EP: Dayydream – ‘Bittersweet’

A tender reflection on the transient nature of emotions and our attachments to other people, Glasgow-based songwriter Chloe Trappes aka Dayydream has self-released her debut EP, Bittersweet. Filled with delicate guitar strokes, dreamy vocals and affecting lyrics, Trappes ruminates on distance and desire across five tracks, and the way these things can shift our perspective towards ourselves, and to others over time.

Influenced by the likes of Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Mazzy Star, Neil Young and Slowdive, Trappes creates music under her Dayydream moniker to distract herself, but simultaneously explore the troubled state of mind she craves relief from. “I’d do anything / to keep hold of that feeling” she reveals on Bittersweet‘s tender opening track ‘Disintegrate’, clinging to a moment that has already passed. Her soft guitar picking compliments the “up and down” nature of the tumultuous mood she describes in the song.

An aching melancholy underscores the poignant ‘Wasn’t’, which reflects on the pain of leaving behind someone who isn’t good for you. The rainfall sound effect that seeps in and out of the song enhances the feelings of isolation Trappes sings of, and bleeds into the equally as confessional ‘How Lonely’. Whilst the lyrics in these tracks can be dispiriting, Trappes’ calm, clear vocals and considered, dreamy instrumentation prevent them from feeling too heavy. She relies on her dream-pop tendencies to soften the sharpness of her observations, with the gloomy but graceful ‘Cursed’ epitomising this outlook.

“Daydreaming can be a positive or a negative,” Trappes comments on the inspiration behind her moniker. “It can be a way to invent an imagined universe, a safe place to stay sane and distracted from the chaos of the real world. However, it can also cause a person to retreat, creating a disconnect in their lives.” On closing track ‘Sweet Release’, Trappes beautifully balances these conflicting states, yearning for escape and relief, whilst feeling overwhelmed by the reality of being “so broken” at the time of writing.

An intuitive, affecting collection of songs that drift through the exquisite highs and intangible lows we experience on the path towards emotional resilience, Dayydream’s debut EP is a comforting and blissful ode to feeling in all of its intensity.

Follow Dayydream on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Eléonore Marty-Guiraud

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: BLAB – ‘Age Gracefully’

A playful guitar tune that tackles toxic modern day beauty standards, Southend-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Frances Murray aka BLAB has shared her latest single, ‘Age Gracefully’. Released via independent label Cool Thing Records, the track is a lo-fi musing on the unachievable aesthetic ideals that young women are bombarded with via their phone screens, and a gentle reminder not to buy into the bullshit.

“’Age Gracefully’ is an anti-beauty standards anthem for a generation brought up with a distorted perception of reality through social media and insidious marketing,” BLAB explains about her latest release. Following on from her 2021 EP, Word Of Mouth, BLAB continues to reaffirm her anti-establishment, anti-ego message on her new track, sound-tracked by vintage drum machines and buoyant guitar twangs.

Lyrically, BLAB takes aim at everything from Love Island, to wasting your wages on expensive and facials, to the the self-loathing that comes from being relentlessly shown the “picture perfect fantasy” of the daily routines of TV stars and strangers on social media feeds. Rather than being sucked into the despair of it all, BLAB reclaims the natural joy of ageing on her own terms in the chorus, her vocals soaring over her melodic riffs, before resolving that “all that I can be is me / and I’m only a human being” at the end of the track.

This single is the first of many releases that BLAB has planned for 2023, so keep an eye out for more tunes from the Essex-based musician.

Listen to ‘Age Gracefully’ below.

 

Follow BLAB on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Cameron Russell

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

ALBUM: Big Joanie – ‘Back Home’

A joyful, raucous ode to the past, present and their undoubtedly bright future, black feminist punks Big Joanie explore what it means to truly belong on their second album, Back Home. The trio have expanded on the lo-fi punk cacophonies that formed their debut album Sistahs, and have introduced bold, bright synth textures and the altruistic violin sounds of experimental art-rock artist No Home across the record. The result is still distinctively Big Joanie, but they sound bigger and better than before.

Recorded at Hermitage Works Studios and produced and mixed by Margo Broom, the songs on Back Home were influenced by everything from gothic folklore tales, a challenging essay titled Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, to the band’s experiences of playing larger venues with musical heroes Bikini Kill, Skunk Anansie and Sleater-Kinney. The thread that binds these elements together is Stephanie Phillips, Estella Adeyeri, and Chardine Taylor-Stone’s collective ruminations on their different ideas of what “home” means.

Whether it’s a physical place here in the UK, back in Africa or the Caribbean, or whether the notion of “home” is in fact intangible and less concrete; this search for belonging led the band to create the vibrant sounds on their second album, and in the process, they’ve shown that they truly belong in the vital, more equal punk scene that they have worked so hard to nurture, both on and off stage.

The trio fully embrace their post-punk gothic tendencies from the offset on Back Home, from the swirling guitar FX of the beguiling opener ‘Cactus Tree’, which compliments the anticipation of character Steph sings of, up until the Wicca and Orisha worship inspired sounds of closer ‘Sainted’. They balance euphoric, chant-worthy tunes like ‘In My Arms’, the defiant ‘What Are You Waiting For’ and cathartic ‘Happier Still’ with more introspective tracks across the record. The reflective nature of ‘Insecure’, the yearning ‘I Will’, the con-man inspired ‘Confident Man’, and the poignant musings on synth-soaked track ‘Your Words’ all command listeners attention in their own unique way.

Like Angelica Ellis’ altruistic artwork that adorns the cover – which is a nod to the embroidered wall hangings popular in Caribbean homes post-Windrush, and depicts Chardine’s nephew at the barbers – Big Joanie have tenderly and intricately weaved personal and political threads into Back Home. As activists and role models who formed their own musical foundations in the DIY punk scene, the band have proved themselves to be a formidable force for change, truly devoted to creating a home and a space for others who have felt displaced or ignored in the past.

Back Home is a wonderful expression of joy and defiance, by a band dedicated to spotlighting the art and experiences of black, queer women, and a rousing call to arms for their allies to do the same.

Order your copy of Back Home by Big Joanie here

Follow Big Joanie on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Ajamu X

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Maria Uzor – ‘Over This’

Following last year’s EP Innocence and Worldliness, and recent spellbinding singles ‘Solitaire‘ and ‘Winner‘, GIHE fave Maria Uzor has now announced the release of her upcoming new EP, due out next month. Having wowed us with the sparkling energy of her live show at the Shacklewell Arms this summer, and with acclaim from the likes of Amy Lame and John Kennedy, we could not be more excited about this… !

Taken from the EP, new single ‘Over This‘ ripples with woozy, seductive beats before building to a fierce, cathartic cacophony pulsating with a gritty energy. Reflecting on a time of reclaiming your identity and being honest with your emotions, the track whirrs with a glitchy splendour as Maria’s distinctive honey-sweet vocals flow. Shimmering with an immersive grace and dark, captivating power, it’ll grab your ears with its ferocious allure and keep you firmly in its hold with its deep empowering drive. Yet another offering from the Norwich-based artist that showcases her ability to create utterly unique, instantly engaging, resplendent electro-pop. Of the track, Maria explains:

“Lyrically it’s about reclaiming parts of yourself after a period of silencing yourself and your experiences to keep other people safe and unchallenged in their ignorance. It can be an isolating thing to go through, and I wanted to write as though I was speaking to myself, or anyone else who may have felt silenced due to race, sexuality, or gender identity; I needed reminding that I wasn’t alone.“

‘Over This’ is accompanied by a totally DIY video, shot by Maria in her living room; perfectly portraying the song’s theme as it plays with the idea of repetition and monotony. Watch it here:

Songs For Luminous Living, the upcoming EP from Maria Uzor, is set for release on 9th December via Hey Buffalo Records.

Mari Lane
@marmindles

mariangelicalaneLeave a comment