Tracks Of The Week, 21.07.17

A collaboration between singer-songwriter Gina Leonard and guitarist and producer Tom Fryer, The Desert have announced their debut single ‘Just Get High’.

Leading the way for their forthcoming EP Playing Dead, ‘Just Get High’ blends Gina’s honest, poetic vocals with Tom’s atmospheric soundscapes; a folky simplicity with electro-tinged beats and pulses. Dubbed as makers of ‘sultry hangover pop,’ there’s something transfixing about ‘Just Get High,’ about The Desert. Indeed, before this collaboration Gina claims she found it difficult to work with anyone else. It seems this is a pairing that were meant to be, and the result is wonderful.

‘Just Get High,’ from the upcoming debut EP Playing Dead is out now

Taken from their forthcoming album, ‘The Message’ is a hint of stronger pop influences for The Cornshed Sisters.

A bittersweet track about “when someone is going to dump you and you don’t want to be the one to have to start the conversation because it’s not you who wants to break up,” ‘The Message’ sees The Cornshed Sisters in a triumphant return. With their last album released in 2012, the 5-year break has obviously seen the band develop a sound which blends folk, pop, ballad and protest music seamlessly and effortlessly. It’s moreish, honest and unbelievably good.

Honey & Tar is due for release on 3 November 2017

After seeing them at Camden’s Dingwalls last summer, I’ve been infatuated with the The Struts – something seemingly unavoidable for anyone who encounters them.

Now, with their latest single ‘One Night Only’ from their forthcoming sophomore album, The Struts are taking their glam rock to a new level. Exploring the relationship between a performer and their audience, something which The Struts have perfected with constant touring, ‘One Night Only’ is, as lead vocalist Luke Spiller readily admits, “over the top and larger than life.” But that’s what’s so magical about The Struts: they’re unashamedly, unstoppably over the top and ‘One Night Only’ is a fitting ode to that.

‘One Night Only’ is out now

“When you’re 81 and you’ve had no fun it’s gonna be too late,” sing TRASH on their latest release ‘81’. They’re out to have a good time, and make sure everyone else does too, and ‘81’ is an ode to that.

With shouts of “if there’s one thing that’s clear to me / I’ll be in the ground within a century” flittering above shimmering guitars, TRASH pair a warranted (and seemingly worldwide) cynicism of the moment with a hopefulness – a desire to enjoy whatever we’re going through and whatever time we have.

Multiple festival appearances in the pipeline, TRASH are sound tracking summer with a sound that is both effortlessly cool and unavoidably uplifting.

‘81’ is out now. TRASH’s self-titled EP is due out 11 August 2017

Melissa Svensen
@MelYeaahh

Melissa Svensen

Melissa Svensen

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