Premiere: Beauty Sleep – ‘Rainbow Ballroom’

Beauty Sleep’s liquid sound and lush production have the ability to place them among the pantheon of greats that precede them. Their synth pop radiance is akin to Beach House and Acid House Kings, with interlacing vocal stylings seductive enough for an of Montreal track.

The Belfast trio’s debut LP Be Kind is set to release this month, and upon first listen will easily become your sound of the summer. In fact, the whole release drips like honey from a champagne flute.

According to a statement from the band’s label regarding their genesis: “Beauty Sleep’s music is born of the friendship its three members share,” they detail. “…While chatting, Cheylene, Ryan and Aimee discovered a powerful shared creative bond. Overcome with the rush of inspiration only the prospect of a new project instils, the group decided to seize the moment and focus their energy into forming a new band. Enter the lush dream-pop Beauty Sleep makes today.”

Taking notes from NPR-coined genre Roséwave, their shimmering vocals meld divinely with the twinkling bell tones to create catchy choruses driven by passion. Their sound gets edgy on the track ‘The Feeling Back’ where you can hear distorted guitar and group vocals in the chorus that give a feeling of shouting out into the night with your friends on a rooftop bar.

‘On Repeat’, a soaring beat driven zen overload captures the thrill of a late night “getting lost in the moment”, while keeping the vibe cool enough for an after-club coffee.

Third track, ‘Rainbow Ballroom’ (premiered below!), could easily be a modern interpretation of a Diana Ross hit. The bass funk is apparent in the verses, only to break out into plumes of sound over the chorus using synth pads to fill the sound out infinitely.

‘Lies’ is another breakout track that features the vocalists’ spoken words and airy samples in the intro. This allows the experimentation of the track to really sparkle; downright dirty bass fills carry the morphed vocals and playful lyrics. Another Standout ‘Synthetic Debris’ opens up like a prom slow dance hit from the ’80s. I sensed major deja vu from listening to The Radio Dept. in my teens. It’s quiet and intimate, sparing no details that fill in the detailed background, samples, synths and all.

The band bolsters an electric live sound as well, treating shows and festivals as “a communal celebration of music and dance.”

Beauty Sleep has vivatius and contagious power in their debut LP Be Kind is sure to leave you wanting a blissed out night on the town, slightly tipsy and full of life.

Be Kind, the debut album from Beauty Sleep, is out 17th May. Listen to brand new single ‘Rainbow Ballroom’, for the first time, below:

 

Luke Janke
@Jankeleg

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Track Of The Day: Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – ‘Helen is A Reptile’

Having captivated us with the kaleidoscopic sounds of their last EP Someone Else To Blame, as well as completely blowing us away on numerous occasions with their immense live show, Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something have now shared a magnificent new single.

Drawing on the subjects of OCD and suicidal ideation, ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ describes a human lizard hybrid realisation of dark thoughts that can creep through victims’ minds and taunt them when they’re most vulnerable. Written after Jemma had been experiencing days of insomnia, the track is propelled by a primal, whirring energy as immense swirling hooks accompany their raw, impassioned vocals.

A soaring slice of sparkling psych-rock with shades of ‘70s glam, ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ oozes all of Freeman’s trademark hypnotic majesty, creating an other-worldly sonic delight, whilst drawing attention to the extremely pressing issue of mental health.

Featuring Wendy Rae Fowler and Martina Ziewe, and directed by Black Triangle, you can watch the new video for ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ here:

Buy ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ for what you can afford on Bandcamp now. And catch Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something live for the single launch, along with GIHE faves Scrounge and Eyesore and The Jinx, tomorrow 2nd May at The Windmill Brixton.

And, not only is ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ a treat for the ears, but it’s accompanied by an utterly unique, handmade lathe cut vinyl. There are only 55 copies of the vinyl and each one has been individually hand cut by 345 vinyl in Brighton. The covers are all unique and each have a piece of lino flooring from the video set attached. On the other side, there is a unique lino print designed and printed by Jem and numbered by hand in their South London home. They will be available only at the launch party and 10 will be held back for a special silent auction online, the winners to be announced on Friday 3rd May, all proceeds will go to charity Music Support UK – a charity supporting those in any area of the UK music industry suffering from addiction, emotional and mental health issues. All details of how to get involved in the auction below:

  • There are ten 7” singles available to buy online via this blind auction.
  • The ten largest bids submitted to the auction will be the winners.
  • You can only bid once in this auction, but if you’re interested in buying multiple copies please  also say how many you’d like to buy at the price you bid. If your bid ends up in the top 10 we’ll try to accommodate your request for multiple copies, subject to availability.
  • Auction begins at midnight on 2nd May and ends at 23:59 (UK time) the same day. Bids received outside of these times will not be entered into the auction.
  • Send your bid to us in a private message via the JF&TCS Facebook page. All bids received via other means (public comments on fb posts, email, other social media, carrier pigeon) will not be entered into the auction.
  • Bids must be placed in £GBP.
  • JF&TCS will keep the retail price of the single to cover manufacturing costs (£10), plus P&P expenses from each winning bid. The rest of the money bid will be donated to Music Support UK. 
  • All bids placed are binding commitments to pay the price bid for one copy of the 7” single. Please don’t bid more than you’re prepared to pay.
  • Winners will be notified as soon as possible via email after the auction ends. We’ll also send you a PayPal invoice for the amount bid so you can pay for your 7”.
  • The names of the winners will be published by JF&TCS in a FB post as soon as possible after the auction ends, once sales have been finalised (unless you prefer to remain anonymous – please let us know if so). 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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EP: Sive – ‘Sive’

Sive (Sadbh O’Sullivan) is an Irish songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist, and has just released her eponymous new EP featuring the eclectic sounds of alternative folk/trad with jazz percussion, all seamed together by her captivating voice. The EP is about navigating self-discovery in a world that can be noisy and overwhelming. It challenges the listener to stop, listen and open themselves up to what can be learned by doing so.

Dream-folk opener ‘Quietly’ starts off with ukulele accompanying an ethereal voice – “hail to the man that lingers on..stares into the noise.. and listens for the silence”, leading into the vocal layering of the chorus where we “dance the language of our bones.”

‘Holding’ is about someone unravelling, built around the sounds of kalimba and chimes, creating a sound that suggests fragility, but gains strength as the song progresses to a faster rhythm and a swirling pastoral aura. This theme carries on into the relatable ‘Do It All The Time’ with its catchy chorus and atmospherics, regarding lying about one’s true mental state – “I don’t know why I do it all the time… it’s a complex work of art.” 

Slipping back to dream-folk with ‘Yukki Onna’, a haunting song about a Japanese mythical figure, and you are carried along by Sive’s captivating voice. The EP ends with ‘Tenlach’ where the beautiful Irish language is featured; a soothing lullaby, reflecting a connection with nature, tradition and roots. The perfect ending to the collection.   

Overall, the EP delivers a balanced introspection; the mood is uplifting and reverential, filled with delightful and unexpected musical turns. I was held throughout by Sive’s emotive and enveloping voice, warming my heart, and undoubtedly yours too when you’re lucky enough to listen to this poignant collection.

Sive is out on 2nd May via Veta Records.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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LISTEN: Ida Wenøe – ‘Circus Season’

Danish singer-songwriter Ida Wenøe’s new single, ‘Circus Season’, feels magical. Sharing her experiences as a female musician travelling the world alone, Wenøe plunges you straight into the pages of an Angela Carter novel.

She confesses how she kissed the ‘devil’ on the last night of a US tour: “He was wearing the mask of a magician, but his horns were still showing…”

In many ways, ‘Circus Season’ feels like a fairly straightforward folk song. But the slow, quiet strum of Wenøe’s guitar really brings her otherworldly voice to the fore. And by the time the echoey harmonies kick in, your ears are filled with the track’s captivating beauty.

Powerful and ethereal, ‘Circus Season’ puts Wenøe in good company – think Joanna Newsom, Kate Bush and Bat for Lashes. I can’t wait to hear more.

 

‘Circus Season’ is out now via Integrity Records/Songcrafter Music.

Victoria Conway

Photo Credit: Zarko Ivetic

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