This week has fair flown by, hasn't it? Thank heavens it's nearly over. It's mainly been work, Big Brother and Olympics really. I am sort of regretting my decision now to eat a Wispa Gold every time Britain wins a gold medal. If this continues I am going to have to start wearing those stretchy elastic maternity pants, and I will look a proper numpty if that happens. Anyway, in between such patriotic sporting delights, I have of course had time to delve into the world of quality new music. Here are two particular treats that I have found...
Hudson Taylor ~ Battles:
Hudson Taylor are in fact brothers, Alfie and Harry. They hail from the fair city of Dublin and are purveyors of fine, melodic based folk-pop that is infused with charm, personality, emotion and musical skill. Although unsigned, they have managed to amass a sizeable (11,000 and counting!) fan base on facebook - based on their upcoming EP, Battles (out August 27th) it's easy to see why. Let's take the title track of that EP (above). It's predominantly built around this jangly, driving, energetic guitar strumming, coupled with some heavenly violin & this gorgeous, raw vocal (by which I mean, it's live and organic sounding, unfiltered by studio trickery). As the song progresses into the first voice, some subtle but sumptuous piano chords are added and the brothers harmonise their vocals to give a beautiful, layered effect to the song. As the tune progresses, the energy is amped up, the piano is given equal billing & there is a vibrancy that is positively infectious. There's a lovely reflective, pensive moment as it's all pulled back during the middle 8, which gains added emphasis by not throwing all power instantly back into the mix; rather they build up the emotion & intensity before letting loose one final time. It's a triumphant, rousing finale to an engaging & well constructed song. It's hard NOT to be charmed by these eminently likeable brothers - I'm definitely eager to hear more music and see them perform live.
Two Wounded Birds ~ To Be Young:
It's all about being young this year isn't it? fun. were rather amazing with their inescapable modern day classic, We Are Young. Much more forgettable was Tulisa's debut pop effort, Young. One act that are destined to be remembered for their contribution is Two Wounded Birds. Their instantly memorable new single, To Be Young, is one of the finest summer pop treats you will hear this year. Eschewing the current chart trend of everything ibiza-rave, the group produce a timeless blend of punchy, melody saturated pop - and therein lies the perspicacity of this tune. It harkens back to a time when music for groups was a real collobarative effort, and this is certainly replicated here. The instrumentalists have a symbiosis to their playing that complements each contribution - the propulsive nature of the drums brings rhythm & control to the dualling guitar riffs that act as a frame to some truly soaring vocals. This is courtesy of Johnny Danger who manages to provide some of the most mesmerising indie-rock/pop vocal delivery since The Upper Room inviegled their way onto the scene over five years ago. He imbues his delivery with a wistfulness & longing that brings the lyrical content to life, making this song bittersweet & oh so lovely. My only regret at this stage is that it's taken me this long to become smitten with them. Off to track down their bound to be sparkling debut album - suggest you do the same :)
You are two for two this week, especially with Two Wounded Birds. Love 'em both. Have you checked out the Imagineers? popmusicnotes.com/2012/05/16/i-see-as-i-say/
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