Black Country, New Road - Snow Globes
Muse - Won’t Stand Down
Returning with their first taste of new music in over three years, the intergalactic trio from Devon have brought with them some of their heaviest work in ages. A call-back to their earliest days of ferocious riffs, standing up against ‘users and abusers’ over thunderous chords and screamed vocals, it feels like their recent space ace prog-rock may have been jettisoned for something a lot weightier. With a new record on the horizon, and festival headline slots already announced, 2022 is shaping up nicely for Muse.
Cavetown - squares
Now for something a little gentler. Ridiculously soothing, the inspiration for squares is taken from the world of Minecraft, based in part on the soundtrack composed by Daniel Rosenfeld known as C418. It is simply gorgeous — an ethereal drift that came to being following a difficult time in Cavetown’s personal life. Accompanied by a 17-minute visual created by Cavetown and some friends that he’d made playing the game, it is part of a double-a single alongside the equally sweet y 13.
FKA Twigs & rema - jealousy
Years & Years - Sooner Or Later
Now firmly established as a national treasure, Olly Alexander returns with one last single before the release later this month of Night Call. Described by Olly as something to ‘heal your January blues,’ Sooner Or Later is the kind of effortless club-pop that has always marked Years & Years out as a very special project. Whether he ends 2022 as the next Doctor Who or not, tracks like this show that Olly is coming into the year all guns blazing.Kae Tempest feat. Kevin Abstract - More Pressure
This is very special indeed. With a new album, The Line Is A Curve (produced once more by Dan Carey), announced for an April release, this is an exciting first taste of what Kae has in store for us this time round. With Kevin Abstract of Brockhampton fame dropping in for a guest spot, More Pressure is a gripping journey through moments of anxiety and relief that builds to a euphoric crescendo.
French The Kid - Remedy
The Romford rapper who appeared on most Ones to Watch lists for 2022 (including our own), French The Kid returns here with a soft, eerie track that explores the tolls that drugs, drink and excess take on a person's mental health. Much more chilled in tone than previous single Uptown, Remedy shows another side to this super talented rapper.Lime Garden - Marbles
Another fine slice from Brighton band Lime Garden, who are fresh from their support of IDLES at Brixton Academy this week. The four-piece are fast perfecting their brand of indie-dance pop, and Marbles is another great example of their ability to sound both chill and danceworthy at the same time. The hype is showing no sign of quietening down.
The Mysterines - Dangerous
Another new single in the run-up to the release of their debut record, The Mysterines have again come up with more grungy gold with Dangerous. Lia Metcalfe (vocals, guitar) describes it as being 'about those wild cycles that life sometimes traps you in, the ones that seem desirable at first but quickly become very ‘dangerous’. Whether it be with people, places, relationships, the hardest part is always letting go.'Honeyglaze - Shadows
The latest indie favourites to come out of the prolific Speedy Wunderground conveyor belt, Honeyglaze have already announced a Dan Carey-produced debut record and have been quietly making a name for themselves on the London scene. With a video directed by Sorry’s Asha Lorenz, Shadows is a lovely taster for what’s to come.English Teacher - A55
For anybody who’s ever experienced the morning-after hangxiety or ‘The Fear,’ English Teacher’s latest is as blurry and woozy as you’d imagine. Coinciding with the announcement of a new EP, A55 is another sign of the band’s growing confidence, a perfect mix of Lily Fontaine’s casual vocals and breathtaking Radiohead-esque crescendo. Yes, that good.
