Tracks Of The Week, 28.09.15

Adding to a long list of new bands emerging from Scandinavia, Swedish electro-pop act Death In The Afternoon (AKA Christian and Linda) have released their latest single ‘We Don’t Have To Go Out Tonight’.

Overflowing with coolness, Death In The Afternoon make the complex layers of the track sound effortlessly laid back. A team in business and beyond, Christian and Linda are a force to be reckoned with; their voices fit together perfectly and they’ve truly mastered the art of feel-good electro-pop.

Sticking true to their roots, Death In The Afternoon combine steady beats with ethereal dreamy vocals on ‘We Don’t Have To Go Out Tonight’ – there’s a nostalgic feel to the track, but there’s no doubt its suitably fresh and endlessly powerful.

‘We Don’t Have To Go Out Tonight’ will be released via Summer Heart’s label Sommarhjärta, and it will be available for sale and download everywhere from 30 October.

Having written songs whilst travelling around Europe in a van, Hayley Ross’ influences are clear: the outdoors, mostly, as well as the likes of Suzanne Vega, Lou Reed, Cyndi Lauper and Paul Simon. The solace Ross no doubt found in that van translates perfectly into her music and the beauty of it comes almost entirely from its innocent simplicity.

‘Fierce Love’ is a true ode to Ross’ musical talent as well has her songwriting ability – as a multi-instrumentalist, she clearly has total control over everything she does. Live, she plays as a two piece alongside Rory Clarke, but that’s not to say something is missing in the recordings. Now all that’s left to do is wait for an album…

Hayley Ross’ debut EP ‘Fierce Love’ is out now.

Hailing from Shepherds bush, indie-pop band FOURS combine a whole host of influences; from 80s vibes, to Florence Welch-esque vocals, and the indie anthem feel of the likes of Foals and Bloc Party, they’re taking the best of a few worlds and mixing them all together.

Taken from their latest EP, ‘Leave Me’ is both hard-hitting and mildly comedic: Violet tells far too familiar tales of being in a club and “just wanting to dance all night” whilst avoiding the creepy advances of men. There’s a quirk to FOURS that will no doubt see them go far and ‘Leave Me’ (as well as the EP in its entirety) is a definite ode to this.

Taken from their Lizard EP, ‘Switchblade’ sees O Emperor burst onto the scene of psych-pop; although to even attempt to pin a genre on O Emperor seems somewhat absurd. In ‘Switchblade’ alone, the quintet explore everything from the shimmering pop sounds of Mac DeMarco to the 60s – almost Motown-esque – influence of the vocals and drums.

O Emperor don’t adhere to the restraints of a genre, and it bodes well for them. This mishmash of styles, which could, on paper, sound messy and lazy, results in snarling but suitably light-hearted tunes that blare out of the speakers. ‘Switchblade’ will no doubt be stuck on repeat this Autumn.

Lizard EP is out via Trout Records on 30 October.

Melissa Svensen
@MelYeaahh

Melissa Svensen

Melissa Svensen

Melissa, 22. Editor. Student, music journalist, probably talking about Blur or Bowie