News Tracks: Darwin Deez, Kwes, Jonny Pierce And More

Oh you lucky, busy people. Just so you don’t have to worry about missing one of this week’s vital new tracks, our lovely team of writers and radio presenters have duelled at dawn, drawn their pistols, and shot directly into the heart of new music. And so, for your listening pleasure, we present this week’s Tracks.

Darwin Deez – Free (The Editorial Me)
First question - is it going to be another ‘Radar Detector’? It’s a great song - but radio stations will rinse it? Hmm. I don’t mind if they do in this case, ‘cause it’s the best damn thing I’ve heard for a long while. I, unashamedly, love scuzz. And it suits Darwin very nicely. From his brand new self-produced album I’ve been promised by very authoritative ears that this is the ‘most fascinating and thrilling record you’ll hear this year’. Darwin moved back to his mountain home town of Asheville from New York City and wrote this record. He sounds like he’s had fun and really enjoyed being a musician. I love that! Definitely my track of the week on Alive And Amplified. (Elise Cobain – Alive And Amplified)



Fryars – In My Arms
After listening to Fryars’ new track ‘In My Arms’, one may be forgiven for being reminded of James Blake’s eponymous debut album. However rather than hitting the eardrum splitting wobbles, Fryars (aka Benjamin Garrett) is instead reminiscent of Blake at his vocally haunting best - think Unluck or Lindisfarne - as Garrett’s smooth vocals roll over beautiful piano chords. Yet to solely compare Fryars to Blake would be to do him a great disservice, as ‘In My Arms’ is a wonderfully arresting pop song set to a great beat that oscillates between the mellow and the get up and dance, striking a balance that modern pop music tends to eschew. (Tom Watts)



Kwes – Rollerblades
South Londoner Kwes is a singer and producer who has already made a significant statement this year with May’s ’Meantime’ his debut EP for Warp Records. ‘Rollerblades’ is his first single proper ahead of next years forthcoming debut and it carries on his beguiling electronic sound.

Kwes’s sound is an enticing concoction of lots of disparate strands of largely British influenced electronica. On ‘Rollerblades’ this intricate electro sound is given a rather more human and natural quality. Kwes’s vocals are more prominent than ever, fore grounded, confident and utterly soulful. The vocal hook of ’Come and rollerblade with me’ is extremely alluring. As if to further show off his skills as a producer, the last 90 seconds are given over to an entirely instrumental outro of oblique noise and washes of sounds. Very impressive stuff. (Martyn Young)



Arrows Of Love – Conspiracy Podcast
Following their latest single – ‘Honey’, East-London’s Arrows Of Love have gone on to provide the follow up, set for a release on December 10th. This time covering the subject of paranoia over conspiracy theories, inspired by a close friend of the band who was brainwashed by a conspiracy podcast. Intertwining satirically spoken verses with fast-paced punk rock choruses, sounding alike an unlikely mash up of The Talking Heads and The Ramones, introduced by a prodding bass-line and driven to a finale with a rip-roaring guitar solo. Arrows Of Love’s best work to date? Most definitely. (Jonathan Hatchman)



Jonny Pierce – I Didn’t Realise
Going back to his pre-Drums roots, Jonny Pierce has released a song that could’ve been taken straight from the back catalogue of old band Goat Explosion (yes, you read that right). From the sounds of it, his upcoming solo album will be more electronica than nostalgic indie pop, but he’ll be sticking with his distorted, broody vocals and melancholy, wistful lyrics (“just when I thought I knew what was going on, you cut my heart out“). The combination surprisingly works really well, and if Jonny’s claims that he’s being “as self indulgent as possible with this album” are to be believed, it’s a shame he’s been so selfless with his music thus far. (Rosie Lord)



Laurelle & Alexander – Life Underwater
Laurelle & Alexander are the kids who met in the mountains in Whistler, BC Canada. If you listen to their otherworldly blend of dream pop, indie, folk, and electronica, you can believe it. The title track from their debut EP, Life Underwater, is super magical and out now for free via Boom Ting Recordings. It’ll make you want to run through forests in slow motion, to party by shimmering waterfalls (also in slow motion), and to run away and travel the world. Also worth checking out is an equally dreamy remix of the track by Demure. Get to know these guys, they’re the best! (Francesca Dunn)



Nite Jewel - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
California electro pop artist Ramona Gonzalez, aka Nite Jewel is perhaps not the most obvious performer to cover a Michael Jackson song. The left-field nature of her re-work of ‘P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)’ is perhaps what makes it just so good. Recorded for the German edition of Rolling Stone magazine, it is a very pleasant surprise. Gonzalez strips back the cocksure confidence of Jackson’s 1982 ‘Thriller’ cut and gives it a slow burning smoulderingly soulful sense of yearning. The ebullience of the original takes on a completely new and compelling quality. As ever, Gonzalez’s perfectly poised vocals are a wonder. (Martyn Young)