Tracks Of The Week, 09.09.16 - GigslutzGigslutz

With Halloween fast approaching, we’re in needed of a little gothic influence. Luckily, Edinburgh four-piece RITU▲LS are on hand to provide it.

Having only formed earlier this year from the remains of defunct bands, RITU▲LS were quickly snapped up by The Coral’s James Skelly, rushed to Parr Street Studios, and thus was born their debut track.

Almost Tim Burton-esque in its gothicism – both theatrical and eerily sinister at once – ‘Black Rivers’ is not only in nature the perfect fit for Skeleton Key records, but in sound too. Through all their darkness, RITU▲LS are quintessentially British, ‘Black River’ boasting a sort of Dickensian shade – a throwback to Victorian England that you’d never think possible in a track this good.

‘Black River’ is out 30 September on Skeleton Key.

Ahead of her forthcoming EP Are We There Yet? 20-year-old singer-songwriter Pip Blom has shared ‘Taxi Driver’ – an uptempo wall of quite possibly the most exciting indie sound I’ve heard in a while.

Though her name might be cute, the Amsterdam-based Pip Blom is unapologetically cool, ‘Taxi Driver’ pairing her bubblegum vocals with slick, lo-fi melodies. Impossibly uplifting, it almost feels like you’re sat in a cab in the early hours of the morning, the track’s fuzzy rawness and ease of listening a true ode to Pip Blom’s songwriting.

Are We There Yet?, the upcoming EP from Pip Blom, is out 28 September via Toaster Records.

It’s easy for anthemic, Courteeners-esque indie to become mundane; after all there’s only so many ‘big’ choruses one person can listen to. And while Stoke-on-Trent band Broken Flags certainly boast big choruses, they also boast the ability to make their anthemic sound something special.

With their latest track ‘Dare To Dream’, Broken Flags are actually exciting, rather than feigning excitement in the form of forced sing-a-longs. They take a massive sound and give it heavier undertones, the result – something that effortlessly sets itself aside from the pack.

It’s undeniable that Fufanu are painfully cool. Whether it’s something that comes with being Icelandic, or just by being in an experimental-post-punk outfit I don’t know, but they pull off a level of cool that I didn’t even know possible.

Unveiling the title track of their forthcoming LP, Fufanu said of ‘Sports’: ’‘Sports’ is not about actual sports… but listening to it feels like taking a mile-long run”. While it’s certainly a bizarre listen, at over 6 minutes and boasting lyrics that include “chocolate brownie with a red sauce”, it’s by no means a chore. Having been inspired by work with Damon Albarn to ditch the techno and pick up live instruments, their newfound guitar sound is more obvious than ever on ‘Sports’, and it’s brilliant.