LISTEN: Stainwasher – ‘Chems’

Swedish artist Stainwasher is not one to shy away from darker states of emotion. Her 2019 debut EP, What Did I See, was a sonic journey through personal fears and unsettled thoughts, explored via soaring synths and tentative vocals. On new single ‘Chems’, released via Feverish Records, Stainwasher has crafted another dark, alluring lullaby that broods with a bittersweet anxiety.

“I always start with a sound when I’m making a new song,” she explains about her songwriting process. “This time with ‘Chems’, it came from an electric guitar, plus a bunch of effects. From there, I built the track and added stuff until it felt just as anxious as I like it. I made this song months ago, long before coronavirus, but I feel like many people might think it’s about that, but it’s a big difference between chemicals and virus infections.”

Stainwasher has a clear ability to tap in to her anxious thoughts and turn them into beguiling, cinematic sounds that showcase her talent as an emerging electronic artist. Her delicate blending of atmospheric synths, soft vocals and electric guitar on ‘Chems’ makes for intoxicating listening.

Listen to ‘Chems’ below.

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

Photo Credit: Henrik Lennartsson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: The Shacks – ‘Wings’

Brooding bass lines and hushed vocals urge listeners to have a “good time” on ‘Wings’, the latest single from The Shacks. Released via Big Crown Records, the track is a cool, smooth sounding call for everyone to cut loose and enjoy themselves.

Fronted by Shannon Wise (vocals, bass) and Max Shrager (guitar, production), The Shacks have been busy working on their second full length record, which is set for release in winter 2021. The New York band have built up a reputation for crafting hazy, melodic, crowd-pleasing tunes on their 2018 album Haze, and new track ‘Wings’ is no exception.

Wise’s quiet, yet intense vocals float over buzzing guitar and bass, willing even the most reluctant listeners to move their feet and shuffle their troubles away. The band have crafted an understated, grooving track that makes letting go feel genuinely effortless. Listen to ‘Wings’ below, and follow The Shacks on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Harkin – ‘Harkin’

Armed with experiences from a life of touring and collaborations, Harkin has taken her first steps towards a solo journey with her eponymous LP. The album is set for release on 24th April via Hand Mirror, a new label set up by Harkin and her partner, poet & live arts organiser, Kate Leah Hewett.

Well known for being a touring member of Sleater-Kinney, Wild Beasts, and Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett; Harkin has teamed up with Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) and Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak & Bon Iver) to help record her debut album – but this doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s all Harkin, through and through.

Opening with the booming guitar of ‘Mist on Glass’, Harkin is off to a powerful start as bold, sharp vocals carry through from one track to the next. The swagger of ‘Nothing the Night Can’t Change’ gives way to the softer sonics of ‘Decade’, before the first highlight of the 10-track production comes in the form of thumping beats and husky vocals of ‘Up To Speed’. Next track ‘Bristling’ follows the same path, with a soundscape of drums and guitar.

At the halfway point, ‘Dial It In’ passes by, followed by interlude ‘Red Virginia Creeper’ before the undeniable stand out track of the album breaks through. The foreboding, looming and brilliant ‘Sun Stay With Me’ is the beginning of an eerie mood that travels through the remaining tracks of the album. Penultimate offering ‘New France’ is soaked in reverb-ridden sonics, and spoken word-esque delivery, vibrating with a presence that’s felt even after the last notes fade.

Harkin closes with the ringing acoustic stylings of ‘Charm and Tedium’, with a razor sharp focus on Harkin’s raw vocals. Completed over 16 days dotted between Harkin’s gruelling tour schedule, Harkin is a collection of gritty but smooth songs that showcase a unique trajectory; combining the warmth of nostalgia, with the glitchy pace of the modern world.

Pre-order your copy of Harkin’s debut album here.
Follow Harkin on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Tomm Roeschlein

Malvika Padin
@malvika_padin26

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Track Of The Day: GodNo! – ‘Hulk’

You don’t hear the words ‘Derby supergroup’ very often – but then, most bands don’t incorporate exclamation marks in their name, either. And, if the fourpiece known as GodNo! are trying to make themselves notable with their punctuation, they’re keeping the side up, sonically, as well. Formed as a side project by members of various bands from the local scene – Cable (guitarist Peter Darrington), Grawl!x/Mighty Kids/Sex Jokes (Shelley Jane Newman, bass and vocals), Merrick’s Tusk (guitarist James Stewart), and Pet Crow (drummer Dan  Barradell) – GodNo!’s origins also lie in the Reckless Yes label, co-founded by Peter, and his desire to emulate some of the bands that it supports.

Following on from ‘Unholy Water’, ‘Hulk’ is GodNo!’s second single from forthcoming EP, Too Much Future. And whereas their debut was heavy on bass and a creepy kind of post-rock, ‘Hulk’ flares out with spikey riffs and a rattle of drums. With Shelley’s vocals on lead here, there’s a delightful contrast between her voice and the backing – reminiscent of both Sonic Youth (who the band cite as an inspiration), but also more recent alt-indie such as Joanna Gruesome. Chrous-wise, it storms away, with over-driven guitar exploding over a rhythm section that flicks the power-switch as Shelley warns: “Being nice won’t save you… My strength is growing all the time”. In its middle-eight, meanwhile, she confirms: “I could be nice / This is a choice”, her voice growing ever more erratic, before a chorus reprise rounds out the song with a pleasingly off-kilter pop flourish.

Described by the band’s label as “a scream and a sigh at the patriarchy”, ‘Hulk’ shows a band with plenty of ideas and the wherewithal to put them together. They say that their songwriting and performing approach is collaborative – creating the perfect crucible for their distillation of fury in sound and meaning. The incredible GodNo!: you’ll like them when they’re angry.

 

John McGovern
@etinsuburbiaego

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