Track Of The Day: Duck – ‘R*ck St*r’

Having played The Finsbury for us not just once, but twice, DUCK are firm favourites of ours here at Get In Her Ears. And now, following joyous offerings such as 2017’s ‘Stereo’, and a revised line-up with the addition of Evangeline, they’ve shared an infectious new single.

A song about those weird narcissistic blokes in bands (sure we’ve all known a few!) and how their days are numbered, hopefully, ‘R*ck St*r’ is a playful slice of quirky punk-pop racing with pulsating, funk-filled beats and scuzzy, whirring hooks. Oozing  a vibrant, danceable energy, it fuses together a range of colourful sonic delights, creating a wonderfully eccentric cacophony. Of the track, the band explain:

“The song is a takedown of all the weirdie narcissistic men of rock we’ve encountered (and beyond) hiding behind the ‘sad boy’ image in order to abuse others, clinging on to the outdated notion of entitled stardom and basking in their own self-proclaimed god-like genius.”


DUCK’s upcoming album, There Are No Normal Conversations Any More, is set for release this Autumn via Hell Hath No Fury Records. 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

 

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Track Of The Day: Salad – ‘Under The Wrapping Paper’

Having been going their separate ways for nearly twenty years, in 2017 ’90s band Salad were offered a festival date and soon reformed to start recording new material. Now, they’re set to release a long-awaited new album next month and have shared the first taste of what we can expect from it.

Exposing what we are sticking in the sand, and shoving under the carpet, ‘Under The Wrapping Paper’ is propelled by a gritty, post-punk energy and whirring scuzz as catchy hooks and tongue-in-cheek deadpan vocals build to a jangly fusion of sounds. A unique, euphonic delight, this new single sees Salad return to fine form, proving they’re still capable of pushing boundaries with a distinct, vibrant spirit.

The idea for ‘Under The Wrapping Paper’ came to founder member and guitarist Paul Kennedy in a rush of inspiration one day as he popped out to buy a cheap T-shirt: “I worry about child labour / But I needed a T-shirt  / Put it in a paper bag / You can recycle that later.” 

The Salad Way, the upcoming album, is out 30th August on Three Bean Records. Salad will be playing at Starshaped Festival:

31st August – Manchester, O2 Ritz
7th September – Newcastle, O2 Academy
14th September – Birmingham, O2 Institute
21st September – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Tim Topple

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WATCH: Montauk Hotel – ‘White Billboards’

Dublin four-piece Montauk Hotel have shared visuals to accompany their shimmering single ‘White Billboards’ released via Reckless Records earlier this year. The track is a reflection on the power of advertising in society and how the models featured within these adverts influence our choices, happiness and feelings of adequacy.

Through a montage of vintage advertising footage, the video gently questions whether a society with empty billboards would give people more freedom, or whether it would leave them lost and unable to regain a personal identity. Montauk Hotel’s luscious soundscape makes these poignant themes easier to reflect on.

Watch the video below and follow Montauk Hotel on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: HAVVK – ‘Cause & Effect’ (Pt.1)

From the moment Cause & Effect begins, until the last riff of latest single ‘Shifting Shape’ ends, HAVVK have your complete attention… And this is only the first chapter! Never wanting to be conventional, HAVVK have chosen to release their debut album in two halves; with the latter set for release on 22nd November. 

Beginning life in London, HAVVK now consists of Julie, Matt and Sam, who – over the years – have developed their own style of feedback-laden, ethereal alt-rock, resulting in two incredible extended plays: the self-titled HAVVK (2016) and She Knows EP (2017).

Alternating between London, Dublin, and Berlin (the latter where Cause & Effect was recorded with producer Rocky O’Reilly), the trio approach Part 1 unrestrained with a take no prisoners/punk rock attitude. Opening with ‘If I Don’t Tell You’ – a biting social commentary on social media discord – you are instantly captivated by the shimmering guitar riffs, pulsating drum beats and brooding basslines, before being transported seamlessly into ‘Birds on a Wire’.

‘Birds on a Wire’ introspectively analyses a destructive relationship through Julie’s raw, honest vocals and an expansive, melancholic sound – “When I’m trying to speak, are you listening? Do you want to hear me scream?” This is followed by ‘Always the Same’, which confronts female objectivity and toxic masculinity, as we hear Julie challenge men who make women feel unsafe as a result of their gender.

On ‘The Factory’, Julie’s vocals soar as the track ascends into a crescendo of meticulous noise, before transitioning into the post-punk x shoegazing of ‘Tunnels’.

Throughout the album, the contrasting narrative of each song is structured into a cohesive whole with each seamless transition. HAVVK have always explored lighter and louder soundscapes through political and social songwriting, and Cause & Effect is the perfect example of their euphonic activism.

HAVVK continue to agitate societal bullshit with their final track, ‘Shifting Shape’. Armed with an abrasive edge, and a quiet/loud dynamic, HAVVK waste no time in getting straight to the point: Fuck constraints, fuck traditional assumptions surrounding gender, and fuck the unwarranted, unnecessary pressure it causes.

HAVVK craft music to make a statement, and with the first six songs from Cause & Effect the band have covered a lot of ground; from inequality to gender-preconceptions. It can be exhausting, but change is happening, so let’s keep this momentum going. Bands like HAVVK are needed now more than ever.

Cause & Effect (Pt.1) is out now via Veta Records.

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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