Track Of The Day: Companion – ‘How Could I Have Known’

A sweet musical embrace, Colorado twin sister duo Sophia and Jo Babb – aka Companion – have introduced their heavenly sound with their debut track, ‘How Could I Have Known’ – a delicious slice of indie-folk. With arpeggiated guitars, a lilting bass-line, gentle percussion, and the gorgeous harmonies which lie at the heart of the song, it is perfect for warming the cold winter mornings and nights. The duo charmingly illustrate the magic that happens between families when they create music together; the track is charged with a twinkling sense of intimacy as Sophia and Jo share the heartfelt vocal lines. 

The delicate stripped-back textures ground the song so that as you listen you are gently guided along the captivating musical journey. It feels beautifully restrained, rippling with catchy and light-hearted melodies, whilst also revealing a deep emotional core. As well as this raw sentimentality, there is also a flowing pastoral essence to the track, as it reflects on the wonder of nature and our connection to it. 

Sofia explains the meaning behind the song:

“I started writing ‘How Could I Have Known’ at the beginning of my first Autumn in northern Colorado… I quickly learned that fall is a fleeting, beautifully short time in the mountains. It takes just a few blustery days for all the yellow aspen leaves to give way to bare trees, snowfall, and early sunsets. At the time, I was engaged to my now husband. He was dealing with some concerning medical issues, and I developed an over-awareness of how quickly I could never see him again. Having lost family members without warning in the past, I became anxiously aware that just as soon as he came into my life, he could leave it, too. Though this thought, at its core, is a very scary one, when I looked beyond the fear of losing something I held so dearly, I could see the incredible gift it is to have something to hold dear in the first place…”

Directed by Jo Babb and shot by Rahul Chakraborty, a moving video tinged with sparkling nostalgia accompanies ‘How Could I Have Known’. Watch it now:

Jaz Kelly
@surfjaz

Photo Credit: Chiara Garland

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EP: BLAB – ‘Word Of Mouth’

The sound of what happens when you fully embrace your choices and lean into the raw power each moment, Southend-based musician Francis Murray aka BLAB has shared her debut EP, Word Of Mouth. Released via Cool Thing Records and formed of three previously released singles and a brand new track, BLAB combines direct lyrics with infectious riffs to push past personal and political frustrations, providing her listeners with sharply observed judgments on both.

Fuelled by her disdain for current political policies, opener ‘Eton Mess’ is a rumbling “anti-fascist anthem” that proudly sticks two fingers up to the establishment. It’s one of two tracks that see BLAB take aim at the crushing nature of conformity, with the restless ‘Insurance’ providing another dose of much needed eye-rolling at conventional ideas of power and success.

It’s on new “anti-love song” ‘If Only’ and astrology-inspired single ‘Gemini’ that BLAB is at her strongest – refreshingly vulnerable with her revelations, but still retaining her rebellious attitude. Lyrically, ‘If Only’ is littered with hetero-normative paraphernalia, culminating in the realisation that you can’t rely on someone else to be the foundation of your happiness. On ‘Gemini’, she filters the pain of unrequited love through an astrological lens, combining catchy riffs with her bittersweet lyrics to work through her mixed feelings.

On Word Of Mouth, BLAB cuts through barbed emotional moments, softens unsettling realisations and firmly communicates her anti-establishment, anti-ego message. “I’m not even really consciously trying to do anything,” BLAB comments about her EP, “I’m just doing what I want, writing what I love and talking about my life.” This approach to song-writing reaffirms the narratives of independence within her music, and we can’t wait to hear more of it in the near future.

Listen to Word Of Mouth below.

Follow BLAB on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: James Mannion

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: VERO – ‘Beg!’

A seething guitar anthem fueled by the anger that’s left behind by a flawed relationship, Stockholm-based trio VERO have shared their latest single ‘Beg!’. Released via PNKSLM Recordings and one half of an upcoming 7″ single that’s set for release on 14th January, the track is saturated with brooding bass lines, swirling riffs and stinging vocals.

Formed of teenage friends Julia Boman and Amanda Eddestål and Clara Gyökeres who they befriended whilst DJ’ing on the Stockholm nightclub circuit, VERO create music inspired by an eclectic range of influences. Their main purpose, aside from creating anthems with shades of 90s alternative icons Sonic Youth, is to challenge the idea of what a modern guitar band is supposed to be. With new single ‘Beg!’, the trio have crafted a bold, visceral statement of autonomy, antagonising listeners with their crystalline vocals and raging rhythms.

“BEG! is about dysfunctional relationships, but most of all it’s a song about anger,” the band explain. “We wanted to write something that oozes anger, and we think it does. It’s our favourite song to play live and it really sets the vibe for what’s to come.” With a debut album in the pipeline for 2022, we can’t wait to hear more of VERO’s charged sounds.

Listen to ‘Beg’ below.

Follow VERO on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Hanna Rubensson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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EP: Billie Flynn – ‘Hey Stranger’

I’ve taken a while to find the words for Billie Flynn’s debut EP Hey Stranger, a heartfelt meditation on grief. Each listen has highlighted something new and different, evoked more and more feelings; gorgeous, but increasingly hard to describe in words. It’s a thing of feeling. It feels like memories whispered on a cliff edge and the wind carrying parts of you away. It feels like the moments of stillness after the soil’s been turned. It’s incredibly honest and it  demonstrates Flynn’s infinite potential – her lyrics speaking truth to grief, while fitting comfortably into the cosy featherlight and luxuriously breathy cocoon of her voice box. 

The quality of production is consistently immersive – heady and cinematic, each song getting the best out of synths, pianos and Flynn’s unique tone. I’ve written about and adored previously released tracks already, but the latest ‘Forever Goodbye’ shows Billie’s artistry at a whole other level, it surpasses expectations. I held my breath as I listened. It’s about a loss which occurred during Billie’s teenage years and is utterly stunning in a very special, incisive and relatable way. Lyrics such as  “there’s a look in the eye of a friend when they mention your name, like they’re reminding me of pain, like I’d ever let it go” get to the core of what it is to live with loss in the presence of others. The trepidation, the repetition, the changing pace of the world outside as something privately sinks into your soul, and the never ending cycles. For an EP to so unambiguously be about the life changing power of loss without being in any way maudlin, is truly magical. 

There’s hope and transformation woven in  too. ‘The Good Girl’ beautifully explores the personal journeys our pain can inform as Flynn sings about shedding people-pleasing tendencies, pushing boundaries and growing into someone different. What does it mean to be authentic? What does it mean to reject expectations? What are those moments in life when we feel ourselves truly step into our own power? These are the questions ‘The Good Girl’ provokes. 

The emotional energy of Hey Stranger might not neatly blend with the sugar coated Christmas tunes we’re hearing blasted around us, but there’s no doubt that the moment for this EP is now. In a period where so much and so many are being grieved, this body of music is timely and refreshingly close to home.

Tutku Barbaros
@tutkubarbaros

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