THE PLAYLIST
Hariguem Zaboy/ Semi-Sec
Bangkok’s shoegaze champions Hariguem Zaboy are back with Semi-Sec, their first new song since their 2014 debut, Thick Mink. Here, the quartet channel their inner Bloody Valentine, deftly deploying a barrage of roaring drums, dense reverbs and hazy guitar effects. Frontman Rungsimun Suwiruttanapast’s garbled vocals are still as indiscernible as ever, but to his credit, they do add to the overall production, giving it that extra layer of intriguing murkiness.
Tinariwen/ Sastanàqqàm
Hailing from Tessalit, Mali, Taureg blues rockers Tinariwen are, according to their social media bio, “poet-guitarists and soul rebels from the southern Sahara desert.” Having risen from a grassroots movement in their war-prone motherland to international acclaim, the six-piece return with their forthcoming sixth LP, Elwan. Sastanàqqàm is an upbeat offering that highlights their knack for applying Western influences to traditional folk (the electric bass, by the way, is nicely redolent of that iconic bassline in the intro of George Michael’s Faith). The song’s message is both poignant and universal: “Tell me, Ténéré, how you and I/Can remain united, with no hate for each other.”
London Grammar/ Rooting For You
“Let winter break/Let it burn ‘til I see you again,” so begins London Grammar’s cinematic new single, Rooting For You. The song arrives four years after the release of their debut If You Wait, and it’s nothing short of magnificent — with lead singer Hannah Reid giving a slow-burning, mostly a cappella performance. “And I guess, I guess it is only/You are the only thing I’ve ever truly known,” her vocals soar and glides effortlessly into a piercing falsetto as a small symphony swells behind her.
Sohn/ Hard Liquor Hard Liquor, the second taste coming off Sohn’s new album Rennen, sees the British producer/ singer trading his signature R&B-leaning electronica for the harsher side of things. “My baby don’t turn around/Leaves hearts scatted on the ground,” he muses over the metronome-precise drum patterns. “My baby don’t make a sound/As long as her hard liquor is never watered down.” Sohn’s voice takes on that blues rock edge that lends itself surprisingly well to the proceeding. Meanwhile, the song snowballs into a haze of intoxicating atmospherics, mirroring the effect of its title.
The xx/ Say Something Loving
After leaving us hooked on their lead single, On Hold, the British trio follow up with Say Something Loving, the second cut taken from their just-released third LP, I See You. Sampling a vocal hook from Alessi Brothers’ 1976 classic Do You Feel It, the track finds Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft harmonising the dialoguelike lyrics: “Say something loving/I just don’t remember the thrill of affection… Were you really looking for me?/Try your best to reassure me/I wasn’t patient to meet you/Am I too needy, am I too eager? Though less upbeat than its predecessor, there’s a tinge of uplifting brightness that lurks beneath the melancholy surface.