October 11 - Noteworthy New Releases
Our favourite releases of the week.
Coldwave – ‘Italia ‘06’
Coldwave’s post-punk shoots for the moon, gets there and then decides it’s better suited to the hoary frost of a grey Cambridge evening. Italia ’06 – perhaps the band’s most shapeshifting offering yet – is built around a sedate riff that refuses to lock into place. The song’s melodic centre is always moving, an inch past the proverbial fingertips. When we finally get our bearings, vocalist Harrison Evans refrains,
“I push-pull doors / I pull-push doors”, and the ensuing whirlpool of horns and feedback leaves us in a similar state of fundamental indecisiveness. Coldwave’s portrait of limbo is about being stuck between two poles: coming and going, child and adult, becoming and unbecoming, all at the same time.
Sounds like: Tripping, stumbling, then catching your feet.
By Jack Paech
Oscar the Wild – ‘Roll with the Punches’
At the time of writing, 62 Australian women have lost their lives because of gender-based violence.
There’s no sugarcoating that it’s an epidemic. Demanding attention towards this systemic socio-political issue is Oscar The Wild on their first single for 2024, ‘Roll With The Punches’. Written in frustration at the media’s lack of coverage toward why gender-based violence continues to be so commonplace, the three-minute track creates space for the emotions that come from being a non-male existing in modern society. Exhausted. Harrowed. Angry. Terrified. A driving, monotonous beat and the deadpan delivery of matter-of-fact thoughts mean the sentiment of this song deservedly stings. ‘Roll With The Punches’ does more to communicate our lived experience than politicians ever could. Hit play now.
Sounds like: a wake-up call.
By Zara Richards
Molly Rocket — ‘She’s Cruel’
Always chaotic, never disappointing, Molly Rocket have hit another home run with introspective single, ‘She’s Cruel’. More mellow than previous releases, ‘She’s Cruel’ still screams with the band’s trademark moodiness and IDGAF attitude.
Each listen offers a new window into the wonderful mind of singer Georgie Evans while she offers us a personal glimpse into her seemingly conflicted world. Confronting morals and values head-on, the raw grunginess of the band pulls you out of a flaky world, selling short serotonin hits and forcing you to feel. Molly Rocket are like a shot of whiskey. You might get some goosebumps, but man, you feel good afterwards. And you’re guaranteed to go back for more.
Sounds like: Kurt Cobain’s favourite song.
By Hannah Louise
Jayne Doe – ‘butter’
The spirit of grunge music lives on through emerging quartet Jayne Doe. Getting their start jamming in a Magill granny flat, these local upstarts deliver something a little different in their latest release, ‘Butter’.
Unlike the grimy alt-rock stylings found throughout their 2023 debut EP Persona Non Grata, ‘Butter’ features an alluring pop melody with shimmering riffs and distorted vocals harkening back to the early 90’s Seattle scene. There’s still plenty of grunt to Jayne Doe. But the new pop sensibility of ‘Butter’ harnesses the band’s aggressive sound into a polished ‘grunge-gaze’ jolt of frenetic energy.
Sounds like: Post-Bleach Nirvana.
By Tobias Handke
Storm the Crown — ‘Bones’
“Storms make trees take deeper roots.” – Dolly Parton.
Utilising a quote from a country music icon to introduce a metal band is unusual, but there is method to this madness. The obvious affiliation between the two is the leading word ‘Storm’, but did you know Ms Parton has a biography entitled Queen of Country? There lies the crown.
Coincidences aside, what Storm The Crown have charmingly captured with their single ‘Bones’ is the roots of where the melodic metalcore genre has evolved. The five-piece remarkably embraces the magnetic formulas of noughties’ era Caliban and Still Remains – honestly, it is dynamic. However, the real triumph lies within the I Killed The Prom Queen aura that blazes throughout the three minutes. Thankfully, their goodbye isn’t forever.
Sounds like: It Dies Today living LOUDLY now.
By Will Oakeshott
Stormy-Lou — ‘Falls Away’
It’s hard to avoid the stellar tunes falling out of Stormy-Lou, the indie-rock quartet who remain unafraid of touching on heavy topics. After a string of singles, it’s time for their long-awaited debut EP, with the luscious ‘Falls Away’ serving as the lead taster.
Described as an “anthem to melancholy and depression”, ‘Falls Away’ fittingly masks sorrow with a wash of slick, driving guitars and infectiously upbeat energy. Influenced by names like Sly Withers and Carla Geneve, it’s a track which allows the listener to affix their own meaning, with its deeply emotive songwriting and reflective lyrics speaking directly to the heart. And as we well know by now, that’s precisely the beauty of a band like Stormy-Lou.
Sounds like: That burst of energy that gets you out of bed in the morning.
Words by Tyler Jenke
