Stephen Babcock’s brand new single is an easy hit that ticks a whole lot of different boxes. Pouring through with the simple rhythm of an MGMT piece but the vocal swagger and clarity of a blues-rock classic, Fight I Need goes on to become conceptually accessible yet presented in a refreshing and somewhat quirky manner.
Pop
Essex-based singer-songwriter Georgia Box’s sex positive anthem Coco is a well-produced pop song that could comfortably fit within the mainstream.
The last nod to the Baby Shark phenomenon is the post-chorus part, which harks back to 50s doo-wop, with its nonsense rhythmic lyrics. Altogether now: ‘Bam-a-lam-a-lam-a-ding-dong…’
With some decent exposure, I could imagine Let Me Know appealing to a very broad demographic: it’s a confident slice of hip-hop that ticks all the lifestyle-centric tropes of current on-trend bangers. It feels mature and authentically honest without being too knowing or too cynical, and deserves to be shared around.
Tar-ris’s use of breath as a percussion element and bird sounds in the chorus, coupled with the piano loops, creates a cinematic undertone that ultimately adds to the overarching drama of the music.
The lyrical content is congruous to the title’s suggested themes, with mentions of the stars, the dark, and the sky. This is furthered by a driving, but atmospheric production featuring long reverbs to create a large sense of space, and orbiting delays that pan across the stereo field like comet tails across the night’s sky.
Fusing the addictive benefits of a rhythmic and upbeat soundscape, with a quickly engaging, emotional story-line and vocal, Tidal Wave is a simple dream of a pop track. The song utilizes poetry and metaphor to craft and build-up brilliantly towards and easily memorable hook.
Gauntlet may well be an introduction to Bonne Finken for many of us, but it’s likely to be far from the last we’ll hear of her. Well worth a listen at volume.
The band are working out a lot harder than a cursory listen would imply, and their attention to detail is a pleasure to notice upon repeat listens. I would say that they deserve a shout-out, but this is a lullaby…
Coming on strong with a fresh arrangement that keeps the listener’s ears standing to attention and poised to receive throughout, Without Your Love goes through a commanding raft of changes as it progresses.
I’m not entirely sure whether the lyric was a nod to Billy Taylor’s I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free. I really hope it was, I love the cross-pollination of genre present, and this reference would be the icing on the cake. The whole thing is undoubtedly a grower.
If you were setting out to write a banger, you’d be well advised to analyse this latest confection from Nikotene, which switches up dynamics all over the shop to retain interest, and litters the lyrics with smart contemporary references which delight and satisfy in equal measure.