Tracks Of The Week: 20.01.14 - GigslutzGigslutz

With a rather deceptive name, Girl Band, are four guys from Dublin who deliver a delightfully chaotic cacophony of sound. Latest single, ‘Lawman’, provides us with a rare fusion of post-punk meets death-disco; an excitable, high-hat heavy blast of youthful experimentation. Reminiscent of the likes of electro kings, Hot Chip, juxtaposed with traces of rockier influences such as The Hold Steady or Modern Lovers, ‘Lawman’ would appear to be a perfectly raucous way to start the year.

“Lawman” will be released on limited 7″, on cotton duck fabric, hand stitched and hand numbered up to 300, and you can catch Girl Band live in all their masculinity at The Old Blue Last this Thursday, free entry!

Oklahoma lass, Samantha Crain, delivers purty Americana-based folk with feeling. With a new album out in the UK this week, lead track – ‘Never Going Back’ – has caught my attention as it has swept through the airwaves recently, thanks to the lovely Lauren Laverne and fellow BBC 6 musical connoisseur, Marc Riley.

A step away from her previous group work, ‘Never Going Back’ sees gorgeous melodies ooze with ease, as Crain’s raw vocals gently grace the heartstrings and fiddles flow cheerfully in the background. With an intricately conceived video (3,800 frames of the video were made and painstakingly hand-cut and laid out in a row…), this quaint, countryfied ditty blends moving sentimentality and rustic charm in perfect measure.

Although I’ve found hardly any information about this London three piece, I couldn’t let another week go by without mentioning The Drink. Predictably, all Google searches have resulted in some rather worrying information about what constitutes alcoholism, or various Rihanna lyrics…

What I do know, however, is that when I first heard The Drink’s ‘At The Weekend’ (thanks to Lauren Laverne, again), I was instantly hooked. Oozing pretty harmonies alongside soft garage-rock, it is a cheerily catchy offering that does indeed prove the perfect accompaniment to any weekend. With twinkly melodies and a Beach Boys-esque vibe, The Drink appear to have quenched my thirst for loveliness quite sufficiently.

So; if you’re out there, The Drink, please make yourselves known… I’m thirsty for more!

Having recently sold out several of London’s most well-known music venues, including The Lexington and The Shaklewell Arms, Spring Offensive are set to release their debut album in the very near future. Lead track, ‘Hengelo’, is a wonderfully reflective song, based on a true story about a young man running away to escape the toils of debt and a pregnant girlfriend… A completely subjective take on the story, I’m sure. Regardless – or perhaps partly because – of the rather affecting, relatable subject matter, ‘Hengelo’ is a touching ballad with a resounding, climatic beat, stirring vocals and it even comes complete with an addictively catchy chorus. A beautifully profound take on some of the everyday problems that may affect each of us.

Hengelo is taken from Spring Offensive’s forthcoming debut album, ‘Young Animal Hearts’, released on the 10th March.