Luke Tatlock
February 19, 2024| Dan Hillier |FEATURES
Exploring Birdsong, Lambrini Girls, Every Hell, Gaffa Tape Sandy and More: New Noizze – The 20 Must-Listen Tracks of the Week
Featuring everything from pop-prog to multicoloured grindcore, here are the best singles of last week.
Exploring Birdsong – The Collapse
It’s been years since we’ve seen an emerging band as original and as promising as Exploring Birdsong. It’s probably been even longer since we’ve seen a band master their own truly unique sound from the offset of their career. ‘The Collapse’ pays further testament to such sentiments regarding Exploring Birdsong. Originally being written during the band’s early university days prior to being re-approached last year, the fashion in which the trio amalgamate contemporary pop, sleek prog and suave alt rock sensibilities proves this to the quintessential Exploring Birdsong experience. At least, that is until the band inevitably up their own ante in the coming months. Whilst it would be oh-so easy to compare this act to artists such as Agent Fresco, Everything Everything and previous stage-mates Sleep Token, to even make such surface level comparisons ultimately feels limiting and doesn’t do the breadth of Exploring Birdsong’s musical wingspan justice. There’s something utterly unique and breathtaking to this band’s organic approach to sleek contemporary songwriting, and here, Exploring Birdsong demonstrate both grace and technical prowess like a slow unfolding of wings. – Dan Hillier
Every Hell – The Watcher
British alt rock supergroup Every Hell have upped the ante from their debut track; their newest effort, ‘The Watcher’ is an absolutely massive, stomping anthem, which can only be described as a twisted pop epic. Mixing the crooning and oddly haunting vocals of Will Gardner with new producer Toby Stewart, you have a track that’s been three years in the making and inspired by a bad night out by the former Black Peaks frontman a few years ago. As the band gear up for their first headline show at the end of this month, it’s astonishing just how cohesive and unique they sound, mixing indie rock, doom and hints of classic rock to create a sound that at times baffles, but always excites. – Chris Earl
Lambrini Girls – God’s Country
Lambrini Girls are one of the more distinctively British punk bands around at the moment and they’re unafraid to make a splash, whether that’s pissing off TERFS or the rest of the right-wing. Their new track, ‘God’s Country’ is a snotty, spit flecked middle finger to the nasty underbelly of Britain. Highlighting elements of the sad nature of modern culture like racist uncles, austerity and the infamous Woking branch of Pizza Express, its damning in it’s accuracy. Set to a stomping, fuzzy lo-fi back beat, lead vocalist Phoebe delivers a stirring call to arms to try and wake the masses up. One listen will have you irate, two will have you nodding your head in angered agreement and by the tenth time you’ve jammed it, you’ll be ready to take to the streets. – Chris Earl
De’Lour – Crown
De’Lour have released their new single ‘Crown’ which is the first glimpse of new music from the band’s upcoming EP set for a 2024 release. Embracing their influences, the band have expanded on their sound incorporating elements of nu metal and shoegaze. Not afraid to allow the song to have space, the song mainly shines the light on vocalist Aaron Roberts to wade through brilliantly emotive and layered verse structures. The chorus is brilliantly juxtaposed to the verse structure, complimented by ferocious segments of blistering metal riffs and commanding drums whilst Roberts soars vocally. The bridge section dials up the intensity and the band elevates as a unit. It’s impressive and at times, rather euphoric. Lyrically, ‘Crown’ explores the idea of a relationship that has become cumbersome and is in turn pushing you further away from yourself, but then subsequently breaking free from this and no longer allowing these constraints to hold you back. With more music on the way, this new direction for De’Lour is shaping up to be both exciting and promising. – Jac Holloway
Gaffa Tape Sandy – Scrapbook
Fully emphasising the age old mantra of good things come to those who wait, the new heater from Gaffa Tape Sandy is the sound of a band who have spent countless moons perfecting their craft. Coinciding with the announcement of their wildly anticipated full length debut Hold My Hand, God Damn it – released May 31st via Alcopop! Records – ‘Scrapbook’ is quite frankly an earworm that gets in your head with all the grace and tenderness of a facehugger. Standing as four-and-a-bit minutes of cerebral, highly carbonated alt-punk, here, Gaffa Tape Sandy sound like one of those rare yet vital acts who are essentially impossible to dislike. It’s impossible not be roused by the pin-whirling vocal melodies present, the soaring chorus melodies, or the downright filthy riff and tones present that serve as the bedrock of this track. It may feel like we’ve been waiting for their debut LP for centuries now, but it’s clear Gaffa Tape Sandy’s long awaited record is going to be well worth the wait. – Dan Hillier
Knives – Doppelgänger
Bristol’s newest post-punk obsession Knives fly out of the shadows with a barrage of saxophone infused noise. After making waves with a storming cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Babooshka’ and their 2023 EP Newshounds, the ferocious sextet are back with their new single ‘Doppelgänger’, featuring discordant shouted vocals from frontman Jay Schottlander backed by an earth-shattering dual guitar and sax wall of noise. ‘Doppelgänger’ stands out as Knives’ most full sounding track yet, making full use of each band member to create a venomous cacophony of sound. If Knives weren’t already on your radar ‘Doppelgänger’ is sure to grab your attention and leave their name seared into your brain. – Tom Bruce
Crossfaith – Zero
The overdue return of Crossfaith is finally here. The turbo-charged Japanese metalcore champions, after recruiting new guitarist Daiki Koide (ex Her Name In Blood), are taking us back to ‘Zero’ with a ferocious injection of energy, a fresh forward surge of motivation to keep the band going after the departure of longtime member and bassist Hiroki Ikegawa. The song boasts not one but two gargantuan electronically boosted breakdowns, and encapsulates the very strongest demonstration of what the band have always done best; huge party ready rave-metal anthems. Crossfaith are well and truly back, and the future is as exciting as ever as they gear themselves up to begin touring internationally once again, we can only hope more music is coming just over the horizon as everything falls back into place for one of the most exciting and entertaining bands in heavy music. – Elliot Grimmie
HEALTH – Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) (Deftones Cover)
Some people might call it blasphemy to cover this song, but it’s got to be said, HEALTH have done an outstanding job here taking a difficult track and making it their own. It has all the necessary nods to the original with more than enough of its own thing to justify its existence. It retains that sexy energy that Deftones bring to the table, whilst creating a more sparse, almost ambient at times atmosphere around it. If nothing else it’s like they made the track ethereal in nature, less corporeal than the original and it could even be said to be more highbrow. By the end of the track, there’s some nice grinding synth work that mirrors the original in its nasty gritty ending, a fitting finale to a well-conceived cover. – Rob Bown
Glassing – Defacer
No one does crushing atmospheres quite like Glassing and the new single from the upcoming album proves just this. The new album is due out this April and the first single from it doesn’t disappoint. All the hallmarks that Glassing have worked to collate are there, the vocals, high pitched and sickening, the riffs expansive, majestic and grim in equal parts. The drumming and bass do a lot of heavy lifting allowing the guitars to breathe, whilst delivering bulletstorm blast beats, and massive anthemic sections that really drive home a more mature version than has been seen before from these folks. ‘Defacer’ is only three minutes, but in that time does more work than some songs that are twice that length, something that bodes very well for the upcoming release of From the Other Side of the Mirror. – Rob Bown
Blight Town – 1408
Nottingham post-hardcore quintet Blight Town have meticulously crafted themselves to hold a certain demographic of nerdy men in their 20s in a vice-like grip. Named after an area in cult video game Dark Souls? Check. Fall Of Troy style mathy riffs? Check. Sing-along clean vocals and cathartic screams? Huge check. On their latest single ‘1408’ Blight Town lean heavily into their more anthemic tendencies, creating a stage-ready track like nothing they’ve released so far. Holding back some of the heavier aspects of their sound until the song’s bombastic crescendo really works in Blight Town’s favour, giving ‘1408’ an upbeat and poppy feel without sacrificing what makes their sound so enticing. – Tom Bruce
Squid Pisser – Pay To Rot
Presenting an approach to mathcore as curiously absurdist as their name as a collective, the new track from LA noisecore duo Squid Pisser is set be adored by anyone with a love for acts such as The Locust, Utopia, Melt Banana and others of their ilk. Taken from the duo’s upcoming EP Vaporize A Neighbour – released March 8th via SKiN GRAFT Records – ‘Pay To Rot’ is a vibrant spew of harsh noise; a rainbow coloured torrent of abrasion if you will. However, within this highly pressured onslaught of sound lies a sense of progression and futurism; the sound of an act taking classic grind into the neon lit absurdity of the coming decades. Basically if the sound of The Armed covering Napalm Death’s Scum sounds up your street, this might be for you. – Dan Hillier
Mutes – Televangelist
Born forth from catholic guilt, ‘Televangelist’ see’s Midland post-punk trio Mutes tackling insecurity and inner turmoil in the only way they know how; nosily. Mixing the classic motorik beat of post-punk with the distorting ecstasy found within the shimmering voids noise-rock, the track is a reverb-soaked wash of noise that mirrors that of a warped mind thinking they’ll be condemned to eternal punishment through their own inherent human nature. Post-punk may be a movement plundered of all originality in recent years, but once again Mutes showcase that the genre can still a sound full of intrigue and innovation when approached with integrity and adept hands. – Dan Hillier
Spaced – Rat Race
New York hardcore outfit Spaced are back with yet another new single from their upcoming release This Is All We Ever Get which is set to drop March 22nd. A punk filled assault with plenty of groove to share; Spaced made sure there is plenty of room to two step as well as shake what your mother gave you. Paired perfectly with a music video shot by the talented duo of Alex and Andrew Behrens, ‘Rat Race’ is an audible and visual feast sure to make anyone salivate for more. Any hardcore fan will love ‘Rat Race’ which sets the tone for this new release wonderfully. – Nathaniel Maure
Wristmeetrazor – Trepanation / No Ceremony
D.C. metalcore crew Wristmeetrazor return with the first offerings from their upcoming third studio album Degeneration, the follow up to 2021’s breakthrough Replica Of A Strange Love. Produced and mixed by Randy Leboeuf (Dying Wish, The Acacia Strain), this one-two punch hits with all of the hellacious energy and heft fans have come to expect. With vocalist Justin Fornof commenting that the album focuses on misanthropy, nihilism and hate, those themes are presented in abundance on punishing lead single ‘Trepanation’, which packs impressive thump from new members Elaine (bass) and Nate (guitar), as well as a couple of the band’s trademark skull-rattling breakdowns. B-side ‘No Ceremony’ continues the frenetic melee with circle-pit inducing riffs before another breakdown sees the song out in fist swinging, chest-beating fashion. – Jordan Aldridge
Bruiserweight – Vanity
Montreal, Quebec has been coming in strong for a minute now when it comes to their growing hardcore scene. Fronting this assault lately is definitely Bruiserweight. Delivering their brand new single ‘Vanity’, it takes the group’s metallic hardcore approach and improves on it tremendously. There are plenty of grooves to go around as well as huge riffs to mosh excessively to. Bruiserweight shamelessly bring the heat before absolutely wrecking listeners with not one but two massive breakdowns; closing out this three minute beatdown proving that Canadian hardcore is in truly rude health. – Nathaniel Maure
Upon A Burning Body – Another Ghost
A band who knows their way around a chunky gym riff better than most, Upon A Burning Body are back to sneak their way onto workout playlists once again. Mixing clean vocals – a lot better than their last foray into more melodic territories – on their new single, ‘Another Ghost’, it lacks a bit of the bite of their last single ‘Killshot’ but more than makes up for it with some earworm hooks. The real star of the show is the video though, which combats the same themes as the song. The band asked fans to submit the names of people they know to be struggling with substance abuse and wrote them over their instruments and clothes, as a way to show support and that they’re not alone. Say what you like about the Texans, but this is a move you have to respect and their new direction is one that should make for an interesting new record when it arrives. – Chris Earl
Unleash the Archers – Green and Glass
Canadian power metallers Unleash the Archers have broken their 3 and a half year silence with news of their first studio album since 2020’s acclaimed Abyss. This time, the band are moving away from the The Matriarch’s storyline and tackling one of the current cultural zeitgeist’s biggest topics – AI. Lead single ‘Green and Glass’, from upcoming album Phantoma, is everything you’ve come to expect from them. Duelling guitar harmonies, Brittany Slayes’ towering vocal presence, warpspeed drumming; ‘Green and Glass’ has it all. With the news that they’ve used an AI model – even if it was solely trained on licensed art – to help with artwork and videos, and even one for some lyrics, it’s sure to spark controversy and discussion around the use of AI in creativity (again), though that’s perhaps exactly what they want. – Will Marshall
Greywind – You’re My Medicine
The Irish sibling duo have announced their brand new EP Antidote alongside new single ‘You’re My Medicine’ that acts as a love letter to their fans. A blend of 2000s pop punk and emo sensibilities, its half-time chorus soars as you’d expect while energetic verses propel the song. The siblings say of the song, “You’re My Medicine is the story of our lives so far. Our story as individuals, our story as a family and our story as Greywind. It is a love letter to our fans for supporting us through our darkest times. They’ve saved us many times over by believing in us, in our music, and by standing with us in the face of trauma, grief, and adversity. Art is a two way street, and they are just as much a part of the songs on this EP as we are.” – Will Marshall
TNL VZN – Scratch
TNL VZN have released their new single ‘Scratch’, a self-proclaimed grungegaze sonically expansive song that showcases the band’s innovative blend of ambient atmospherics and raw energy. ‘Scratch’ has a sense of calm vs chaotic with the verse structure taking a stripped back and sporadic instrumentation approach that builds throughout its two main verse sequences and is tied together with vocalist Eva Beard who weaves her soaring croon throughout these various layers. The chorus however elevates the song feeling a little unhinged in a controlled way allowing the rest of the band to flex the full stride of their own abilities. The bridge section boasts a full force unleashing of instrumentation that feels as explosive as it does melodic and highlights some potential variation for the band. TNL VZN pride themselves on melding genres and that is exactly what they have managed to pull off here. – Jac Holloway
Love Rarely – P.A.F.
Leeds post punk outfit Love Rarely have dropped their new single ‘P.A.F’, the outro track to their upcoming debut EP Lonely People. Clocking in at 1:23, the song provides a raucous stomping riff, steely shattering drum hits and plenty of angst. It provides a brief departure from the sound the band are generally known for, though still within their roots. There’s no mistaking its intention either, an angry, unhinged outburst. ‘P.A.F’ follows the band’s previous single ‘And You Know It’, a song that takes more of a structured composition, small intricacies and math rock elements and is less pissed off tonally. Between these two singles, one thing is for sure, this EP will be as varied as it is impressive. Lonely People is said to be a poignant exploration of the complexities of love, loss and the human experience and two of the degrees of this can be felt and seen already. – Jac Holloway
