Track Of The Day: Table Scraps – ‘Threads’

Following the savage energy of last year’s ‘Doom Generation’, and having previously wowed crowds at SXSW, Birmingham trio – and GIHE faves – Table Scraps have now announced their new album, set for release in September. Originally conceived as a concept album in 2018, where a band emerges from the rubble of a post-apocalyptic event, after the events of the last couple of years, the doom-filled theme of the collection now seems more resonant than ever before.

Taken from the album, latest single ‘Threads‘ is propelled by a seething energy and gritty, swirling power as ferocious hooks race alongside fierce, thrashing beats. As an immense, impassioned drive builds an eerie sense of impending doom – “united by our gloom / we sense impending doom…” – the track blasts into the ears with a raging, psych-metal spirit, providing a perfectly riotous catharsis. Oozing a poignant sense of urgency, it’s an intense, blazing anthem for these scary times we currently find ourselves in.

‘Threads’ is accompanied by a trippy new lyric video. Watch it now:

Coffin Face, the upcoming new album from Table Scraps, is set for release on 24th September.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: James Brown

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LISTEN: Kristen Merritt – ‘I Don’t Think ABout You’

‘I Don’t Think About You’ is the woozy new single from Brooklyn-based artist Kristen Merritt. With heartfelt lyrics and laid-back instrumentation, this neo-soul groove is the perfect soundtrack for bright summer mornings. ‘I Don’t Think About You’ is positive and light, sung from the perspective of someone who has found clarity and has been released by it. It feels as though each word is sung through a smile, creating a warm and inviting soundscape.

Describing her music as “high-key” (high energy) neo-soul, you can hear the influence of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu in Merritt’s slick and chilled-out arrangements, with lush keyboard flourishes highlighting the soulful lyrics. She also cites inspiration from her contemporaries, H.E.R. and Daniel Cesar.

‘I Don’t Think About You’ comes together magically with live instrumentation, it oozes a sincere human quality and vulnerability. The smooth and spacious percussion is reminiscent of Motown recording, providing a soothing groove. To accent the music, the guitar plays jazzy chords that add to the woozy ambiance. Smooth and sweet, Merritt’s vocal melody meanders up and down, flowing effortlessly as it leads the song. The vocal melodies and harmonies interweave and overlap, creating delicious textures and easing transitions into new musical ideas and sections.

Of the meaning behind the track, Merritt reveals: “It is the song of coming to terms with feelings for someone, feelings that you denied, for feeling as though they were misplaced on that person. In coming to terms with these feelings, I have reflected in the lyrics the ‘five stages of grief’: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. There is also an additional component of something almost happy/joyous in that acceptance, content with the understanding of the situation, even if it didn’t pan out how you wanted it to.”

‘I Don’t Think About You’ is accompanied by a vintage-inspired, artfully created new video, directed by Marissa Yates. Watch here:

Joi, Kristen’s debut album, is set for release 14th September.

Jaz Kelly
@surfjaz

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Track Of The Day: Shannon & The Clams – ‘Year Of The Spider’

God, I love Shannon & The Clams. Channelling the playfulness – and the beehives – of the B52s, along with the sweet and spiky harmonies of the best ’60s girl groups, the Bay Area garage-rockers offer a fresh, fun take on rockabilly, delivered in a beautifully badass 21st century way.

With ‘Year of the Spider’, the second single from their upcoming sixth album, they retain their sense of fun, but there’s a real melancholy too. Underneath the big, bold choruses and cheeky rock ‘n’ roll posturing, front-person Shannon Shaw laments the serious illness of a family member. “Bad news called me on the phone…” – she sings – “The one you love; he needs a doctor. There were signs, I should I have known.”

Shaw’s strong and soulful voice soars, and is boosted further by the Clams’ woozy, psychedelic harmonies and raw, dirty production from the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. It’s a poppy, powerful song that’ll hook you in and break your heart. I love it.

Watch the fun-filled new video for ‘Year Of The Spider’ here:

Shannon & The Clams’ upcoming sixth album, also entitled Year Of The Spider, is set for release 20th August via Easy Eye Sound / Concord. Pre-order here.

Victoria Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: Kristin Cofer

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Track Of The Day: Maria Uzor – ‘Innocence’

Having been massive fans of Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth for a number of years now, we were excited to hear that vocalist and songwriter Maria Uzor has now announced her debut solo EP. Written in a corner of her living room during the winter lockdown last year, it is set for release next month and fuses together an eclectic range of influences, aiming to ooze only the most positive of vibes.

Taken from the EP, new single ‘Innocence’ offers a sweeping, other-worldly soundscape propelled by glitchy electronic hooks and drum ‘n’ bass reminiscent beats. Interweaving a whirring ethereal splendour with shades of the likes of Grimes with a unique soul-fused drive, this poignant sonic fusion is held together by the soaring majesty of Uzor’s distinctive vocals. Oozing a blissful, euphoric energy, a stirring soundscape is created that glides into the ears with an exquisite, bewitching allure.

Of the writing process of the EP, Uzor explains: “Lockdown afforded me the space to step back, and I realised how suffocated I’d become in a world that I felt didn’t see me, to the point where I couldn’t breathe. So I took loads of time out to be gentle with myself. I wrote nothing for most of the year until about December when I started writing the EP. Innocence And Worldliness is about the tail end of a journey, coming out of the dark and into the light. A gradual return to self and to joy.“

‘Innocence’ is accompanied by an immersive new video, animated by Ben Dawson. Reflecting the themes running throughout the EP, it’s a stirring ode to change and transformation, oozing a glistening sense of hope. Watch the new video below:

Innocence And Worldliness, the upcoming EP from Maria Uzor, is set for release on 20th August via Hey Buffalo Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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