Round-Up Tracks: Grimes, FKA Twigs & more

It’s beyond me how anybody in their right mind could listen to ‘Go’ and write it off with an “oo, nah nah,” but that’s apparently what happened when Grimes showed Rihanna the song she’d written for her. Your loss, RiRi. It’s different to hear Claire Boucher singing without heavily produced vocal falsetto. It’s also a surprise to experience Boucher’s take on an, erm, grimey, and insanely frantic trap breakdown. In fact this is Grimes like we’ve never heard her before. To quote the woman herself; “we…put it out cuz I am very bored of waiting to finish my album b4 releasing new music”. ‘Go’ probably isn’t entirely indicative of the direction Grimes’ next album will be heading in, but it does show that she’s been keeping collaborative pals like Blood Diamonds close by, and that she’s as loud and bursting with ideas as ever. (El Hunt)

An FKA twigs video is almost a bigger event than a song itself, and it’s no surprise: Anyone bringing a visual palette as vast and exciting as something combining ‘Water Me’, “Papi Pacify’ and ‘Hide’ deserves to raise the collective pulse. Still, when gazing into expanding eyes or a sea of gold - as is the case with ‘Two Weeks’ - it’s easy to forget that there’s an enrapturing track that’s doing most of the work. The videos Tahliah Barnett sports are all about movement, be it the crown shake that opens ‘Two Weeks’ or the locking of joints that defines ‘How’s That’. Twigs is a more than accomplished dancer - it’s no surprise she’s obsessed with the human form. And yet with this latest track, somehow the movement can be felt and conveyed just in audible form. The bass swells and breathless vocals do all the talking. Songs like these come with their own meticulously crafted visual before the video even emerges - they’re deep, dark and visceral beings with a life of their own. (Jamie Milton)

Apart from the track’s name - which sounds more than a little like the emotional state of a pissed-off squid – at first glance ‘Octahate’ could be misjudged as another piece of decent blog-pop. At first listen, however, it’s a whole different tale. There is something unequivocally special about it; it bounces to-and-fro with its zeitgeist-capturing beat and is oozing with the same kind of catchiness that ‘Royals’ had last year. And that made Lorde huge. It’s an incredibly strong debut, and made even more impressive by the fact that is produced by some top pop names (Charli XCX and Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos). With a fanbase literally soaring by the second (may I tentatively suggest #BeWeavers?) and music as infectious as this, a destiny of pop-stardom seems to be written in the stars; and not a million miles away. (Kyle MacNeill)

Bondax are quickly building up quite the reputation as a powerhouse production duo, and their latest track ‘All I See’ continues a trajectory of heady, deep-house. Sitting dulled synth stabs atop a giant pogo stick that bobs and bounces its way through a dry ice mist of 90s dance headiness, Bondax channel the likes of Brothers In Rhythm and Bizarre Inc. but render their nostalgic influences completely new. Coming ahead of Adam Kaye and George Townsend’s hotly awaited debut album - which is as of yet without a concrete release date - ‘All I See’ strengthens the claim that Bondax just don’t have a bad tune in them. (El Hunt)

From the outside in, Jamie xx’s ‘All Under One Roof Raving’ is a love letter to London; its open-all-hours clubs; its busied, litter-strewn streets; its ‘unique’ drainage system; the smells and sights of a special city. From that angle, it’s also a track that borders on comical - it’s one “GET YER EVENIN’ STANDEEERD” away from being a pastiche. But ‘All Under One Roof Raving’ is about more than one city. It represents the idea that music can build movements, from the underground and beyond. Every spoken word sample Jamie Smith employs (and there are lots of them) carries a meaning. From one reverberated, celebratory “Yes!”, to the de-facto mantra “This is what we love” - everything speaks volumes about the idea that if enough people get enough joy from one sound, it can spark change. Jungle, hardcore, garage - these movements (some existing, some near defunct) have their place in history. ‘All Under One Roof Raving’ pays respect to the long-gone, but it also paves way for the future. Less a statement, more a reflection of what matters, it’s a special track, arguably the best Smith’s put his name to as a solo artist. (Jamie Milton)

Another unarguably massive potential hit from the Swedish synth-lovers ‘Get Lost’ not only has a massive chorus - there’s a guitar line which sounds like it’s been nicked from the open car boot of Late of the Pier. (Emma Swann)

Tags: FKA twigs, Grimes, Listen, Features