Track Of The Day: Blonde Maze x Attom – ‘I Think About’

Having fallen in love with everything that New York-based artist and previous guest on our GIHE radio show, Blonde Maze, has created, my ears were extremely happy to welcome her brand new single. Following 2019’s ‘To The Moon‘ and ‘Not All Flowers Bloom‘, and this year’s ‘Diamond Eyes‘ and a beautiful cover of ‘Fade Into You‘, ‘I Think About‘ is a collaboration with Attom and provides a perfect sparkling summer soundscape.

Flowing with a twinkling, ethereal splendour, ‘I Think About’ reflects on the intrigue of loving deeply, and the realisation that with these feelings come an endearing sense of vulnerability. Oozing an utterly captivating majesty that instantly soothes and uplifts, glistening hooks and glitchy beats float as a swirling undercurrent to the ripple of Amanda’s luscious, heartfelt vocals. As always, with everything Blonde Maze creates, it’s impossible not to become utterly immersed in the track’s blissful lilting grace and cathartic euphoric energy.

Thank you, Blonde Maze, for never failing to lift my spirits and calm my mind with your truly heavenly creations.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: HAVVK – ‘Automatic’

Having been huge fans of HAVVK since they headlined our first gig at The Finsbury back in 2016, we’re super excited to hear that they will be releasing their greatly anticipated second album this Autumn. With support from the likes of Radio X, BBC 6Music and Wonderland Magazine under their belts, the Dublin-based trio have now shared a poignant new single to accompany the album announcement.

Propelled by a gritty, swirling energy, ‘Automatic’ looks back on memories of emotion-filled teenage years. Starting out by creating a gentle, sparkling atmosphere, the track builds with an angst-fuelled drive as the subtle, soaring power of Julie Hough’s distinctive celestial vocals flow. Rippling with frenzied, reverb-strewn hooks alongside a twinkling ethereal majesty reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins, the track showcases HAVVK’s utterly unique knack for creating beautifully captivating soundscapes interwoven with a raging, grunge-fuelled scuzz. An exquisitely cathartic sonic fusion.

Of the track, Julie explains:

“‘Automatic’ is about cherishing childhood friendships and the way that they evolve. It’s about snapshots that will always be imprinted in our minds – for me it’s hours talking on the landline, swapping clothes, burning CDs, mitching school or going to gigs for the first time. It’s about the fuzzy feeling of nostalgia when you slip back into a conversation with an old friend as if you saw each other yesterday. But it’s also about being afraid to lose that feeling; being anxious that those memories might burnaway and having to be open to growing together even as your paths change.”

Recorded at Belfast’s Start Together Studios with GIHE fave Rocky O’Reilly, Levelling – the upcoming album from HAVVK – is set for release on 17th September via Veta Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: James Byrne

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Track Of The Day: Soda Blonde – ‘Holy Roses’

Honest, conflicted and entirely recognisable to anyone who has lived through their twenties and paused for a moment of introspection, the latest single ‘Holy Roses’ from rousing Dublin four-piece, Soda Blonde, is the third of its kind to blaze the trail ahead of the band’s hotly anticipated debut album Small Talk. All four of Soda Blonde’s band members hail from the critically acclaimed BBC Sound Of nominees, Little Green Cars, whose debut album Absolute Zero hit the number one spot in Ireland in 2013.

Soda Blonde have thrived in crafting their novel dreamy alt-pop sound during Lockdown through a shared need to make music whilst making peace with their younger selves, amid refreshingly honest transparency. Front-woman, songwriter and mesmerising vocalist Fay O’Rourke has said that the alchemy of the project lies in the “meticulousness and devotion to every detail” prevalent in the writing process from the moment O’Rourke sends the initial sample across to guitarist Adam O’Regan, to the moment the band, who are self-producing every detail, sign off on their own artwork.

It’s this new and authentic process of creating – adding and passing on to the next band member – that has resulted in the solely self-produced single ‘Holy Roses’ which deconstructs the intricacies of religion, science, fate and choice through the band members’ twenty-something lived experiences. The track started in the hands of O’Rourke who, “with feminism on one shoulder and trans-generational catholic guilt on the other”, has admitted to finding the process of de-programming herself as an Irish woman extremely hard. By directly addressing those who “bypassed” her and stood in her way, O’Rourke reflects on this single as one of the most important on the album, closing the door on past experiences of oppression in a moment of reckoning and letting go.

The simple melancholy and raw riffs provided by O’Regan at the start of this track lay down the foundations of a progressive and poignant pop song, with both delicate and masterful melodies to soundtrack your summer nostalgia. So, it’s only fair that the introduction of Donagh Seaver-O’Leary’s understated yet vivacious bass-line takes you on a leap down memory lane as it underlines O’Rourke’s inner-most contradictory conscience. The partnership of synthetic delay and reverb, catchy and warm backing vocals in the pre-chorus, alongside the introduction of an obscure off-beat percussion section from drummer Dylan Lynch, all flow meticulously into one another to personify the shadow of painful past experiences in this perfect pop sensation.

‘Holy Roses’ is all about confronting contradictions, so it is no surprise that the chorus steals the ground from beneath our feet with its luminous and epically uplifting appeal. We are transported into our inner-most selves by O’Rourke’s ethereal and dominating vocal, hitting notes that I haven’t heard in this alt-pop setting since those heard on Rae Morris’ 2015 release Unguarded.

Small Talk is set for release on 9th July via Velveteen Records, ahead of the band’s summer tour featuring a date supporting Sinead O’Connor at Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens – not bad for a band new to the scene. This may be the first you’ve heard of them, but it won’t be the last…

Lauren Roberts
@robauren

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Track Of The Day: BLAB – ‘Eton Mess’

A righteous assault on the many failings of the UK government, Southend based multi-instrumentalist BLAB has shared her latest single ‘Eton Mess’. Released via Cool Thing Records, the track is a rumbling “anti-fascist anthem” that proudly sticks two fingers up to the establishment and snarls in the face of the apathetic, privileged men who were born into running it.

“’Eton Mess’ is about the consistent negative impact the Tories have had on the lives of average people,” explains BLAB aka Frances Murray. “It’s about a government so out of touch with people’s everyday lives and a culture of ignorance and apathy amongst the wealthy elite. I am furious at how we can turn a blind eye to a prime minister who is openly racist, homophobic and sexist. How inequality is perpetuated by upholding archaic values in society and continuing to enable a broken system where politicians from the same few private schools in the country are elected. I wanted to find a way to vent my anger and disillusionment with the government and the lives they have jeopardised through austerity and a lack of NHS funding.”

Fuelled by her disdain for current political policies and backed by her anarchic lyrics and riotous guitar riffs, BLAB’s message on ‘Eton Mess’ is clear: speak up and speak loud. She’s currently working on her debut album with Sam Duckworth (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) and Rees Broomfield at SS2 Recording in Southend, channelling her riot grrrl attitude into a collection of witty, infectious anthems.

Listen to ‘Eton Mess’ below.

 

Follow BLAB on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter &  Facebook and for more updates.

Photo Credit Shot: James Mannion

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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