Neu The Neu Bulletin (Prima Queen, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Balancing Act and more!)

Prima Queen — the Transatlantic duo comprised of Bristol-born Louise Macphail and Chicago-hailing Kristin McFadden — have been building a steady reputation for some years, and their latest single ​‘Fool’ is packed full of promise for their newly-announced debut album. Luminous harmonies drive things as the track gradually builds into a soaring chorus, while lyrically, the pair consider a relationship being weighed down by one party in particular. After a softer opening section, the interplay between vocals and gradually layered instrumental lines finds an ideal balance, and it’s not hard to imagine ​‘Fool’ going down a storm with fans live. (Christopher Connor)

Man/​Woman/​Chainsaw are pulling no punches on latest single ​‘The Boss’ (taken from their upcoming debut EP ​‘Eazy Peazy’, out next month via Fat Possum), coming out swinging with another taste of their energetic and arty post-punk. Aggression seeps through the track, with vocalist Vera Leppanen cursing an unnamed man via lyrical delivery that’s both hectic and captivating, while cellist Cleo Artwood and pianist Emmie Avery bounce off each other with a duet motif that beautifully compliments the vigorous chorus. With a UK tour on the horizon this autumn, this release further solidifies the Londoners’ status as one of the capital’s best new bands. (Peter Martin)

A vast amount of information is encoded in just the first few, sparse notes of ​‘AWOL’ — subtle hints of the understated songwriting techniques Balancing Act have brought into play here. It’s a minimalist song for the most part, consisting of simple but darkly beautiful guitar notes loaded with reverb and overlaid with the honest husky tones of Kai Roberts’ vocals. Then, there’s a great rushing rise of volume and depth as the drums build and everything fills out, leading to a satisfying crescendo in the tradition of great indie rock. The snippet of studio banter as the song fades reminds us that what we’ve heard is really one extended verse, something lyrically quite simple with repeated lines. But that’s okay; with ​‘AWOL’, the band have landed on a captivating chord sequence and cleverly written words, and they absolutely make the most of them. Less is definitely more here. (Phil Taylor)

Offering a scathing critique of influencer culture, ​‘Tiny Screens’ secures Chloe Slater as a name that should remain on the tip of everyone’s tongue. An entirely unfettered mixture of boisterous riffs and writhing percussion, overlaid by refreshingly self-aware musings on the futility of social media, it finds the Manchester-based artist revelling in her unapologetic brand of indie sleaze. ​“We could be like Marilyn Monroe with turkey teeth / And no legacy” she bites, amidst a frenzy of bleary guitars and punctuating drumlines. Marking her first release since debut EP ​‘You Can’t Put A Price On Fun’, it’s a defiant entrance to a new era for Chloe. (Emily Savage)

Bright with a feel-good breeze, Cardiff’s Melin Melyn channel their psychedelic energy with soulful harmonies on ​‘Fantastic Food’, the second track to be shared from their just-announced debut album ​‘Mill On The Hill’. Its steely instrumental feels as if it’s emanated straight from a ​’70s grocery store radio, with jangly lead guitar that’s supplemented by a whiney synth and glass slide line, giving us a peek of their country influences. Amidst all this sonic joy, the band still find space to take a more emotional approach in the track’s closing moments, the lyrical refrain of ​“I’m coming apart again” guiding it to a satisfying end. (Peter Martin)

South London quartet Wonderbug are set to roll out their debut EP ​‘scrap’ next month, and in preparation they’ve unveiled its lead single ​‘what a waste of time’. With this latest cut the outfit brighten a classic, heartstrung indie sound with liveliness, passion and a bit of a gritty edge, its steady groove held down by interlocked drums and bass and the occasional chunky riff. Its relatively restrained tempo makes way for a lyrical back and forth between vocalists Edie Chester and Ollie McDaid, their pleads to fate contemplating some of life’s great what-ifs: what if things fell into place? What if we met sooner? The track has the same conversational feel of Stars’ ​‘Your Ex-Lover Is Dead’, but the emotions within come across as more abstract, echoing the confusion of navigating relationship uncertainty. As Chester reaches the foreshadowed conclusion — that maybe, it was a waste of time — that early restraint gives way to a total instrumental flood, a brash sonic bite that perfectly compliments the lyrics’ complicated rhetoric. Wonderbug may be newcomers, but they certainly know what they’re doing. (Kayla Sandiford)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, Balancing Act, Chloe Slater, Listen, Man/​Woman/​Chainsaw, Melin Melyn, Prima Queen, Watch, Wonderbug