THE PLAYLIST
My Life As Ali Thomas/ Winter’s Love The cold snap may now seem like a distant memory, but thanks to indie-folk quartet My Life As Ali Thomas and their new song Winter’s Love, we can relive those chilly days just before we head into the brutal summer. “Winter, hold this love of mine/Magic and the moonlight … Oh winter winds before I’m forever waiting/In a song you heard so fine/Once upon a December,” sings Kanyapak “Pie” Wuttara, her voice warm and comforting like a cup of hot cocoa on a brisk morning.
Azealia Banks/ The Big Big Beat Since the release of her breakthrough smash 212, rapper Azealia Banks has yet to give us another jam that’s as addictive. Her current offering, The Big Big Beat, seems to be exactly that. Built on a ’90s thumping house melody, the song packs some serious punch as Banks praises her own physicality (“Look at these tiddies, double Ds, it’s double Dutch”) while giving her rival a piece of her mind (“All of your facets you’ve so many faces/Bet your evil smile’ll convince anyone who sees”). Talking about killing two birds with one stone.
Massive Attack (featuring Young Fathers)/ Voodoo in My Blood The UK trip-hop legends have teamed up with Mercury Prize winners Young Fathers on Voodoo in My Blood, taken from the former’s brilliant new Ritual Spirit EP. Here, the Scottish hip hop experimenters give the song a sinister edge with lines like “Voodoo in my blood is living,” “Why does the blood always stick to your teeth?” and “Sign of the wars is my grinning.” Apart from The Chemical Brothers and Beck’s Wide Open, this is another mighty fine collaboration we’ve had the pleasure of hearing this year. Watch this space for a full review of the EP next week.
Yeasayer/ I Am Chemistry New York-based psychedelic rockers Yeasayer have returned with I
Am Chemistry, their first new track since their 2012’s Fragrant World. Lifted from their forthcoming fourth LP Amen & Goodbye, the fiveminute track features sitar and a children’s choir. The lyrics are a virtual Periodic Table of the, er, Periodic Table. “I’m digoxin from the foxglove plant/The last remaining VX from Anniston,” frontman Chris Keating begins, “It’s a gas, a sarin for high tea/A C4H10FO2P puts you on your knees/A sulfur dichloride with ethylene.”
James Blake/ Modern Soul James Blake has finally unveiled a new song Modern Soul, the first taste of his forthcoming studio album Radio Silence. Staying true to his sonic aesthetics, the British soundscaper puts his spin on a backdrop built upon lush piano chords. “I had no idea of the difference between/The way I saw your face and the way it was,” he confesses before repeating, “I want it to be over/I want it to be over.” This is the kind of song that continues to haunt you long after it’s finished.