LISTEN: A.A. Williams – ‘Lovesong’ (The Cure cover)

A tentative, beautifully stripped back version of an 80s alternative classic, London-based artist A.A. Williams has shared her cover of The Cure’s ‘Lovesong’. It’s another exquisite offering from the songwriter’s ‘Songs From Isolation’ series, which she’ll be releasing as a 9 track LP via Bella Union on 12th February 2021.

Williams spoke to us about her ‘Songs From Isolation’ series earlier this year ahead of the release of her debut album, Forever Blue (read the full interview here). Having received such high praise for both recording projects, she’s now taking the covers that fans originally suggested to her and releasing her home recordings on vinyl. The Songs From Isolation album will feature Williams’ covers of tracks by The Cure, Pixies, Deftones, Nick Cave, Gordon Lightfoot, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and more.

“’Lovesong’ was one of the first songs suggested by fans for the Songs From Isolation series, and was one of my favourites to rework,” Williams explains about her new release. “The original conjures up such nostalgic feelings, I really wanted to honour as many of elements of it as possible. The lyrics are so beautiful and tender and I wanted to shine a light on them in this version, so I’ve tried to create a delicate backdrop for them out of the melodic elements of The Cure’s original.”

With this latest release, Williams continues to impress fans and critic alike with her sensitive balancing of staying true to the original track she’s covering, whilst also shining a new light on how it can be experienced and enjoyed.

Listen to ‘Lovesong’ below.

Follow A.A. Williams on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

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

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

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

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

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

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment