By Adam Hamza
May is almost over, June is waiting to take us away from the rain and into the Great British summer… with even more rain. But at least we have some amazing new indie music to cheer us up and make us feel warm inside – even if the weather says otherwise.
1, Stereophonics – Ces’t la vie
Making a comeback is hard, many have tried and many have failed. Over 10 years after some of their greatest hits like ‘Dakota’ and ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ Stereophonics have come back with a bang.
The band from Wales has taken a new direction, embracing an indie vibe and leaving behind the chilled rock mood that made them unique. Ces’t La Vie is an upbeat song that sounds different to anything they have produced before. Words rush out with an almost rap urgency making hard to sing along, unlike ‘Have a Nice Day’ from 2001 (yes it really was that long ago!).
Despite the band’s average age of almost 40, Ces’t La Vie has an incredibly young feel, screaming youthfulness, yes Stereophonics have a lot more to give yet.
2, The Vaccines – 20 / 20
This song is a little on the erratic side, but I like it. The cords coming from the electric guitar sound wonderfully high pitched in an almost experimental way. The Sound booms like it is too loud for the microphone, making it sound like The Vaccines are actually playing, right in front of your ears.
The recorded version on their album ‘English graffiti’ sounds live. I’ve never heard a song sound more like it has been recorded in a small gig venue like Dingwalls or Shepherds Bush Empire, opposed to in a studio.
Does it work? Well, it depends on who you are, I would think that the average indie fan that enjoys nothing more than going to gigs, and leaving half deaf would revel in this track. But someone who has never been to a live gig and enjoys listening to music in a quiet room through premium headphones, may not enjoy the experience this track offers so much.
3. Knaves – Breath
Knaves have knocked out another great track with ‘Breath’. It has a chilled out summery feel, backed up by a light, but satisfying electric guitar backbone.
This new track only makes us love the band from Sheffield even more, it really strengthens the definition of what an indie pop song should be.
The lyrics are simple in a beautifully laze way. This takes nothing away from the song – in fact, it just reinforces its position a track perfect for an idle summer’s day. No one wants to be thinking too hard when they are soaking up the rays and quenching their thirst with a perfectly prepared glass of Pimm’s.
4. Tame Impala – Eventually
Tame Impala have used electronic music methods which reminds me of another Australian electronic artist, Moog. Tame Impala mix the electric Australian style similar to Moog with the relative simpleness of rock, to create a psychedelic rock that sounds great.
The sweet vocals soothe, relaxing but then quickly drop into the next beat with a boom, intensifying the beat. One minute the song is pulling you into a daydream like trance, the next you are snapped out of it by the drumming, guitaring and beat drop.
5. Saint Raymond – Be there
I could imagine this song becoming catchy after listening to it too many times – it’s that type of song.
The vocals remind me of those from Lower Than Atlantis frontman, Mike Duce. But that is where the similarities stop. The drumming adds a great depth to the track. I hate the curious though; it makes me cringe with its Five Seconds of Summer Similarities.
The song is quite boy band like, in the current phase where there bands like One Direction realised that rock and roll was coming back. That’s not a combination that I wouldn’t like, but it’s grown on me.
