NEW TRACK: O Hell – ‘it heals so quick’

Following on from their previous singles ‘pixel‘ and ‘I Watch The Women‘ – which made our Tracks Of The Year list in 2022 – Brighton-based artist and producer Lucy Sheehan aka O Hell has shared their latest offering, ‘It Heals So Quick’. Underscored by their desire to explore the duality of past and present, and the inner processes of emotional relapse and recovery, O Hell delivers their extrapolations on sexuality, ritual and sacrifice with compelling and gritty conviction.

After years spent touring and recording music in alternative bands around the UK (including Brighton trio PROJECTOR) Sheehan ventured into fresh sonic territory under their new moniker O Hell back in 2021. Influenced by a love of the eclectic sounds of PJ Harvey and Mark Lanegan, Sheehan’s music sees them explore and deconstruct themselves over brooding electronics, twitchy beats and crystalline vocals. On ‘It Heals So Quick’, they continue this dismantling, taking inspiration from Irish modernist literature as well as their own experiences.

“The song was inspired by the novel At Swim-Two Birds by Irish author Flann O’Brien,” Sheehan explains. “Aside from being completely surreal and hilarious, I love how it pushes together gritty modern life in contemporary Dublin with the strange, colourful mythology of ancient Ireland, Gleann-na-nGealt – or ‘the valley of the mad’ – I guess I was exploring my past through that structure, where the past and present are always intertwined.”

‘It Heals So Quick’ is also accompanied by a captivating video, which Sheehan directed and edited by themselves. “I was interested in the idea of human sacrifice, and how ancient cultures prepared willing victims with a combination of love and cruelty,” they explain about the context of the visuals. “Some victims were force fed hundreds of sloe berries, had their hair cut off, were dressed in their best clothes…I wanted to explore that strange duality.”

Watch the video for ‘It Heals So Quick’ below.

Follow O Hell on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Bridie Florence Cummings

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

New Track: Cosmic Ninja – ‘Cardiac Unrest’

Living up to the vibe you might expect of a band called Cosmic Ninja, their newest track ‘Cardiac Unrest‘ is a fast-paced futuristic banger. 

Kicking off with a low but bouncy bass riff throbbing through the first few bars, it rapidly ramps up with a raucous, powerful rage, as strings and synths leap into the fray. The resulting soundscape feels like a battlefield – exciting and dangerous, rushing with righteous adrenaline. The lyrics match this energy; phrases like “step up step up, we’re not messing around, we’re gonna hold our ground” are delivered with an infectious passion. It’s difficult to listen to this song and not end up on the band’s side against the oppressive forces they’re facing off against.

Blending a sense of personal determination (“I’m doing my own thing and i don’t give a fuck what you think”) with an undefined foe that feels much wider-reaching (“we’ve got to put a stop to this somehow”), the lyrics are left open for you to project your own concerns onto, whether you’re worried about bigoted governments with too much power or a single bully persecuting you alone. Regardless, the energy is the same. The synths scream and the drums roll like thunder; inspiring all the fury and confidence required to stand up and fight back.

The track ramps up to a screaming crescendo, before rolling back into the chorus then ending abruptly on the “we aren’t fucking backing down”. There is no room for misinterpretation here: ‘Cardiac Unrest’ is a statement, a promise and a threat all in one.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Rupert Gammond

Kirstie SummersLeave a comment

NEW TRACK: Heart Shaped – ‘Felt’

An effervescent, uplifting offering full of soothing vocals, hazy guitar sounds and tender lyrics, Heart Shaped has shared her latest single ‘Felt’. Following on from her previous release ‘No Contact’, the Houston-born, now Belfast-based songwriter has provided her listeners with another cinematic slice of dream pop, inspired by the self-deception that can underpin some romantic relationships.

Influenced by the likes of Selena Quintanilla, The Cars, Orange Juice, Faye Wong and Go Sailor, Heart Shaped creates bittersweet, heart-on-sleeve tunes that give a rose-tinted sheen to life’s more affecting moments. “It feels like a movie” she sings at the beginning of new single ‘Felt’, before gently unraveling her thoughts about the duplicitous nature of a tumultuous relationship. Her reflections are softened by a disco-inflected backbeat and shimmering synths, with her vocals delicately floating above both.

Produced and recorded by Declan Legge at Analogue Catalogue studios, ‘Felt’ is accompanied by a music video, shot and directed by Jamie Neish (Broken Film) in the beautifully retro Belfast working men’s club. The video pays homage to many of Heart Shaped’s passions and interests, including Houston punk legends the Mydolls in the film Paris, Texas, the movie Goodfellas and Sade’s expansive visual catalogue.

With the help of her bandmates Kendall Bousquet, John Ahern, Rónán McQuillan, Amy Nolan and Shannon O’Neill, and with the support of Belfast’s Kickstart Programme and Chordblossom, 2023 looks set to be a bright year for Heart Shaped.

Watch the video for ‘FELT’ below.

Follow Heart Shaped on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Aaron Cunningham

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

New Track: Hand Habits – ‘Something Wrong’

‘Something Wrong’ is the new single by Hand Habits, taken from their upcoming mini-album Sugar The Bruise, set for release in June. Hand Habits is the project of Meg Duffy, an American musician and guitarist who has played as a studio musician on records by the likes of The War on Drugs, Weyes Blood and Perfume Genius.

It’s not often a song captivates me as much as ‘Something Wrong’ did on first listen, taking me on a journey with its charming sounds and interesting textured soundscape. The track starts with a huge drum sound with an ’80s style reverb and acapella vocals. As a huge fan of acapella, this was the perfect way to instantly immerse the listener, complementing the dark and edgy melody.

The track soon erupts into a warm folky chorus complete with acoustic guitar, dreamy harmonies and gentle vocals, juxtaposed with the very different feel of the verse. In the second verse, a robotic vocal harmony enters, giving it a once more different feel – something slightly unsettling, yet deeply satisfying. 

Building into a more dramatic third, the buzzing synth gives it an enchanting sense of urgency. The repetition of “is there something wrong with that” is an earworm of a melody that gets in your head. Despite the lyrical sparseness, it has an intimacy that draws you in, making you contemplate life. 

The songs on the album were all inspired by a songwriting class that Duffy taught in summer 2021 and were semi-improvised – surrendering to and trusting in whatever sounds and words emerged in the session. On the track, which was co-produced by Luke Temple with additional production, engineering and arranging from Jeremy Harris, Duffy created something which, in their own words, “turned out nothing like I’d imagined it would.”

‘Something Wrong’ is a carefully crafted track, oozing an exquisite stirring depth; setting the bar high for the rest of the album, and I can’t wait to hear it. 


Sugar The Bruise, the upcoming mini album from Hand Habits, is set for release on 16th June via Fat Possum.

Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

Photo Credit:  Ivanna Baranova 

ellapatenallLeave a comment