Reviews – Page 189 – Get In Her Ears

LISTEN: Divine Sweater – ‘I Knew You Better’

A dreamy, retrospective tune about the fading affection between two people who used to be intimately involved, Boston-based five-piece Divine Sweater have shared their latest single ‘I Knew You Better’. Taken from their second album Divine Sweater Presents: The Ten Year Plan, which is set for release on 26th March, the track is a buoyant blend of soft vocals, grooving beats and playful keys.

Formed of Meghan Kelleher (vocals), Sean Seaver (guitar, vocals), Chris Southiere (drums), Alex Goldberg (bass) and Stephen Lin (keys), Divine Sweater were busy sharing their alt-pop sounds on their local live circuit, playing slots with fellow Boston band Forever Honey before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The group self-released their debut album Human Love in 2019, and are gearing up to share their second LP later this month, with airy single ‘I Knew You Better’ being the first taste of what’s to come.

Combining catchy lyrics with lilting synths and tight vocal harmonies, Divine Sweater have crafted a charming slice of indie pop on this latest offering. Keep your eyes peeled for more single releases over the next month.

Listen to ‘I Knew You Better’ below.

Follow Divine Sweater on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Anabel Rios

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

March 9, 2021

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Piss Kitti – ‘Turn You Over’ (Keep On Comin’ On)

A playful, strung out guitar tune about the mixed feelings we have after a difficult breakup, Liverpool punks Piss Kitti have shared their latest single ‘Turn You Over’ (Keep On Comin’ On). Lifted from their upcoming four tack EP For The Lovers, which is set for release on 19th March, the track navigates the uneasy emotions that dictate our actions after a relationship has ended.

Formed of vocalist Esme, guitarist Dominic, bassist Clara and drummer Danny, Piss Kitti write songs that spark conversations about sex, queerness and gender. Fusing relatable lyrics, catchy melodies and elements of garage and punk rock together, the band aim to simultaneously “turn you on, make you dance and make you think.” Their upcoming EP is an exploration of “romantic turmoil” and new single ‘Turn You Over’ (Keep On Comin’ On) is the first taste of this bittersweet slice of uncertainty.

“‘Turn You Over’ is about going through a breakup and knowing in your heart that it’s all wrong,” vocalist Esme explains. “You try to accept it and move on but you can’t, and instead find yourself fantasising, wishing and waiting for your love to return, replaying memories just to make yourself sick.” Through Dominic’s grungy riffs, Esme’s lush lilting vocals and Danny’s crashing percussion, Piss Kitti go through the motions on this new offering with a buoyant, warped optimism.

Listen to ‘Turn You Over’ (Keep On Comin’ On) below.

Follow Piss Kitti on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

March 9, 2021

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Penelope Trappes – ‘Nervous’

A graceful, evocative soundscape that tentatively traverses the inner thoughts of an anxious woman, Australian-born Brighton-based artist Penelope Trappes has shared her latest single ‘Nervous’. Taken from her new album Penelope Three, which is set to be released on 28th May via Houndstooth, the track ripples with a sense of mystery and disquiet, both of which are beautifully reflected in the accompanying video.

Forming the final part of her musical trilogy, Trappes’ upcoming album reflects on healing from grief while harnessing the unique power of her voice to tell tales of resilience and the restorative power of love. Utilizing her lived experiences as a mother and swiftly defying the limiting ageist and sexist industry ideas about women’s creativity, on ‘Nervous’ she masterfully layers her clear vocals over sparse beats and atmospheric electronics to hypnotic effect. “I’m digging up the underworld with visual motifs, and a mystical, gothic darkness that symbolises my struggles,” Trappes says of her new music, exhuming her feelings and finding joy and liberation in expressing the darker aspects of the emotional spectrum.

“In mid 2020 I began renting a strange and unique house in Brighton…I used the odd space and time to film the video for ‘Nervous’,” Trappes explains. “It delves inside the mind of a nervous smoking woman, which takes the form of an oppressive strange house. Inside, she is confronting the balance between the masculine and feminine within her, which take the form of two spirit characters. Outside there are expansive but liminal moments of reprieve from the claustrophobia, but she invariably gets drawn back into the anxious loop of her own mental entrapment.”

Watch the video for ‘Nervous’ below.

Penelope Trappes UK 2021 Live Dates
13 May The Great Escape, Brighton *Live Stream*
23 Sept The White Hotel, Manchester
24 Sept The Alchemy Experiment
25 Sept Future Yard, Birkenhead
26 Sept Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
30 Sept The Rose Hill, Brighton
21 Nov St Pancras Church, London
24 Jul SNNTG Festival, Hannover
*supporting Leifur James

Follow Penelope Trappes on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram and Facebook

Press Credit: Agnes Haus

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

March 8, 2021March 28, 2021

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

LISTEN: Daneka – ‘She’s Never Been’

A sultry, R&B infused bedroom-pop tune exploring the mixed emotions surrounding an intense, romantic attraction, Southend-based songwriter Daneka has shared her latest single ‘She’s Never Been’. Full of smooth vocals and yearning lyrics, the track is a mellow but passionate portrait of a woman who wants to be loved and acknowledged for all that she is.

“This song is about a young woman wanting a man who is taken,” Daneka explains. “The song highlights an obsessive and impulsive behaviour of the woman, but also the determination and hunger of a woman who knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it.” Through her extended vocals and subtle samples of hushed exhales, Daneka reflects this hunger and longing to be with the one she loves.

“‘She’s Never Been’ also highlights the imperfections of a woman with obvious mental instability,” Daneka continues. “The underlying issue is that this woman has never been ‘the hot one’, or the ‘smart one’, or the ‘sexy one’ either, but just a woman living.” Despite this underlying insecurity, Daneka’s confident voice portrays a woman who is deeply in touch with her emotions and aware of her potential, even if her efforts are directed towards someone who may not acknowledge or deserve them.