Chet Faker – ‘Low’
He’s back!! After a brief sojourn as Nick Murphy, everyone’s favourite Melbourne chill lord Chet Faker has returned with a brand new record label deal and a single to boot. ‘Low’ traverses a similar sonic palate to the one that fetched Chet Faker acclaim in the first place, using a rumbling bass line and head-snapping groove to provide a bedrock for Murphy’s distinctive harmonies and falsetto inflections. Sure, it may lack the immediate charm of tunes like ‘1998’ or ‘Gold’, but if anything, it seems that Murphy’s experiments with last year’s maligned Run Fast, Sleep Naked have seeped into his identity as Chet Faker for the better. Watch this space – we can’t wait to hear what comes next.
Angie McMahon – Piano Salt EP
Fresh off the back of winning the Australian Independent Record Label Association’s award for Best Rock Album Or EP for last year’s phenomenal debut Salt, Angie McMahon has delivered a stripped-back interpretation of the album in EP form. Fittingly titled Piano Salt, the project sees McMahon reimagine seven tracks from the record with nothing but a piano and her own voice, and man, what a cathartic listen it is. McMahon is an amazing lyricist and an unflappably gifted vocalist, and hearing her vocals soar and crack with emotion during ‘Soon’ and ‘Slow Mover’ is nothing but sensational.
Gorillaz – ‘The Pink Phantom (feat. Elton John and 6lack)’
Another Song Machine release from everyone’s favourite Blur side project, ‘The Pink Phantom’ sees Damon Albarn and co. link up with two unlikely collaborators – Atlanta crooner 6lack and British pop stalwart Elton John – for a jaunty ballad of epic proportions. As to be expected, there’s some mighty synths and programming to be found here, and from the get-go, it’s obvious that this one will be a grower, not a shower. 6lack’s AutoTune heavy vocals get better with each and every listen, and of course, it’s always a joy to hear Elton plinking away on the keys. We can’t wait for this record to drop in full!
London Grammar – ‘Californian Soil’
Big news from London Grammar! The acclaimed UK trio have today unveiled their latest single ‘Californian Soil’, a smokey track laced with hypnotic percussion and surging strings, with Hannah Reid flexing her talent as a vocalist to sublime effect. The group have also announced that they’ll be sharing an album of the same name early next year, with Californian Soil arriving via Dew Process on February 12, 2021. If this new tune and the band’s lead single ‘Baby It’s You’ prove to be anything to go off, this new record is shaping up to be something quite special.
Grenade Jumper – What’s Left When It All Falls Down
In a very short time, Sydney alt-rockers Grenade Jumper have amassed quite a buzz with their brand of fist-pumping anthemic rock, and on their latest two-track release, they’re sounding better than ever. Fuelled by the incendiary vocals of Bianca Davino and bolstered by chugging rhythms, ‘The Power You Flaunted’ and ‘Breathe In’ are certainly among the band’s finest works, with the empowering lyricism, urgent guitars and unsuspecting key change of the latter track serving as a major highlight. Keep your eyes and ears peeled on these guys – we promise they’re worth the hype!
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