Round-up This Week In New Music (5th July 2014)

Neu picks out its favourite song, video and discovery of the past week.

Words: Jamie Milton
5th July 2014

The past week’s offered up more hidden gems than obvious ‘this track will change your life’ moments. Maybe it’s a post-Glastonbury lull that’s to blame, maybe musicians are addicted to the outdoors, refusing to hit the “upload” button on Soundcloud with the awareness that they’ll be kept indoors for days watching the play count rise and rise. Still, it’s been worth holding out for Moko and Astronomyy’s (pictured, above) return from (relative) wilderness - both acts arrived sporting exciting debut tracks, then everything went quiet all of a sudden. They mean business this time round.

Here’s the best of what happened this week in new music:

SONG OF THE WEEK:
Astronomyy - Nothin On My Mind

Spending the past twelve months in the shadows can pay its dues. Astronomyy picked up initial attention, absorbed it all, then went back to the drawing board. His latest track isn’t so much a dramatic turn in the other direction - more, it’s a refinement, a realisation that what he was already achieving could be topped. Muted guitar lines chop and change, giving the impression of something dark and complex. At the heart though, Astronomyy’s always kept things simple, and ‘Nothin On My Mind’ is all about soaring hooks and a to-the-point chorus.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Moko - Your Love

If Moko actually happened to have spent have her existence in the grimy underground that defines her ‘Your Love’ video, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Her music is destined for laser-struck rooms, the undercurrent of boring 9-to-5-ers, smart-shirted so and sos who could do with a serious wake up call. ‘Your Love’ is a club track crying out for a repeat - it’s a majestic return, ready for the world, ready to strike up from the murky beneath. And it’s created by an artist who’s already crafted a brilliant mould of her own.

DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK:
Horsebeach

When did ‘nice’ become a dirty word? Yes, it’s more interesting if musicians are doing stupid things all the time; yes, music should exist to shock the system, give rude awakenings; but leave room for the ‘nice’. Give ‘nice’ a chance. Especially if it’s being pedalled by a band called - forgive the name - Horsebeach, a Manchester project led by one Ryan Kennedy, sporting songs that glisten and lay face down on soft grass with a packet of smokes in their back pocket. Real Estate comparisons abound, and for good reason: These songs are care-free but deep, burrowed down beneath, is a nasty old chunk of frustration - maybe this isn’t so ‘nice’ after all.

Tags: Astronomyy, Neu