Wolf Alice – “Bros”
Arguably one of the best new guitar bands we’ve seen in years, Wolf Alice led by Ellie Rowsell rereleased this track after having honed their sound over the last couple of years. A fan favourite, this reinvention of the track has polished up it’s DIY edges into a smooth, dreamy festival crowd winner.
Florence + The Machine – “Ship To Wreck”
Welcome back Queen Florence! It’s been a long time but the wait was worth it. Following the release of “What Kind Of Man” and “St. Jude”, we’ve now been given “Ship To Wreck” an upbeat, danceable track, far flung from the haunting sounds of Flo’s first two albums. Her sweet howls are ever present but it’s refreshing to hear a change of direction from an artist who had already accomplished taking over an entire genre, moving from ethereal magic to a radio ready hit, still with integrity and style.
Jamie XX – “Loud Places (Ft. Romy)”
Has Jamie XX ever put a foot wrong? Certainly not so far this year. Teaming up with Romy, his bandmate from The XX, he’s once more captivated us all with carefully considered production as a master of his craft. More of a morning after rather than the night before track in places, it’s nice to have a whole host of Jamie XX tracks to soundtrack your night and help you recover the next day. How thoughtful.
Spector – “Bad Boyfriend”
Spector are like the anti-boyband. They sing about girls a lot, have catchy hooks and are way cute, (the holy trinity) but it still doesn’t quite all add up to the One Direction formula for fame, they’re less commercial and more cynical than our favourite pop boy wonders. In “Bad Boyfriend”, Fred Macpherson’s vocals are teamed up with pounding keys as if ready for the climax of a film’s soundtrack, montages in the rain, 80s pastel suits, yellowed lighting, that kind of thing. All about online interconnection and a lack of social interaction in the digital age, the lyrics will probably ring true with the majority of us, sad as that may be when Fred’s singing, “I’m a good listener when it’s just me talking”.
Rihanna – “American Oxygen”
Rihanna’s eighth album is on the way and in the Wonderland office we’ve been obsessing over her every move. From that green Versace look to hashtagging everything with #BBHMM (still not sure why but it’s dedication) we’re devoted fans. Her latest offering “American Oxygen” totally threw us. Commenting on patriotism and the American Dream with excerpts from Martin Luther King, it’s not exactly ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ material, but go Rihanna!
Swim Deep – “One Great Song And I Could Change The World”
The boys from Birmingham are back for album two very soon and from what we’ve heard so far it’s very different to their debut. They were once the Princes of Pop. Now they’re heading down a wonderfully weird psych tinged path, baggy as you like, with shimmering loose percussion and falsetto vocals from frontman Austin Williams. ‘Where The Heaven Are We’ was a perfectly decent recording and won them hoards of fans but we’ve got an excited tingly feeling that their second LP will show us what they can really do, with a tighter set up with the addition of James Balmont on keys and more confidence to experiment.
Tame Impala – “‘Cause I’m A Man”
Kevin Parker is here to save us from electoral debates and rainy days and rush hour commutes. Tame Impala will soundtrack your summer, there is not doubt of that so here’s a little teaser. Warped and mind-bending, you should probably lie down, wherever you are, close your eyes and enjoy. It’s the only way to do Tame Impala properly, with the track melting into your eyes and running down your spine. Starting to sound a bit Dalí-esque? You’ll understand once you’ve heard it.
The Vaccines – “Minimal Affection”
After their rambunctious debut and unapologetically pop sophomore album, The Vaccines are back with ‘English Graffiti’. “Minimal Affection”, the third track from the third record is a calmer-tempo track allowing time for digestion of electronic melodic twists and Justin Young’s smooth vocals. He croons, “How am I supposed to hear you calling, if I can’t hear a word you say?” It’s another jab at modern technological methods of communication, let’s all go back to the days of letters and vinyls, it’s what the boys in bands appear to want.
Tyler, The Creator – “Fucking Young”
Where’s Tyler’s bark gone? Is this a love song? We’re so confused. Cushioned by barricade of harmonies, we’re smitten with the track from ‘Cherry Bomb’, the colour saturated video will suck you in too, we want a whole series of this. Don’t worry, five minutes in Tyler’s scratchy snarl is back with a vengeance, it was nice while it lasted anyway.