Friday’s Finest is back on ICM once again. The weekly feature alongside It’s All Indie, Turtle Tempo and Nexus Music Blog, highlights the latest tracks we’ve been digging albeit old or new. This week’s features VALA, Luke James Williams, Lost Like Alice and Llovers (pictured above). Find out more below…
Turtle Tempo: VALA – ‘Only One’
Manchester quarter VALA have serious potential to play multiple huge festival stages one day, and they are more than deserving of such accolade.
Mastered at Abbey Road Studios, they have just released the music video for their playful, upbeat release ‘Only One’. With a variety of influences in bedroom-pop, 60s and indie-rock, you’re onto a winner with these guys.
The music video depicts the quartet consisting of Joe, Matt, Tom and Will getting on with their fairly mundane cloudy day while the single itself consists of joyful, jangly guitar riffs, clever lyricism and distinctive vocals. Be sure to check out their entire catalogue as well their ‘Rain Club’ EP singles all recorded live.
The world might be mad at the moment but one thing is certain, you are never going to tire of listening to VALA, no matter what mood you’re in.
It’s All Indie: Luke James Williams – ‘This Says’
Cambridge based Luke James Williams has today shared a fantastic slice of folk with his new single ‘This Says’. The track is his first release since his 2019 single ‘Rabbit Hole’.
The single was recorded at Unit Studios in Letchworth and was mixed by Alex Bush, with the track being mastered by Greg Calbi – who’s worked with The National – with the piece of work having a community choir being featured, ‘Sing For Joy’, giving it that added layer of texture to wrap your ears around.
Having had praise from every major radio DJ in the country, such as BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson, Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq and Tom Ravenscroft all playing it on the radio station. He’s also had attention from Amazing Radio and BBC Introducing, which meant he’s had playlisting from none other than Folk Radio UK, a major player in the folk scene.
The song is terrifically tender with some delightful acoustic guitars and ukulele tones from the off. Every time I get to the chorus there is a massive sense of elation as the choir comes in and gives the track that atmospheric edge. His vocals remind me of the stripped-back Frank Turner shows that I’ve been to, so tender yet fragile at the same time.
Remember the name, Luke James Williams, he will be a big name on the Cambridge Folk Festival when it is hosted again, and if he keeps on writing songs such as “This Says” then the sky is the limit for this up-and-coming songwriter.
Nexus Music Blog: Lost Like Alice – ‘When the World Waits’
As I have come to expect by now, Lost Like Alice is a formidable singer-songwriter. The man behind the mask, Ben Parker has spent a long time perfecting his craft. Isolation has allowed Ben to make full use of his talent and search for more opportunities to test the waves of ideas that have emerged since the start of Lockdown.
Enter ‘When the World Waits’. This feels like a slight departure of the normal for Ben, adding more percussion and feeling almost theatrical. It’s emotive, decisive and pure. And that’s just three of the very best elements that make Lost Like Alice an artist to know.
Press Photo // By Milly Hutchcraft
ICM: Llovers – ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Alone’
Following up on February’s single ‘Feeling Sound’, indie pop five-piece Llovers are back with ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Alone’ showcasing the outfits strikingly good craft of soaring pop songs. The new track is the title of their upcoming EP and is a great sing-along pop banger with infectious riffs and melancholic lyrics.
The band said on Facebook: “We just want to preface this by saying despite the tracks lyrical content, we’ve had this track in our set since last year, so we do want to make it clear we’re not jumping on a band wagon and using buzz words to try and appear relevant in the midst of a global pandemic.”
