Tracks: 100 gecs, Rico Nasty, Big Thief and more

As their song ‘gecgecgec’ goes, 100 gecs are “back once again,” teasing their eagerly-awaited second album ‘10000 gecs’ with new track ‘mememe’. Building from the video game start-up-esque intro, the track quickly crescendos into characteristically gecs pop chaos; all autotune choruses, smashing mosh pit ready riffs, and glitch-heavy production, as the duo - Laura Les and Dylan Brady - tell former flames “you’ll never really know (know know know know) anything about me (me me me)”. A huge statement of intent from the pop disrupters, the one thing we can all safely say we know about 100 gecs is that they know how to write a fucking banger. (Elly Watson)

Rico Nasty is as powerful as ever on ‘Money’, this time enlisting Flo Milli for a party like no other. From beat one, the pair’s infectious energy radiates out of the track - impossibly danceable and delightfully playful, Rico blends every corner of her influences with her own inimitable style. There’s a buzzing undercurrent of early 2000s pop-rock guitar alongside the jabbing beat, the whole lot coming together to punch a cut above. The lyrics, suitably dripping in expensive imagery, is delivered sincerely and with Rico and Flo’s absolute command - it’s fun, it’s relatable, and it’s an anthem. (Ims Taylor)

When Big Thief played London’s Hammersmith Apollo just a few weeks before lockdown, they debuted a blissful, melodic folk song called ‘Time Escaping’ filled with harmonious guitars and a sense of ease. 18 months later, and the studio version of the track arrives, revamped so dramatically that it almost feels like a different song. Adrianne Lenker’s vocals still anchor the track with sweetened melodies, but behind her all manner of tinny chaos unfolds. Heavily percussive and with guitars used more for texture than melody, it’s a fascinating swerve away from the band’s formula. (Will Richards)

Just Mustard’s latest is a real journey. ‘I Am You’ begins sounding like it could be a dreamy listen, with just a ruminating bassline accompanied by a drum beat. As soon as the vocals kick in, though, it’s clear that this is a more intense experience than first anticipated – the unnervingly discordant melody line pauses before the song becomes peppered with echoing, barking background noise, the textures build, and it turns into something darkly haunting and deliciously atmospheric. Katie Ball’s unique vocal tone jars against the sweeping sonic backdrop, punctuating it and piercing through the noise for an otherworldly soundscape - before it all drops away just as disconcertingly as it built up. (Ims Taylor)

Cate Le Bon says her new single ‘Moderation’ is “a nod to the daily dilemma of trying to curb inherited and novel habits,” and on the big and bright new track, she sings with the purpose and energy of someone who could overcome anything. “Moderation - I can’t have it, I don’t want it,” she sings, and instead gives us everything in a whirlwind of bopping bass guitars, powerful vocals and a sunny disposition despite its subject matter. (Will Richards)

That Alice Glass debuted the song which would eventually become ‘Baby Teeth’ back in 2018, to make the leap between lyrics such as “Rip my womb outside of me” and “I’m getting used to it / Pain is temporary” and the prolonged abuse she herself suffered, doesn’t require a hefty run-up. Musically somewhat less intense than its words suggest, it’s the kind of glitchy electronic pop we’ve come to expect from her, Alice’s breathy delivery often so feather-light it’s possible to miss just what she’s recalling.

LIFE continually subvert canonical expectations without straying too far from their brash post-punk. Acting as the ‘anchor’ for their latest record, their latest track ‘Friends Without Names’ swoops and coalesces, swapping between a Fontaines DC style mantra of “Friends without names” to a more yearning “I really miss you’” The track’s premise leans on stark repetition to fuel a swelling melody that cracks and ebbs to the voice of Mez Green, LIFE’s candid lungs. Failing to amount to a more formidable endgame, ‘Friends Without Names’ serves as an example of what LIFE can do, but also what they withhold. We all knew Da Vinci could paint a simple sparrow, but did he ever need to make that statement? (Alisdair Grice)