Track Of The Day: Opal Onyx – ‘Lover’s Toil’

A cinematic reflection about the risks we take when trying to find love, Brooklyn-based duo Opal Onyx have shared their latest single ‘Lover’s Toil’. Taken from their upcoming album Vessel, which is set for release on 4th December, the track blends trip-hop beats, sweeping electronics and emotive vocals to enrapture listeners.

Formed of Sarah Nowicki and Matthew Robinson, Opal Onyx take their name from the shiny opal gemstone and the opaque darkness of onyx, exploring the light and the dark that balances our world. On ‘Lover’s Toil’, the duo navigate the cautious yet unpredictable nature of love, urging listeners to take a chance on it when it comes their way, and throw themeselves in head first.

Speaking about their upcoming album, the duo explain: “It’s our therapeutic vessel we can put everything in to, a form of therapy that means we can transcend everything and see our creative vision more clearly.” This cathartic outlook and willingness to open up is what makes tracks like ‘Lover’s Toil’ so tender and captivating. Listen to the track below, and follow Opal Onyx on bandcamp, Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Circe – ‘Ruined Your Sons’

A jagged, dark-pop gem that challenges the pernicious behavioural tropes associated with toxic masculinity, London-based artist Circe has shared her latest single ‘Ruined Your Sons’. Lifted from her upcoming debut EP She’s Made of Saints, which is set for release via Jazz Life on 25th November, the track is a cinematic reflection on the apathy and disillusionment young men face while living under the thumb of patriarchal society.

“The song journeys through a story of the male gaze, battling with a sensitivity I believe/hope is buried beneath the surface of machismo,” Circe explains. “It tackles society’s obsession with hyper masculine performance and bravado, how it destroys the inherent sensitivity we are born with. People in power have let generations of young people down. From the lack of in-depth queer-inclusive sex education that actually represents contemporary sex lives to the under-representation of the female gaze in porn.”

Following on from her previous single ‘Ten Girls’ – which was inspired by Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale – on ‘Ruined Your Sons’ Circe takes a more tentative approach lyrically and musically, allowing space for her message about validating the need for sensitivity amongst young men to seep in. Her lush vocals sit alongside compassionate lyrics, whilst her vivid synth sounds are equal parts commanding and intoxicating.

Listen to ‘Ruined Your Sons’ below and follow Circe on bandcamp, Spotify & Instagram for more updates.

 

Follow Circe on Spotify, bandcamp, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@kate_crudge

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LISTEN: October and The Eyes – ‘All My Love’

A sultry, melancholy-tinged electronic gem, New Zealand-born, London-based songwriter October and The Eyes has shared her latest single ‘All My Love’. Lifted from her debut EP Dogs and Gods, which is set for release on 20th November via KRO Records, the track is a bittersweet, yet swaggering extrapolation on desire and infatuation.

“’All My Love’ is unfortunately a love song – something I told myself I would never write yet here I am,” October and The Eyes reluctantly admits. “But it’s not all sweet. In fact, I would call it more of a lust song. It’s about being in love but lusting for something more. It’s about desire, greed, and infatuation with a stranger.”

“The song became strangely prophetic in recent months as I watched the one I once loved self destruct from afar ‘in tin cans and other crumbs of temporary self satisfaction’ – a line I wrote before I could even comprehend that it would become remotely true. Because of this, the song is now tainted with a strange sadness that I’ll carry with me every time I perform it.”

Despite her unease about writing about heartbreak, October and The Eyes has crafted a slick, hazy, kaleidoscopic-feeling on her new single. Written and produced in her bedroom in East London, her independent spirit is reflected in the tracks that make up her upcoming EP.

Listen to ‘All My Love’ below and follow October and The Eyes on Spotify and Instagram for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Bea Miller – ‘wisdom teeth’

A bittersweet pop tune that reflects on the loss of innocence, Bea Miller has shared her latest single ‘wisdom teeth’. Lifted from her new EP elated!, which is set for release on 23rd October, the track is an honest meditation on Miller’s childhood and the wavering levels of confidence she’s experienced while growing up.

“I used to be so happy / No matter what happened to me” Miller muses, juxtaposing memories of her carefree attitude with the brutal image of having your teeth pulled out. At twenty one years of age, her reflections will strike a chord with others going through a similar phase of uncertainty, but her lush vocals and buoyant synths on ‘wisdom teeth’ will soothe the painful sting of reality.

The track is accompanied by a video, shot and directed by Gina Gizella, in which Miller dominates the camera’s gaze. Watch the visuals for ‘wisdom teeth’ below and follow Bea Miller on Instagram and Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Gina Gizella

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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