From the beginning notes of opening track ‘Honeymoon’, it
is clear that Lyla Foy is perhaps half human, half woodnymph. Her
vocal and songwriting style is spectral; an ambient, mystical quality
appears to come naturally to her. Therefore, to some, the creation
of ‘Mirrors the sky’ might sound a bit predictable- pretty,
young songstress leaves London and goes into the countryside and sings,
birdsong and goats in the background; just her, her whispery voice
and mother nature, returning to get her band to fill in any gaps.
But for those of us who enjoy getting lost in vast wilderness, walking
without any other purpose than just to soak up what is beautiful and
free, then you will like this. I’ve made myself sound like a
right hippy here, haven’t I? Oh well.
With an impressive musical journey so far, Foy’s
best known under the title of her other project ‘WALL’ (which
Radio 1 slobbered over apparently, amongst others). Creeping out to
reveal her true identity, she mainly brings a mood to suit quieter
contemplation. Sometimes she reminds me of Feist, for a slightly morose
warbling, but all with a magical and effortless style that means she
will be one to watch as the year progresses. She’s playing Cambridge’s
very own Lodestar festival in August so pay her a visit there.
This was released on Subpop in the Spring but you can
still buy it now.
Hailing from Australia, Little Scout are all set to
release their debut single in the UK, 'Go Quietly' via brand new London-based
label, Win-Win. It’s already been played on 6Music, courtesy
of Lauren Laverne, so it’s bound to be a favourite from that
moment forward. Taken from what is actually their second album, I’ve
not heard of them before but apparently it sees the band move into
adventurous new territory (to lazily quote their press release). Pretty
much the most perfect kind of indie pop, ‘Go quietly’ and
it’s B-side sister, ‘March over to me’, are full of
the sort of swagger that only such bass-heavy music can be, recorded
by the chap responsible for mixing The Mars Volta and then some.
Singer Melissa Tickle’s vocal has a sweetly seductive
tone and the band can easily be compared to fellow Ozzies, Howling
Bell, for their use of melody. Theirs is a supreme confidence, a subtle
cockiness that shows that Little Scout know they’re on their
way. ‘I know how to get there but I need a gentle shove’,
Tickle repeats throughout. Consider yourself pushed in the right direction,
young lady.
Troubled or just really, really clever? When I had dinner with my
friend the other day and we were discussing this lady’s music,
we both agreed on the former. Anyway, the title track from Ms Del
Ray’s second album, ‘Ultraviolence’ is much what you’d
expect, though you’ve probably already heard the album by now,
so you’ll already know. Written with long-time collaborator Dan
Heath, it was produced by Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys- does she have
a thing about people called Dan?) and recorded in Nashville, a cool
biog that compliments the sultry vocals, soft strings and minimalistic
guitar to create the film noir sound she has become so famed for.
‘I’m your jazz singer/ And you’re my cult leader/ I
love you forever’, she croons, continuing the lovelorn theme
of her debut ‘Born to die’. Ultraviolence: the album debuted
at No. 1 in 18 countries, including the UK and the US and has sold
over 1million copies worldwide so far, so you’ve got to give
this a listen, right?
