Singles

Engine - Formulate A Plan

Timing is everything in music right? Well, Monday night, Radio X’s shining light John Kennedy played ‘Formulate A Plan’ by Leeds outfit Engine. As the flying ants swarmed and humans melted in the unrelenting heat, this single came floating by like the breeze we’ve all been desperate for.

Weather aside, this is a remarkable feat for a debut single. Some artists take three albums to carve out this sort of identity. Producer Dom Freeman has got the heart of James Yorkston’s ‘Woozy With Cider’ here and thus, allowed the bands scattergun nodes of psyche to really shine throughout.

Vocally, it provides many of the great dialectics alternative music can provide. Singer James Elson sounds a polished performer but, there is still a hint of fragility which makes you wonder, might this sun drenched dream drift away at some point? It’s something that Bobby Gillespie and Martin Courtney (Real Estate) have done better than most in recent times and now Elson can begin to dream of adding himself to that list.

 

Check out more from the band on their Soundcloud page:

https://soundcloud.com/the-engine-1/formulate-a-plan

The Rifles - Wall Around Your Heart

The song opens in true Rifles fashion with guitars blasting out the traps like a four minute warning to the apocalypse. The pulse of the song is one we have seen time and time again from the Rifles and yet, it remains fresh and enjoyable.

This is, in part due to the guitars, particular the solo having a touch of jingle jangle a la Primal Scream’s debut to them. The Rifles though, do not do tranquil sun drenched songs. They offer an adrenalin fuelled ride to said genre and as a result, their massive following will be incredibly happy once more.

Many are criticised for not changing up their game enough. The Rifles often fall victim to said abuse. However, lifelong admirers will tell you what the subtle differences are, they’ll also tell you to fuck off and quite right. In an a time where bands life spans are one album, The Rifles are returning with their fifth in ten years and all without ever receiving airplay. You may not like them but you should respect them. 

Boxed In - Jist

It feels like a barely a moment has passed since the self-titled debut album was released. Nevertheless, Oli Bayston’s outfit are back, and they have served up a slice of sun-drenched electronica to kick-start the summer.

The former head honcho of Keith has built on Boxed In’s debut with crisp and catchy production that Michael Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ would have been proud to include.

The melody running through is simple but joyously hypnotic. Picture yourself in sunnier climates than a storm ridden train platform with endless cancellations and this song is the perfect fit.

Bayston maybe in hot demand as a producer these days but, for TT, it’s his own work and that we find so compelling. Combining the opulent production with his grainy vocals is a mix certain to prosper.

Bear's Den - Auld Wives

Timing can be everything in the music biz, catching that mood of the public just right can make your career overnight.

The new Bear’s Den single ‘Auld Wives’ isn’t going to resonate like Pulp’s ‘Common People’ but, the distance sounds, faint beauty and subtle melancholy will certainly catch the mood of 16,141,241 people in the UK today.

Tomorrow there needs to be a call to arms, and a fight back against little Englander’s and inept Tories. Today, let us wallow together in the swirling production of the verses here. As the euphoria slowly gathers momentum in the second half of the song, let us gather our thoughts recognise the good in others once more.

The sweeping vocals combine with synths to provide just enough beauty to keep spirits up. Meanwhile, the sublime bassline rattles through with enough edginess to keep you guessing and ample familiarities to give you hope it will be ok. How apt. 

Stone Roses – Beautiful Thing

After the poor man’s Beady Eye debacle that was ‘All For One’, the Roses have found their form. Ian Brown’s influence reigns supreme as he invokes his ‘Golden Greats’ solo era. The beats and production allow Brown to deliver trip-hop style lyrics to their Mancuninan swagger in the verses and then just beautifully drift away.

All the combinations are working their magic on this record. Brown is the undeniable star of the show which holds back Squire’s guitar wizardry. A good thing, it allows various trippy manifestations to come through in short blasts, which, makes the psyche solo a reward rather than an inevitable outcome.

As ever, Mani and Reni hold everything together with their iconic groove and style. Old or young, their unique class remains. The alternative soundtrack of the summer begins right here.