LISTEN: SPELLLING – ‘Little Deer’

A majestic new soundscape inspired by Frida Kahlo’s 1946 painting The Wounded Deer, Bay Area-based artist SPELLLING has shared her latest single ‘Little Deer’. Taken from her upcoming album The Turning Wheel, which is set for release on 25th June via Sacred Bones, the track is a dazzling new offering that showcases her talent for blending electronic & acoustic instruments with her lush vocals to create hazy, uplifting sounds.

“‘Little Deer’ is definitely a thesis track,” explains SPELLLING aka Chrystia Cabral. “I feel that way because it not only showcases the greatest range of instrumentation that is featured on the album, but also because it accomplishes this strong impression of theatre that I was striving for with the album as a whole.” The track features 17 different acoustic instruments, as well as a lilting, warped synthesizer. SPELLLING’s new record is split into two halves – “Above” and “Below” – with ‘Little Deer’ marking the beginning of the dreamy, shimmering “Above” section, which contrasts with the darker, more gothic tones of “Below”.

“I’m especially proud of the lyrics on ‘Little Deer’,” SPELLLING continues. “The challenge with the lyric writing was being able to speak to really large concepts like karma, reincarnation and the cycle of life without making the song sound burdened. I wanted the lyrics to match the grandeur of the instrumentation but still be easy to sing along to. I figured out a way to build the lyrics using a lot of abstract language that is still sing-able but odd in a way that I hope makes it memorable.” SPELLING’s attention to lyrical detail and intricate musical arrangements on ‘Little Deer’ certainly mark her out as a distinctive and compelling talent.

Listen to the track below.

Follow SPELLLING on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Adora Wilson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: all cats are beautiful – ‘(u know) u mean a long minute 2 me’

‘(u know) u mean a long minute 2 me’ is the first single from all cats are beautiful’s (ACAB) forthcoming EP. Recorded while best friends Kyle and Elena were locked down in separate countries due to the pandemic, it’s a lo-fi, electro-pop lullaby that’s full of love and longing.

The song has an otherworldy beauty, marrying raw, heartfelt lyrics with woozy beats and beeps to create something really special. As Kyle sings, “All I know for sure is my way back to you”, it feels so intimate and personal. But their vocal is buoyed by layers of beautiful harmonies and instrumentation, giving the track an atmospheric splendour.

As the pair alternate vocals, their chemistry fizzes and evokes the magic of Coco Rosie and to a lesser (and perhaps more obvious) degree, The XX. The bittersweet lyrics and emotive delivery will stay with you long after the song ends, and, before you know it, you’ll be full of gin and crying on the phone to your much-missed friends, telling them how much you love them.

‘(u know) u mean a long minute 2 me’ is taken from all cats are beautiful’s debut EP, the things we made, set for release on 6th August via Moshi Moshi.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: Aaron Price

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Track Of The Day: Smoothboi Ezra – ‘Stuck’

A tender, lo-fi offering that explores the struggle of feeling emotionally stunted or unable to communicate in an unsteady relationship, Irish multi-instrumentalist & producer Smoothboi Ezra has shared their latest single ‘Stuck’. Taken from their upcoming EP of the same name, which is set for release on 11th June, the track is a poignant meditation on the reluctance we encounter when facing the end of our romantic involvement with someone.

“‘Stuck’ is a song about being in a relationship with someone you care a lot about but you know it’s not going to work out,” Ezra explains “It’s an unsaid mutual agreement that you can feel the relationship ending but you’re both waiting on the other person to end it.” Ezra balances these emotional tensions via soft vocals, raw lyricism and gently plucked guitar strings.

As a gender non-conforming artist who is also on the autism spectrum, Ezra offers a different perspective on heartbreak and emotional intelligence, creating captivating, bittersweet soundscapes to contemplate the struggles of everyday life to. At the age of just 19, their talent for writing charming songs about personal growth is humbling and highly impressive.

Watch the video for ‘Stuck’ below.

Follow Smoothboi Ezra on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Leon McCulloughl

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Eliza Shaddad – ‘Heaven’

Sudanese-Scottish artist Eliza Shaddad has kept busy since last year: along with weekly Instagram live streams over the last year, she is releasing her third single of 2021, ‘Heaven’, which is a stirring anthem for anyone struggling. 

Written whilst Eliza was visiting family in hospital and then later in lockdown, the single and accompanying video are a poignant reminder that life can get better and is worth holding on to. Recorded at home in Cornwall, ‘Heaven’ has a different sound to her last single (‘Blossom’), whilst maintaining the theme of hope and fresh beginnings. It has twangy guitars and a contemporary Country–pop sound, perfectly carrying Eliza’s searing vocals, as she urges us to “keep holding on”…

Within seconds you will find yourself on a familiar sonic territory as you tap your feet along, imagining yourself on the open highway, singing this song with the wind blowing through your hair. ‘Heaven’ is a song about the recovery of faith in life or love. Both a call to hope and a plea to keep going, this uplifting song will carry us to the warm embrace of the upcoming summer sun.


‘Heaven’ is out now via Rosemundy Records/Wow and Flutter. It’s the lead single to be taken from Eliza Shaddad’s upcoming album The Woman You Want, set for release 16th July.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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