World, the track is “a middle finger to people who mug you off and take advantage of your kindness”, set to a backing of mysterious noises and a driving disco rhythm. Where are Adwaith going next? On current evidence everywhere and anywhere their imagination takes them, and there’s few more exciting places for a band to be in than that.

Orange Sofa / Byd Ffug are out now via Libertino. Click HERE for more information on Adwaith.

1. We’ve Got One Last Thing To Say 2 U – Listen To Cheerbleederz

We were already largely smitten with indie-pop supergroup Cheerbleederz music after their debut EP, Faceplant was released back in September last year, and after seeing their show-stealing set at Indietracks this year, we were even more convinced. They ran through most of their upcoming EP during that set, and this week they’ve detailed Lobotany’s release, due early next year on Alcopop! Records, as well as sharing the first taste of it, Say 2 U.

Say 2 U finds Kathryn Woods, also of the excellent Fresh, taking lead vocals on a track that meets that old footballing cliché of a game of two halves. For the two minutes, the track plays out with all the slinky intensity of Wild Beasts, as prominent Pixies-like bass-lines rumble out beneath tight three-way-harmonies, then just as you expect it to fade away it does the complete opposite. With a buzz of feedback it roars into another gear, with a grungy guitar line, and beautifully contrasting vocals, the lead snarling and punky, the backing shimmering and harmonious. Discussing the inspiration behind the track, Cheerbleederz have suggested that it’s a love song that’s afraid to commit, “the deep breath that you take before you make your feelings known to someone, the calm before the storm”. If this is the calm, bring on your crashing thunder claps, your forked lightning strikes, with Cheerbleederz in control we’ll take whatever they can throw at us.

Lobotany is out February 7th via Alcopop! Records. Click HERE for more information on Cheerbleederz