ALBUM: Liar, Flower – ‘Geiger Counter’

Released via One Little Indian Records, Liar, Flower‘s new album Geiger Counter – the latest project from KatieJane Garside (Daisy Chainsaw, QueenAdreena, Lalleshwari) and Chris Whittingham – is a collection of songs that blend honey-sweet vocals with dreamy, beautifully produced instrumental soundscapes.

Opening track ‘I Am Sundress (She Of Infinite Flowers)’ is a hauntingly beautiful offering that gives way to the hypnotic rock concoction of ‘My Brain Is Lit Like An Airport’. The angry soundscape then transforms into the psychedelic, deconstructed ‘9N-AFE’. Its robotic, glitchy sonics make it a stand-out track on the record.

The rock-tinged stylings of ‘Mud Stars’ juxtaposed with melodic ‘Broken Light’ teases your brain with its varied range. Following track ‘Even The Darkest Clouds’ is an off-kilter banger that uses lacerating guitars and booming beats with raw vocals, throwing Geiger Counter into complete tortured disarray; essentially making it a cacophony of mismatched musicality.

In comparison, next track ‘Blood Berries’ is a slow lullaby with a foreboding touch. The pair’s brilliant production skills are shown off proudly on the post-punk sounding ‘Little Brown Shoes’. The tail end of the record is sunshine after a storm, as the instrumentals begin leaning away from the tinges of gloom, lust and loathing which have remained front and centre for most of the LP.

The sultry, seductive ‘Baby Teeth’ flawlessly blends into the country-tinged ‘Hole In My Hand’, while the light touches of title track ‘Geiger Counter’ provide a simple, yet memorable melody. Final track ‘Doors Locked, Oven’s Off’ is the perfect closer that brings together the darker sounds of the album with its airy corners, ending the record with the strongest instrumentals thus far.

A disorienting combination of loud violence and gentle caresses that keeps listeners on their toes throughout; Geiger Counter is as meditative as it is nightmarish, as mysterious as it is all-knowing. The record grows on you with each track and by the end of it, you’re ready to play it all over again.

Listen to Geiger Counter by Liar, Flower on Spotify

Malvika Padin
@malvika_padin26

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Track Of The Day: OHMME – ‘Selling Candy’

A sweet new offering of guitar distortion and smooth dual harmonies; OHMME have shared their latest single, ‘Selling Candy’. The track is lifted from their upcoming album, Fantasize Your Ghost, which is set for release on 5th June via Joyful Noise Recordings.

Formed of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart; Chicago-based OHMME blend driving beats and brooding guitars to create their deceptively simple, catchy songs. On their latest single, the pair repeatedly sing the same six lines over heavy guitars and persistent, crashing percussion to reflect both the excitement and mundanities of childhood experiences.

“‘Selling Candy’ was pieced together from little snapshots of my childhood growing up on my block in Chicago” explains Cunnigham. “It felt like its own tiny world where I could explore my imagination, enjoy independence from my parents, and meet all kinds of people, including the pissed off hot dog vendor from whom I bought a boiled hot dog from as often as I could get my hands on a buck.” This sweet sense of freedom is reflected in the cathartic, noisy breakdown at the end of the track.

Listen to ‘Selling Candy’ below and follow OHMME on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Ash Dye

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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EP: Julia-Sophie – ‘Y?’

Describing herself as finally finding her hullabaloo within the storm, new electronic artist Julia-Sophie jumped onto the scene supporting GIHE faves Sink Ya Teeth. Last week she released her debut EP, Y?, and we cannot stop listening to it.

This record draws you in from the outset. Lead track ‘Breathe’ envelopes you with its sound as the pulsating title lyric repeats, leaving it reverberating around your head after only the second listen. At points, especially on ‘x0x’, I feel that I can hear the influences of Gazelle Twin, where I am sat watching this music performed in a darkened auditorium with a light show that electrifies the stage as the music electrifies your ears.

Of the record Julia-Sophie explains “I came to point in my life when I realised that I had been coasting through life and in these songs, rather than carrying on floating I chose to rip myself open and see what would come out the other side.”

Y? is a sublime four track record of emotionally intelligent electrifying electronica. Music which builds and layers, over and over, resulting in an almost painfully blissful experience. I’m completely addicted and have not enjoyed an EP this much in a long while – Julia-Sophie is clearly an artist who has a solid understanding of producing, removing boundaries and letting music speak for itself. I cannot, and do not want to stop listening. 

Listen to Julia-Sophie’s EP Y? here. Follow Julia-Sophie on Instagram for more updates.

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LISTEN: Fears – ‘two_’

**Content Warning: Talk of self harm and mental health issues.**

A poignant meditation on some of her darkest hours, Constance Keane aka Fears has shared her latest single ‘two_’. The experimental pop artist has transformed her struggles with self-harm into a gentle, cathartic new offering, specially commissioned for the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival.

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK & Northern Ireland and Fears is helping to raise awareness of this with the self-directed accompanying video for her track. The visuals feature repurposed footage of Fears and her family, depicting the non-linear path of recovery from trauma. She tenderly confesses in her lyrics “If not for my family / I’d never have healed,” a sentiment that’s reflected in the footage she’s chosen to share.

Two years on from receiving inpatient treatment in a hospital in Dublin, Fears now uses her musical creations as a form of therapy. “Creativity was, and still is, such a huge part of recovery for me,” she explains. “So to be part of a festival showcasing the creativity of people with mental health issues is incredible. I think when it comes to budget cuts for the mental health sector, creative resources are too often the first to go, so it’s great to see a group celebrating the significance of being creative in maintaining positive mental health.”

For many who suffer with mental health issues, the road to recovery requires immense amounts of patience and a huge shift in perspective. Fears extrapolates on this further: “For me, there is no final point where I’ve ‘gotten better’. I am better than I was before, but ‘better’ isn’t a destination. It’s about learning, maintenance and forging trust in myself.”

“It’s important for me to discuss the topic of self harm; it’s something I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach for a while now. I don’t endorse self harm. It’s an unhealthy coping mechanism when you’re distressed; but it’s also incredibly common. Within the improving awareness and discussion around mental health, I feel self harm still carries the weight of secrecy and shame. I have lines on my leg from hurting myself a few years ago. They’re most likely going to be there for a very long time. I want to wear shorts in summer. I’m going to wear shorts in summer.”

Fears’ determination and honesty in the face of adversity makes listening to ‘two_’ all the more poignant and necessary. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues discussed in this post, please reach out to Mind or other mental health charities.

Follow Fears on Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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