Wonderland.

WONDERLIST

Charli XCX, DJ Seinfeld, Harry Styles and more feature in this week’s Wonderlist playlist.

Charli XCX – “White Mercedes”

Topping off our brilliant list is the latest single from SS17 cover star Charli XCX. Premiering last night, the striking video features the pop star roaming around in a frilly fit by Dilara Findikoglu and, you guessed it, several iterations of white sportscars, some smouldering, others suspending her in a bright blue sky – ever the gravity defying legend.

The fifth video from her feature filled self-titled album, “White Mercedes” has undeniably big ballad energy. Still tinged with her signature robotic vocals and echoing synths, the track takes XCX’s sound in softer direction away from recent offerings such as the dark pop oriented “2099”, featuring Troye Sivan, and Eurodance classic “1999”, also featuring Troye Sivan. All we know is we don’t deserve her.

You can catch Charli XCX on the UK leg of her tour at O2 Academy Brixton on the 31st of October.

poolhouse – “Precious Days”

Sad Girl Autumn is certainly in full swing, but for those not relishing in daylight savings and having to wear a coat on the tube, London-based band poolhouse are bridging the seasonal divide with their latest release “Precious Days”. Taking the eeriness of relationship angst to places we’ve never seen before, this song snatches the meaning of summer loving well away from the ‘school disco’ status it adopted from Grease, throwing out self-reflective one-liners like, “Can’t get my hopes up when I know how easily I am forgot,“ over feel good spacey production. Evoking the feeling of a lo-fi yet pscyhedelic sounding Twin Peaks intro, this is definitely one for a contemplative stare out the window on your commute to work, university, or even a perusing session in Donlon Books.

DJ Seinfeld – “Please Slow Down”

This next wonder comes from DJ Seinfeld’s new 4-track “Parallax EP”, the Swedish DJ’s third release this year through his label, Young Ethics. The video for “Please Slow Down” takes place in a mirror-filled Stonehenge, circling around a raving form twisting and contorting to the echoing basslines and sharp pangs of Burial-esque production – sort of what we imagine cavemen were doing before the first ice age. The track is 4 minutes and 22 seconds of pure, unadulterated techno splendour, and one we’ll definitely be sneaking on to the queue at someone else’s afters.

Odette Peters – “What A Lovely Day”

Introducing 20-year-old singer Odette Peters. The newcomer and fourth artist on the Wonderlist this week had her debut performance at The Islington last month, and is already making headway in London’s music underground. Combining jazzy melodies and smooth as butter vocals, “What A Lovely Day” transfers us to a state of utter tranquility, a peaceful idyl. Coinciding the release with World Mental Health Day, Peters peppers the track with frank takes on relationships, equality and the general bullshit life throws our way with effortless style and flare. Keep your eyes, and your ears, on this one!

Harry Styles – “Lights Up”

We just couldn’t resist including this one. Harry Styles in an orgy! The erotic video for his latest single is a Pornhub search come to life. Combining the sweaty tenderness of Kylie Minogue’s “All The Lovers” with the neon hues and tropical backdrop of Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, the “Lights Up” video is all about discovery and togetherness, and shows just how much the star has grown up since hitting our screens at the beginning of the decade. Twinkly guitars and hearty choir vocals drive the stripped back song, and puts Styles worlds away from the solo sounds of his former group members from One Direction. In any case, it’s safe to say we’re thrilled about the Gucci muse’s new era, and impatiently await whatever else he has in store.

Words
Bailey Slater