Track Of The Day: CMAT – ‘No More Virgos’

A disco-tinged lament to the “little September boys” who make her melancholy, Irish pop sensation CMAT has shared her latest single ‘No More Virgos’. Taken from her debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, which is set for release via AWAL Recordings on 25th February 2022, the track is brimming with CMAT’s trademark wit and yearning, country-inspired vocals, brilliantly showcasing her gift for intuitive songwriting.

Born from her desire to “marry her love of 80’s Italo disco with her hatred of Virgos,” CMAT’s playful new tune is a wry nod to her compulsive romantic decisions. “My mental health is banking on my chastity / and you’re bad for me” she jests over buoyant melodies, gently resisting the urge to circle back and repeat the same pattern of behaviour in her previous relationships.

“I’m the kind of girl who dates the same person over and over again. Specifically, every single one of my partners have been Virgos,” CMAT aka Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson explains. “I wanted to write a song that pokes fun at this aspect of my personality, and try to be a voice for all of my long-suffering friends. I just can’t help myself from making terrible decisions sometimes! Sorry!”

CMAT is set to play two sold out dates at The Troubadour in London on the 9th & 10th November and we can’t wait to hear her sparkling pop sounds, witty lyrics and lush vocals live.

Listen to ‘No More Virgos’ below.

Follow CMAT on bandcamp, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify & Facebook 

Photo Credit: Sarah Doyle

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Aislinn Logan – ‘Contender’

A deceptively sweet electro-pop gem that gently grapples with the idea of changing destructive behaviours, Belfast-born, London-based artist Aislinn Logan has shared her latest single ‘Contender’. Lifted from her new EP which is set for release on 11th November, the track is a shimmering, synth-soaked ode to anyone who’s struggling to make a positive change in their lives.

Co-produced with Johnny Oakley and Brian Kelly, the sounds on ‘Contender’ are influenced by Aislinn’s love of 80s synth-rock icons New Order and her lyrics are informed by her own experience of trying to help someone change their problematic behaviour. “Sway away from pain with your game face on” she urges with her lush vocals, floating over buoyant melodies. Her infectious synths and compassionate lyrics combine to make ‘Contender’ an empowering and enjoyable slice of electro-pop.

“’Contender’ sprang from some fairly dark subject matter but ended up sounding quite sunny,” Aislinn explains. “It was a little while into writing that I realised that was deliberate. I wanted it to offer a moment of relief to the listener. It’s the wanting to pick someone you care about up, relating to them but feeling quite helpless to do anything useful too. It’s daring someone to back themselves – their actual self, and stop running.”

Listen to ‘Contender’ below.

 

Follow Aislinn Logan on bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: YINYANG – ‘Poison Darts / Boyish Charms’

In a murky, heavy-hitting track that embodies the dark of night, Irish hip-Hop artist Lauren Hannan – aka YINYANG – arrives smashing in her new release ‘Poison Darts / Boyish Charms’.

With bending pads sweeping across haunting, moody percussion, ‘Poison Darts / Boyish Charms’ is spinning fiercely from the start and waiting for no one. With the presence of Hannan’s fearless vocals, a vigorous tone is set for this track – earnest and ready to break her silence. “What do you think about when I’m not there?” asks YINYANG as she unravels her headspace with no filter, captivating in her disposition.

Heavy driving effects surround her vocals as the soundscape creates an illuminated gothic world of its own. Nailing the sonic atmosphere between gritty and polished, YINYANG showcases her ear for the honesty of DIY, executed in the clarity of a radio-ready mix. The personal anguish of YINYANG shines through the cacophony of layers, chaotic to a near hypnotising level. With a massive guitar-led outro that sparkles against shadowy vocals, ‘Poison Darts / Boyish Charms’ remains astonishingly cinematic until its demise. YINYANG’s recipe for electronic hip-hop and hard hitting guitars creates the perfect storm for a cathartic release that all too many can relate to.

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

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WATCH: Ali Comerford – ‘Knots’

Kilkenny-based Ali Comerford has recently shared ‘Knots’, a beautifully understated meditation on anxiety. It’s the title track of her upcoming folk-based and classically inspired debut album.

‘Knots’ is poignant in its simplicity, with stunning raw vocals accompanied by tender piano arpeggios. Such barebones instrumentation creates space and allows us really to focus on the vocals and what Ali has to say; there are no distractions. The music is intimate, as though Ali were sat in the room playing just for you, providing comfort and reassurance that you are not alone. Of the track, Ali explains:

“‘Knots’ is a song I wrote about anxiety, something we all struggle with at one time or another. At the time, I was going through a stage of intense anxiety. I worried about the fact that I hadn’t released any music, about whether people would enjoy my songs or not and also over-analyzed every little thing I had ever done wrong. I wasn’t sleeping properly and found I was lying awake at night replaying old conversations and feeling ashamed and embarrassed.”

In the chorus, she sings: “Because I worry like no other / It’s always one thing or another”. It paints a bold picture of how we can all feel when our minds are full of anxious thoughts, whirring like an overworked machine. “It keeps me awake and it makes me wonder / If I am alone in this” – these final lines show how lonely it can feel in times of anxiety, but with Ali’s generous self-expression and relatable content, we can feel it together.

Ali Comerford has impressive musical credits, having toured the world, performing classical viola on stages such as the New York Carnegie Hall, the London Royal Albert Hall and Dublin’s National Concert Hall. Her years of experience in the classical music world have evidently been extremely valuable, teaching her to make every note count, as is showcased in this poignant latest solo offering.

Watch the lyric video for ‘Knots’ here:

Knots, the debut album from Ali Comerford, is set for release on 29th July.

Jazmine Kelly
@surfjaz

Photo Credit: Shane Hatton Photography

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