FRESH NEW KICKS: Piano Song- Eryn Allen Kane

‘Piano Song’ is somewhat of a misnomer for Eryn Allen Kane’s latest delight. Sure, it kicks off with a twinkling little key sequence, accompanied only by Eryn’s gorgeously full voice, all peaks and ebbs like a whirl of meringue. Yet less than halfway into the track the presence of those signature layered harmonies and- more excitingly- bold and brassy horns have made themselves known. Perhaps dubbing this beautiful track ‘old school soul’ is a bit of misnomer too; there’s a tendency to constantly hold up new bluesy offerings to the ‘classic’ standard, in much the same way rap conversations always pay homage to Biggie or Pac. By now, Eryn has woven enough originality and spark throughout her work to be seen as more than just an imitator of bygone musical eras- a lack of synths doesn’t automatically denote a lack of modernity. Beyond that, ‘Piano Song’ possesses a timeless message: ‘Sometimes clinging to a cloud/Ain’t as easy as it seems’ she sings, pondering the sheer, hard graft that goes into maintaining a successful relationship before erupting into a climatic series of belting riffs that repeat the message to ‘never give up’ if you really want to make something last. It’s a message that’s just as easily applicable to success in her chosen industry yet slowly but surely she seems to be making her way.

Follow @ErynAllenKane on Twitter now. 

STOP EVERYTHING: Slow Dance- Photocomfort

Photocomfort sounds like a band carved straight from Scandinavian icefloats, all chilly harmonies and impressively precise production; every element in latest song Slowdance, is perfectly placed to ensure the contrast between controlled, compact verse and delicately blooming chorus is thrown into stark relief. But they actually hail from Boston, Massachusetts so maybe it’s just raw talent and 3 pairs of excellent ears for sublime electropop. Equally impressive is previous single Not Love; frontwoman Justine Bowe stretches her wonderfully expressive vocals across slapping, stormy beats courtesy of bandmates Gabe Goodman and Will Radin.  Photocomfort possess a spark that’s obvious to even a casual listener and these guys have already supported Glass Animals, MS MR and earned a prestigious play on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show. Basically: they’re not to be sniffed at.

Follow @Photocomfort on Twitter now. 

FRESH NEW KICKS: Refuse- Kevin Garrett

We’ve likened Kevin Garrett to fellow emotional tormenter James Vincent McMorrow before but it’s meant in the most complimentary fashion. Both artists create music that whispers like a last kiss; the melodies they spin anchor themselves within your bones and force you to sit and ruminate for their duration. Refuse is Garrett’s follow up to his five track April release, Mellow Drama, despite the fact it was written ‘a little while ago as I was developing my sound’, according to his NYLON magazine interview. Lyrically Garrett is adept but he may as well not be; it’s the intersection between that devastating falsetto and the insistent, throbbing beat that cuts to the quick. A building vocal sample injects more soul still as Refuse reaches climax; then it’s all over and gone before you can reach out and grab it. No prizes for decoding the metaphor.

Follow @KevinOGarrett on Twitter now.

SHORT AND SWEET

Short and Sweet gives you quick links to the hottest tracks.

Too. Many. Songs. October has ushered in a deluge of incredible music from both new and established artists just waiting to be hit by the usual seasonal blogging cliches. ‘Forget Winter- this track is fire!’ and so on. I haven’t got time to write out long tenuous paragraphs linking brilliant music to shitty weather so instead here’s a rundown of the best sounds to hit the web in the last couple of weeks.

Snakehips ft. Tinashe & Chance the Rapper- All My Friends 

Alright, so I already wrote about this here but it’s so stellar, I can’t help banging on about it. It’s an anti-anthem; a hook that burrows its way into your brain accompanied by lyrical content that’s so damn bleak it’s like Tinashe has managed to crack your phone’s passcode and read all your inebriated texts to the boy who never messages you before 10pm. Then you’ve got Chance weaving a bleak tale of the woes Xanax has wrought upon the world. This hook up between London duo Snakehips and two of America’s hottest talents is fab-u-lous while simultaneously being utterly dark- top marks.

Jack Garratt- Breathe Life 

Jack Garratt entranced us all with his stunning debut The Love You’re Given and immediately followed it with the bizarre decision to open for professional bores Mumford and Sons. Never mind- he’s now supporting the far more appropriate duo MS MR and has just dropped this tantalizing little taster from his upcoming album Phase. There’s no denying it: the man has quite the ear for a tune and his bass-heavy pop mutations are bringing him deserved recognition from all corners.

D.R.A.M ft. SZA- Caretaker 

You’ll doubtless recognise D.R.A.M’s moniker thanks to it being constantly mentioned in connection with a certain song about blinging cellphones. But the man has more strings to his bow than just an ability to cha-cha. Caretaker was originally featured in shortform on The Social Experiment album Surf and the extended version is a beautiful slow-burner that brings to mind the classic Lauryn Hill/D’Angelo collab Nothing Even Matters. SZA’s presence ups the stakes and results in a track that’ll have you lighting all the candles in your room and making that special someone’s hotline bling.

Tobi Lou- New Bish 

DIS IS DA CUTEST. Tobi Lou has already received support from both Tunji Ige and The FADER which are probably the two tastemakers you should trust above all else. Candyfloss production on a rap track? Absolute genius. Plus, his cadence when rhyming is addictive; this bubblegum mastery of rhythm is what the word ‘bopping’ denotes. A serious one to follow. 

FRESH NEW KICKS: 1000 EP- Ben Khan

Every individual likes to imagine they are unknowable, but Ben Khan pulls off the conceit more convincingly than most. Since first materializing on the music scene in 2013, he’s proved as slippery as an eel to attempts to pin him down and it’s clear he likes it that way. A recent V Magazine interview proved less than enlightening; so far, the best insight into the mercurial workings of Khan’s mind seems to have come from Red Bull: he’s fascinated by Salvador Dali, they report, and one of his influences is the indomitable Pat Benatar.