Round-up Tracks: Charli XCX, Beyoncé & More

Surprises are all well and good, but once the hysteria around last year’s out-of-the-blue ‘Beyoncé’ album drop subsided, what remained was a landmark in Queen B’s career – a collection of songwriting perfection that is undoubtedly her masterwork. Fast-forward twelve months, and her position as the legacy artist of our generation is almost cemented. There may have been much more of a fanfare around the run-up to ‘Beyoncé’’s Platinum Edition re-release, but newly released bonus track ‘Ring Off’ is confirmation that she’s an artist who’s reached the peak of her prowess. A tropical backdrop is flecked with forward-thinking bass-wobbles and percussive elements that wouldn’t be out of place on any South East London producer’s latest hype track. Beyoncé’s delivery is the perfect mix of her sass and her soul - as her vocal weaves around a retelling of her mother’s recent divorce, it’s every bit as smooth as it is snarky, and its lyrical allusions to fan favourite single ‘Love On Top’ and concluding sample of Mama B herself stating “you are gonna survive” prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Beyoncé’s reign shows no signs of slowing. (Tom Connick - @ginandconnick)

‘Gold Coins’ marks the fourth track from ‘Sucker’ that’s out and about riding the Charli XCX Schoolbus of Mayhem, and advocating off-shore bank accounts and “platinum troubles..drowning in pink champagne,” it’s intentionally bratty and overblown. That’s the whole point, really, and come on, who hasn’t had a dream like ‘Gold Coins’ at least once? Smoking sassily away on cigarettes within a fortress constructed entire out of dollar bills might be construed as a potential fire safety hazard - as well as a generally foolish construction project that’s just asking for rising damp and poor insulation - but ‘this is a dream sequence’ disclaimers out the way, Charli XCX has nailed her pop banger. Crass, snarling and catchier than scandal on a international bank CEO’s pristine shirt sleeve, ‘Gold Coins’ is the strongest preview of ‘Sucker’ yet. (El Hunt - @whattheel)

As The Smashing Pumpkins prepare to release their tenth studio album, ‘Monuments To An Elegy’, on December 9th, ‘Tiberius’ is the latest track to quell our mounting curiosity. Easily the most appealing of the band’s previous teasers - with “One and All” and “Being Beige” each leaked a few weeks back - the hook on ‘Tiberius’ is mighty as its Roman emperor namesake. Thanks to the added bonuses of tinkering keys, introspective lyrics, and a sweeping, shifting loud/quiet melody, there are classic Pumpkins vibes at work here. Could it be that with Tommy Lee (yes, that Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe) on drums, we’re due for a solid comeback record? Stay tuned, but in the meantime, ‘Tiberius’ is an auspicious clue. (Loren DiBlasi - @lodibz)

If ever there was a track destined for cruising the late-night video highway it’s this. Released in the colossal new wave of GTA V tracks, the Krayzie Bone featuring ‘Meditation Meditation’ is the first of a number of new FlyLo tracks to be featured on his personally curated GTA radio station. For the likely sizeable numbers of us who have forgotten Bone Thugs-N-Harmony even exist, this is a reminder that Krayzie Bone is venomous; his unrelenting pace and diction letting up only briefly for sing-songy hooks and angelic interludes. It’s not Krayzie Bone who makes this track however - in fact there are probably others who could do his part better - it’s the FlyLo backing track that makes it so perfect for GTA and a beautiful stand-alone track. The simple, minimalistic nature of FlyLo’s contribution is no accident; this track is specifically designed as a dreamy, surreal driving song that is both tranquil and ominous at once, fitting the bill perfectly. The thought of mindlessly murdering virtual pedestrians as ‘Meditation Meditation’ twinkles menacingly in the background, so hauntingly terrifying that it might almost be enough to put a stop to video game violence entirely. Probably not though. (Henry Boon - @HenryBoon)

There appears to be two sides to Oliver Caen’s project Oceaán. There’s the heart-wrenching haze of ‘To Lose’ from his debut EP, countered with the more distorted dance-floor sensibilities of ‘Grip’. With that in mind, new track ‘Candour’ is a bit of an anomaly which fits neither category. Caen’s muted whispers are laid to bare to a near-silent atmosphere, freed from production effects and able to provide the most smooth personal reflections yet. Oceaán’s sound is pretty distinct nowadays. The hallmarks of Caen’s work are present in ‘Candour’, but while it presents itself as a fusion of his glittering vocals and resplendent beats, the track is proof of an artist unwilling to be defined too soon. Caen’s measured approach and consistency demonstrates a willingness to keep people guessing, remoulding and pitting his sound into something unexpectedly gorgeous; all the while expressing himself as a man of refreshing candour. (Sean Stanley - @SeanPStanley)

Hip-hop’s very own wild child poster boy is back with his latest cut of brilliantly cheeky bars. With a title only a fraction more childish than its creator, ‘Diaper’ is an erratic, skittering number with more bass than a 17 year boy’s old souped up Peugeot 106. Maybe even a little too much bass, however, as it’s nigh on impossible to catch anything other than the odd expletive behind the distortion and club-ready beats. But hey, this is Tyler the Creator. It’s not too hard to guess that the lyrics would probably send your grandmother to her grave if she ever had the pleasure of hearing it. Delivered with that don’t-give-a-shit-what-you-think aesthetic that the Odd Future ringleader has perfected and trademarked, this isn’t Tyler’s finest moment, but it certainly isn’t a bad one either. Considering his description of it being a “RANDOM SONG LAYING AROUND THOUGHT WHY NOT PUT IT SOMEWHERE”; fair enough. (Will Moss - @willtommoss)

North-East born songwriter Nadine Shah’s debut album ‘Love Your Dum And Mad’ was one of last year’s most beguiling releases. Dark-hearted and intense, it saw Shah making brooding, alluring and deeply personal confessional pop. ‘Stealing Cars’, her first release since, takes it to a grander level still. Shah’s voice is wonderfully expressive, with a compelling sense of quivering emotion. Here, the voice is even more prominent, allied with scratchy, raw guitars providing an austere backdrop to the gently swelling drama of the music. Much like with her debut Nadine Shah is adept at drawing overwhelming feeling from only the most basic backing. A heart stopping comeback. (Martyn Young - @martynyoung184)

First impressions don’t always prove to be true, but take one glance at the portraits of Honne and chances are you’ll get a good impression of what they’re about. Warm, lusty, minimal tones are the order of the day, and they build a melting night bus ambience out of every hook. There’s a tonne of comparisons to be drawn where are Honne are concerned. Take any Blake-esque producer and throw in a Weeknd style crooner and you’ll not be far off, but there’s such elegance to what Honne are creating that they’re able strike a connection all of their own. Clearly most comfortable making music against a moonlit backdrop, ‘The Night’ is in keeping with previous efforts. It’s moody and alluring, with the subject matter proving their Japanese translated name - ‘true feelings’ – to be accurate. The muted staccato guitar pattern is a particular delight on the ears this time out, and with their blueprint proving so endearing it’s difficult to envisage this simmering duo boiling dry in 2015. (Liam McNeilly - @liammcneilly)

Those with any sense always knew Public Service Broadcasting would return to smash any claims of “gimmickry” into cynical little bits. Who’d have guessed at the amount of funk they’d use to do it with, though? The corduroy-clad duo – still splicing archive footage with choppy, buzzing electronica and, um, banjos – have pushed on masterfully from 2013’s Inform – Educate – Entertain, dickie bows all knotted up. ‘Gargarin’, the first track from album two, ‘The Race For Space’ (out Febuary), is a lighter, brighter, and - let’s just say it - happier incarnation of PSB. Ditching the raging darkness of ‘Spitfire’ and leaping off from the giddiest chunks of ‘Everest’, it bounces with a drum beat that knocks about inside your skull and kicks out through your feet. Brass whips up against wriggling funk grooves, as a clipped voice promises “strides into the unknown”. And the video? Spectacular. Yep, this is lift off PSB alright. (Ella Walker - @EllaEWalker)

Tags: Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Listen, Features