EP: Barrie – ‘Singles’

The list of famous Barries in pop music essentially extends to one very short (if pretty successful) list of Messrs White, Manilow and Gibb. Newly added to that list are the five people who make up synth-rock combo Barrie, led by songwriter and lead vocalist Barrie Lindsay. Although based in New York, the group are a diverse bunch with three Americans (Barrie, Spurge and Noah), a Brit (drummer Dom, formerly of Is Tropical) and Brazilian (bassist Sabine). Originating from the songs written by Barrie as a solo performer, the group largely came together through Brooklyn’s The Lot online radio – before finding Sabine through an ad on a dating app. Their new EP, released on sky-blue 12” and tape cassette, brings together the bands’ three singles to date, coupled with remixes by FaltyDL and Shura (‘Canyons’), and Brother Michael (‘Michigan’).

First single, ‘Canyons’, originally released in February, kicks things off. Drops of bass act as a counter-point to funk guitar and sparkling top-note synths that dovetail with Barrie’s icicle vocals. As the track’s instrumentation spins into multiple layers, the sounds move towards shimmering dream-pop but with something chilly underpinning it, like an autumn evening on a beach.  

Second single ‘Tal Uno’ follows, arpeggiated and sweet, like an ’80s prom-night slowie, conjuring up images of frilly dresses and spinning glitter-balls. The key, again, is the gentle synths and their blend, contrasting with the song’s vocals – although here the rhythm section step up to flow closer to pop territory. If Tiffany had a cool older sister who made synthwave, then ‘Tal Uno’ is what she’d sound like. ‘Michigan’ completes the move into pop, verging on soft-rock with its nagging, hooky drum-machine and picked guitar. The synths are used here to offer a background melody, with vocals that are warmer, breathier and more vibrant on top.

In interviews, Barrie have said that their sound is a “future longing for hopeful nostalgia” and a reflection of the band’s qualities as “eclectic, accomplished [and] confident”. And it’s hard to disagree when the group’s first EP arrives sounding quite so polished and ice-cool. Between the chill vocals and imagist lyrics by their lead singer, the multiple layers of intricate percussion and infectious melodies, the group’s chill-synth soft-rock stylings prove that Barrie are truly ready to enter the pantheon of pop.

Singles is out now via Winspear.

John McGovern
@etinsuburbiaego

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EP: Emily Magpie – ‘Be Your Own Light’

Following her last release The Witching Hour, Be Your Own Light is the introspective latest EP from Bristol based solo artist Emily Magpie.

Although the opening track ‘Last Train’ deals with the pain of loss and heartbreak, the narrative takes a reflective approach. The emotional analysis lies within not only Magpie’s expressive vocals which soar high for the chorus, but also within the subtle flowing heartbeat of the musical layers. Gentle imagery of raindrops down a glass pane sit within the subconscious as a twinkling soundscape is created. 

Static energy eases us into ‘Stranger’ which contrasts with the sound of nature which sits quietly in the background. “I’m a feral child” Magpie sings as though she is telling us – her confidants – down the telephone. Although she has just told us she is feral, it is hard to believe due to such a gentle landscape being created in the soft beats.

‘Stranger’ paves the way for the title track of the EP which seems to serve two purposes contained within its simmering synths and velvety soft bass. The first purpose being just for the simple joy of entertainment through music, but this could also be combined with an aid to meditation; the gentle sway of Magpie’s dreamy vocals forcing you to focus upon the message of finding happiness within your own self.

It’s seems the message behind the EP is that Be(ing) Your Own Light is not only the key to happiness, but also what makes us all uniquely beautiful. A message that is perfectly summed up in closing track, the brilliantly seductive ‘Things I’d Do?’.

Be Your Own Light is out now. Stream on Spotify or buy on iTunes.

Nicky Lee-Delisle
@Nicky___Lee

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EP: Weekend Recovery – ‘In The Mourning’

One of GIHE faves is stumbling back out of their debauched weekend state to bring a banging follow-up EP to the album, Get What You Came For, which came out earlier in the year. Indeed it’s so, the Kentonian punk-pop four-piece Weekend Recovery is back with four brand new tunes and EP, In the Mourning, to get pulses racing.

The crunchy, clashy guitars on opening track, ‘Bite Your Tongue’ pull you in from the get-go, setting the track up for a metal song only to be answered with lilting vocals and the walk-down riff from one of Pearl Thompson’s sordid nightmares, switching back to a Buckethead dream out of nowhere. It’s brill and sets the EP up perfectly.

With the following track being the EP’s title one, it’s in prime position to become one you keep going back to. Weekend Recovery have stuck to their guns, to what they’re good at, producing up-tempo, gurgling-guitar, persistent percussion and wickedly crooned hits. ‘In The Mourning’ may well be the highlight track.

After that comes a pair of great songs that take a different path, one that might hint towards what will be next from the band whose stage presence has rocked us and The Finsbury to its core. On the one hand, ‘On My Knees’ is the EP’s track that most sounds like it would have also made a fab track on the album. On the other, closing track ‘I’m Not That Girl’ is a maudlin, lamenting rock ballad with damn inspiring near-country harmonies throughout its chorus that, not gonna lie, makes us excitedly ponder, “What’s next?”.

In The Mourning, the new EP from Weekend Recovery, is out 27th September.

Em Burfitt
@fenderqueer

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EP: Sextile – ‘3’

Lovers of deviant but dance-able noise with an appetite for all things electronic should submerge themselves in the sound of Sextile‘s latest EP, 3. The L.A. duo released the record through Felte last week, and its a smoldering collection of tracks that seethe with an industrial, punk-infused bite.

The new release follows the band’s 2017 album Albeit Living and early 2018’s ‘Current Affair’ single. After various line-up shifts, Sextile are now comprised of Brady Keehn and Melissa Scaduto, who now favour synths over guitars. 3 was recorded in Los Angeles at their home and practice space using a KORG MS-10, a sequencer, a Fender Stratocaster and a LinnDrum.

3 jolts in to life with jagged synth grooves on ‘Disco’. The song would fit perfectly in a dimly lit basement bar, with moody vocals and snapping percussion punctuating the track. ‘Drop You’ follows with more of the pair’s fast-shifting drum beats, hazy synth textures and rowdy guitar riffs.

Midway through, ‘Paradox’ breaks in with its manic blur of synths and bass lines, leaving no room for respite. Prepare to lose your head to the penultimate ‘Spun’, which is two minutes of abrasive synths and punk-like vocals, that buzz with Sextile’s trademark intensity. This buzz bleeds in to final track ‘Hazing’, which is fueled by more jagged synth sequences, foreboding electronics and strung-out vocals.

Sextile are skilled in their ability to create infectious noise that urges listeners to dance, rebel, and reach out in to new sonic territories; and 3 is a short but savagely sweet example of this. Invest now.

Sextile UK 2018 Live Dates
Sept 18 London, UK @ Electrowerkz
Sept 19 Brighton, UK @ Hope & Ruin
Sept 20 Portsmouth, UK @ The Edge Of The Wedge

Follow Sextile on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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