News Tracks: AlunaGeorge, Rush Midnight, Low And More

February’s done, but there’s still the month’s final week worth of aural pleasure for you to enjoy. And our lovely writers and radio presenters have wasted absolutely no time whatsoever putting together their favourite tracks of the week, especially for you; in case you’ve missed a little something. So without any further ado, we present… this week’s Tracks.

AlunaGeorge - Attracting Flies

Talk about taking chances – naming a song ‘Attracting Flies’ is just asking for trouble if the track itself ends up being a bit like, well, dog muck. But then, AlunaGeorge aren’t the worrying sort, and why should they? Good as their top 10-bothering single with Disclosure is, it’s nice to see the duo alone (does that make sense?) stepping out with more future-proof pop, another sharp-tongued take-down of a person who talks a whole lot of bull crap. The production sounds even more early-nineties hip-hop/garage than ever, whilst also sounding exactly like how everything in the charts should sound forevermore, thanks. Not only that, but Aluna Francis’ voice just gets better with every song, especially when on this one she’s duetting with…herself. Because who else could measure up? (Tom Baker)

Rush Midnight – Don’t Give Me Your Love

All reverb and carnal bass grooves, the latest single from Rush Midnight takes desire as its subject and oozes sexuality through each and every one of its perspiring pores. The bone-dry kick drum feels as though it’s beating deep down in your chest as the former Twin Shadow bassist conjures the nocturnal, gin-fuelled disorientation of the nightclub with self-assured ease. Fixing his sights on the object of his lust, he tries to dispense with the pretences of romance (“don’t give me your love, just give me a dance”), however there’s a tenderness in his longing that betrays the bravado. As he pines for their defunct affair, the synths cry out in sympathy and Russ Manning’s turmoil plays on without resolution: “These days you’re not around to stumble home with me”. A heady concoction, and hopefully just a hint of what’s to come from Manning in 2013. (David Zammitt)

Low - So Blue

‘The Book of Mormon’ isn’t the only thing the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has done for us lately – although I hear it’s very good (that’s what all the posters on the Tube say), anyway. They deliver us from evil, and to a new Low song – married drummer/singer Mimi Parker and guitarist/singer Alan Sparhawk are of the faith – which can only be a good thing. The ‘slowcore’ sound the trio have slowly been fermenting over the past past decade or two only gets better with age, the vocals not so much soaring as out into the stratosphere. They’ve maintained their own particular brand of ‘epic’ – not the arena-shaking stadium rock band, or the nature-documentary-scoring of Sigur Ros. ‘So Blue’, like many of their best songs, sounds like the soundtrack to a particularly brilliant, melodramatic ending to a suburban American drama film. (Tom Baker)

Music Milk - Cruising With God

Milk Music are an unconventional band in the truest sense. Hate is a strong word but the Olympian four-piece really do detest the music industry to the extent they don’t trust anyone involved in it. It seemed for a moment last year that Milk Music may disappear forever but thankfully they are back. So many bands are blasting out Dinosaur Jr inspired noise; no one does it with the same blistering intensity as them though, which is proven by ‘Cruising With God’. Distorted guitars progress into gnarly solos, whilst vocals are rasped as the track flies by at breakneck speed. The resulting two and half minutes sounds like the ultimate thrill ride you have never dared to experience, whether that is plunging down the face of a fifty foot wave or free falling out of a helicopter, this track is the closest you will get to that sensation. Milk Music have delivered us another sweltering dose of fuzz-indebted punk rock at its finest. (Samuel Cornforth)

Inc. - Black Wings

Atmopsheric; definitely. RnB; maybe. The next must listen to artists from LA come from brothers Daniel & Andrew, previous session musicians breaking out of the mould and doing their own thing…beautifully. From their debut album ‘No World’ it’s one of the more pop / accessible tunes that bring you into a nu wave RnB setting that encourages you to sit down and absorb rather than have your ears assulted. Image a stripped down version of The Weeknd mixed with a newer version of the mass appeal soul tunes that artists such as Luther Vandross and the like brought to our parents ears 20-30 years ago. (Elise Cobain – Alive And Amplified)

SZA – Ice.Moon

The latest single from St. Louis’ SZA is an enchantingly temperate number, upholding a twinkling piano line, throughout, floating beneath the singer’s soulful vocal style, alike an innovative incarnation of a Rihanna-like figure that falls, face-first, into the indie-music crowd. Encapsulating a gentle electro-pop essence that mirrors acts such as Purity Ring and Empress Of, set to be taken from the singer’s forthcoming ‘S’ EP, which will see a release in April. Produced by Felix Snow and Patrick Lukens, the songstress’ latest audial offering provides an alluring taster of what’s still to come from SZA. (Jonathan Hatchman)