NEW TRACK: Touch Excellent – ‘Couch Song’

Following on from their debut single ‘Record‘ – a tenacious anthem highlighting the failures of the healthcare system when it comes to treating women, non-binary and transgender folks – Dublin pop punks Touch Excellent have shared their new single, ‘Couch Song’. Full of dreamy vocals, relatable lyrics and melodic riffs, the track is a buoyant musing on introversion and attraction at house parties, and how these dueling states play out in a crowded room.

Describing themselves as “Ireland’s most transgender band (surely)”, Touch Excellent create raw, frenzied, politically-driven cacophonies that are designed to dismantle the systems that oppress us. Together, Lenny (vocals/bass), Ló (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Amber (drums) transform their feelings of hopelessness and injustice into loud, cathartic, catchy anthems that address the issues facing young people today. That was certainly the case for their first single ‘Record’, but on ‘Couch Song’ the band showcase a more tender side. The trio opt for softer riffs and vocals on the new track, but it still retains the enthusiasm and wit of their debut release.

“This one goes out / to the people on the couch, at the party” directs Lenny, making space for those who “don’t want to dance” despite enjoying the rowdy atmosphere. The song shifts in tone, tempo and mood to reflect these conflicting feelings, expressing how joy can still be found in crowded rooms by focusing in on a crush, or simply sitting slightly inebriated on the couch. Described as “a rallying cry for introverts and a sly glance at a beautiful person from across the room,” ‘Couch Song’ is Touch Excellent’s “break from raging against the machine” and a nod to their more intimate, affectionate song-writing style.

Listen to ‘Couch Song’ below.

Follow Touch Excellent on bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, Twitter (X) & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Hot Milk – ‘A Call To The Void’

The fragility of existence is nowhere more apparent than “l’appel du vide” – A Call To The Void – the brain’s impulse to throw yourself into the darkness. For Hot Milk, particularly co-vocalist/guitarist Han Mee, the pressure to deliver their debut record left them feeling incredibly lost. From extended plays Are you Feeling Alive? (2019) to I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead (2021), to The King and Queen of Gasoline (2022), the Mancunians could always rely on their do-it-yourself ethos and work ethic, but now… nothing. Just anxiety, doubt, desperation and overwhelming sadness…

Fuck it! Hot Milk just needed to be their authentic and unapologetic selves – even in their darkest headspace – and so they embraced the void. Do or Die! “Am I the darkness?” Mee sings during the synth-heavy introduction to their debut; eleven tracks written from the heart, welcoming you to their ‘Horror Show’. From the moment their industrial lead single rumbles obnoxious feedback (“Am I a human earthquake?”), to its infectious “fuck you” chorus, the tone has been set for the rest of the record; anthemic mosh-inducing catharsis.

Flirting with synth-pop, ‘Bloodstream’ flows with emotion; an ode to unhealthy adoration, injected with the dynamic dual storytelling of Mee and co-vocalist/guitarist Jim Shaw: “Now you’re living in my bloodstream!” Ladies and gentlemen, ‘Party On My Deathbed’ is cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder on the dancefloor; an electric fusion of dirty guitar riffs, and even dirtier screams. And none of Hot Milk’s trademark wit is lost on ‘Alice Cooper’s Pool House’, featuring the shock rock legend himself!

Following the overwhelming catchiness of ‘Zoned Out’, the duo stage-dive headfirst into the abyss with thunderous basslines and theatrical anger on ‘Over Your Dead Body’: “Unholy, you’re problematic / All this shit, so operatic / I know, this might be overdramatic / But I think that I’ve had it / So it’s time to go manic!” ‘Migraine’ is another standout track, exploring various soundscapes, and showcasing Hot Milk’s genre-defying sound as it ebbs and flows like a Bring Me the Horizon headache.

If any track defines A Call to the Void, it’s ‘Breathing Underwater’; an emotional heart breaker embodying Mee’s darkness. “We needed to write this song as a cry to the outside world”; an introspection of the suffocating anxiety and depression below the surface. Julian Comeau of Loveless introduces a new voice to the dynamic duo for ‘Amphetamine’, whilst crushing closer, ‘Forget Me Not’ – the last song written for the record – explores life’s fragility through synth-driven melodies: “So into the void I go / I surrender to all my beliefs / Where you go I can’t follow / Got to let you rest in peace.”

By staying unapologetically true to themselves, thriving in the musical chaos they have created, Hot Milk have delivered a debut that excels in abnormality. Genre is a lie. This is not a pop-punk/alt- pop/emo record. It’s a fucking Hot Milk record!

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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LISTEN: ME REX – ‘Eutherians (Ultramarine)’

Their two EPs and incredible 51-track project designed for shuffle play have marked ME REX out as an incredibly exciting band to watch. Their latest single, ‘Eutherians (Ultramarine)‘ comes alongside the announcement of their forthcoming album, Giant Elk. If the rest of the project is as captivating as the single, then it’s going to be an unmissable release.

The track begins gently, with soft guitars and a light upbeat rhythm; from the first bars, the vocals ache with feeling and hint at the journey the song intends to take you on. The music swells together into a throbbing chorus that burrows into your head and stays with you long after the song ends – it’s difficult not to keep tapping along to the addictive beat.

‘Eutherians (Ultramarine)’ is about the fear of losing a part of yourself, but it has an overall sense of excitement to it. It surges into its most climactic moments, echoing the way that emotions overflow when you’re contemplating the universe and your tiny, insignificant space in it. As scary as the introspection the song contains might be, it’s beautiful as well. 

The repeated “deep, deep, deep, deep ultramarine” of the unknown – whether you’re looking up to the stars or down to the depths of the ocean – evokes that terror and fascination in equal measure. But, as the song goes on, the refrain flows with a bright, bouncy energy; like the beginning of a great adventure, getting all the more thrilling and colourful with each time it repeats.

‘Eutherians (Ultramarine)’ is a deeply reflective song. If you let it, it will take you to that introspective place that can be intensely painful or blissful, but either way rewarding and profound.

Giant Elk, the upcoming debut album from ME REX, is set for release on 2nd October, via Big Scary Monsters. Pre-order here.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Benjamin Whitley

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NEW TRACK: Ideal Host – ‘The Resolution’

A tender, synth-led rumination that showcases the evolving nature of their sound, Ideal Host have shared their latest single ‘The Resolution’. Recorded and mixed by Robin Newman at SNUG/JT Soar in Nottingham, the track acts as a bookend to the band’s previous single ‘The Conflict‘, exploring the softer side of their brooding, intuitive songwriting.

Led by Heather Perkins and Sean Hughes – who are both former members of the band Slowcoaches – Ideal Host are dedicated to making music on their own terms. Now joined by multi-instrumentalist Dan Wheeler (Cheap Jazz) and synth and keyboard player Tom Goodwin, the band made their live debut on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 music show back in September 2022, where they also performed ‘The Resolution’ for the first time.

Whilst ‘The Conflict’ had a starker post-punk sound, on ‘The Resolution’ Ideal Host opt for gentler beats and melodies which spotlight Heather’s vocal range in a different way. “I’m not asking you to return / I just hope that you feel better” she repeats, over lilting keys and evocative riffs, a quiet sense of urgency spilling over right up until the music ceases to play. “I really liked the idea of taking one song and presenting it in a completely different way,” Heather explains about the track. ‘The Resolution’ takes the exact same root notes and structure as our previous release ‘The Conflict’ and creates a response to that piece that is entirely different.”

Ideal Host are currently writing and recording their full length album, which they plan to release and tour next year. “We are intent on continuing to play with our approach writing, so that this project always feels new and alive,” Heather continues. “I want to feel that we can pivot in any direction we want to. That the musical landscape is completely wide open to us.”

Listen to ‘The Resolution’ below.

Follow Ideal Host on Spotify, bandcamp, Twitter (X) and Instagram

Photo Credit: Dan Wheeler

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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