LISTEN: Jackie Lynn – ‘Casino Queen’

Grab your silver cowboy boots, put on your sequin dress, and prepare to strut your stuff to ‘Casino Queen’, the latest single from Jackie Lynn. Taken from the band’s sophomore album Jacqueline, (set for release on 10th April via Drag City), the song is a driving, disco-infused offering from the mysterious American group.

Jackie Lynn is the fictional alter ego of songwriter Haley Fohr, who is also known for her work with indie folk project Circuit des Yeux. Along with band members Cooper Crain, Rob Frye and Dan Quinlivan, Fohr has returned to continue Jackie’s ongoing narrative on her new album.

‘Casino Queen’ is a pulsing, 80s tinged electro-tune that brims with confidence and attitude. “Girl you’re on a roll / the whole room wants to know / how they didn’t notice you” sings Fohr, over hypnotic beats and buzzing synths. The song is also accompanied by a video directed by both Fohr and Krzys Piotrowski.

Fohr kindly elaborates on the track’s visuals: “‘Casino Queen’ showcases a night in the life of Jacqueline. The song and video follow the letting go of an individual’s underdog mentality, realigning it with the winner’s place. What does it take to refocus one’s internal mirror and become a ‘Casino Queen’? All in due time shall we each define ourselves prosperous by way of intuition, self belief, nearby shoulders, a bit of luck, and maybe a wig.”

Watch the video for ‘Casion Queen’ below, and follow Jackie Lynn on Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Photo credit: Evan Jenkins

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Polly Money – ‘Roommate’

A sweeping, endearingly catchy ballad about falling head over heels in love; Polly Money‘s latest single ‘Roommate’ will make you go weak at the knees. Her lush vocals and hazy guitar sounds form the perfect backdrop for daydreaming about the one you love.

Polly explains the premise of the track further: “This song is the undeniable need to spend all of your hours lost in the person you love. Their place or yours it doesn’t matter as long as you are waking up next to them. It’s the surprise late night turn ups, it’s the falling head over and it’s wanting to build a home together. This song is for the hopeless romantics.”

Polly’s talent for turning universal feelings into shimmering guitar tunes has seen her support the likes of Muse and Gabrielle Aplin, as well as collaborating with new artists Denai Moore and Laurel. ‘Roommate’ is the aural equivalent of the lover’s body warmth she delights in singing about, and you can hear the track in all its live glory at Polly’s gig at Colours on 30th January (event info & tickets here).

Listen to ‘Roommate’ below, and follow Polly Money on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Aunty Social – ‘Cortex’

Overcoming nasty memories with the help of an unlikely fictional character, Aunty Social‘s latest single ‘Cortex’ is a gentle, upbeat offering. The song is lifted from her upcoming debut EP, The Day My Brain Broke, which is set for release on 6th March.

The Toronto-based bedroom-pop artist chose to look to 90s game Crash Bandicoot to help work through her trauma. Aunty Social (aka Daniela Gitto) explains further: “I decided to imagine the person who caused a lot of trauma in my life as the fictional enemy of Crash Bandicoot, named Cortex. When I was a child, I was so encompassed by the game that I would imagine all my peers as characters from it. My best friend would be imagined as CoCo Bandicoot, and anyone that did me harm would be Cortex. The song is bright and uplifting, so I decided to challenge that by masking the negative subject matter with childlike innocence.”

Gitto’s dark context on ‘Cortex’ contrasts well with her buoyant beats and video game analogies, giving the track a nostalgic glow. It’s laced with her soft vocals and summery synth sounds, easing the complex feelings explored in her lyrics.

Listen to ‘Cortex’ below, and follow Aunty Social on Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: POLIÇA – ‘When We Stay Alive’

A sound that was formed in the flux between injury and recovery; When We Stay Alive, the fourth album from Minneapolis band POLIÇA, proves that mental and physical wounds can be galvanized in to beguiling soundscapes that acknowledge the impact of personal trauma.

When vocalist Channy Leaneagh fell off her roof while clearing ice in early 2018, she broke her L1 vertebrae and severely damaged her spine, leaving her in a brace with limited mobility for months. Half the tracks on When We Stay Alive were written prior to Leaneagh’s accident, and half were crafted during, and after her recovery. Together, bandmates Ryan Olson, Drew Christopherson, Ben Ivascu, Chris Bierden and engineer Alex Proctor have crafted a cohesive album that allows space for optimism, and development in self-autonomy.

Perhaps a reflection of Leaneagh’s physical restrictions whilst making the record, many tracks on When We Stay Alive have a searching, restless feel to them. Opener ‘Driving’ has an effortless kinetic energy, whilst the shifting percussion on the buoyant ‘TATA’ reflects a communal frustration against wider forces damaging the environment. The various, overlapping synth textures on ‘Fold Up’ explore feelings of isolation – “‘cos I’m lonely in my head / Oh it’s only in my bed” – whilst the smoldering ‘Little Threads’ quietly seethes with a mixture of desire and sadness.

“I don’t want to deny something happened – this is not about repression – it’s about taking the power back from the past, holding the power in the present, and creating a new story for myself,” explains Leaneagh. Her meditative nature shines through on ‘Feel Life’, as her pensive vocals lilt over a cautious soundscape, gently awakening her senses. The brooding ‘Be Again’ builds upon this, with its dense beats and echoing synths.

Familial and romantic relationships are explored on ‘Steady’ and ‘Forget Me Now’. On the first, Leaneagh takes a moment to “see herself” without the support of her wider family. One the second, she dissects what makes two people bring out the worst in each other. Colourful synths permeate penultimate track ‘Blood Moon’, in contrast with final track ‘Sea Without Blue’. The painful revelations in the lyrics – “Don’t say you’ll make it up to me / you never do” – are made easier to accept by the ebb and flow of sounds, and the thoughtful spaces between verses and choruses.

In Leaneagh’s search for for self sustenance, POLIÇA have created a diligent body of work on When We Stay Alive. The music and the lyrics encourage listeners not just to “Stay Alive”, but to thrive in the face of adversity. And that’s exactly what the Minneapolis band have done here.

Order your copy of POLIÇA’s new album here. (Released via Memphis Industries)

Photo Credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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