Oliver Wilde Oliver Wilde… Deer diary?

The best of this week’s singles: Oliver Wilde, AlunaGeorge, Sampha and more!

Published on July 16th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams

This week’s singles contained some genuine horrors – tune in tomorrow for more on Britney Spears’s contender for Least Appropriate Soundtrack Contribution of All Time – but as usual we done gone sorted some darn tootin’ wheat from that there chaff (or some other such characterful lead-in)…

Sampha – “Without”

“James Blake meets Timbaland” sound good to you? It does to us.

Don’t let that corny-ass write-up of ours put you off the tune: it really is a strange, beautiful and strangely beautiful little number.

When we lapse into irksome musicjournospeak, that’s just us getting excited.

Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!

a quaila quaila quailhalf a quail

…and if you like Sampha, check out “Drops” by Jungle, which is also out this week…

Colour of Bone – “Itch”

That abrasively yelping verse manages to maintain interest levels purely by dint of sounding so bloody strange; this is a good thing, as it leads into a calming redemption of a chorus, making for a laterally conceived yet well-rounded package.

Like a scuzzier, bleepier, more British (presumably) version of WHY?. Approval gained, curiosity piqued.

Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!

a quaila quaila quailhalf a quail

AlunaGeorge – “Bad Idea”

Loving the level of regional accent invested into the vocal; makes it feel like Maxinquaye at the disco, on a fair amount of uppers.

Just release the album already.

Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!

a quaila quaila quailhalf a quail

Adam Dunning & Tash Parker – “Holiday”

Disarming sweetness, luxurious chord changes and – perhaps most impressive of all – a beach-set music video that doesn’t make you want to punch everyone and everything in existence

Such an elegantly dancing accordion solo, too, just to crown this exquisitely dizzy sort-of-waltz. It’ll sound cheesy to some but we’re thoroughly sold.

Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!

a quaila quaila quaila quail

Oliver Wilde – “Perrett’s Brook”

This is the kind of music Richard Hawley should be making, rather than the (admittedly serviceable) Doves-alikes that, er, earned him a Mercury nomination last year.

Misguided Rocksucker advice aside, this is flipping fantastic: entrancing, hallucinatory, slow-burning, otherworldly and all sorts of lovely things like that.

Kind of shoegazey, too, in its sleepy way. Over to us to investigate further. Single of the week.

Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!

a quaila quaila quaila quail

Tune in tomorrow for the worst of this week’s singles!

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About the Author

Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.


2 Responses to The best of this week’s singles: Oliver Wilde, AlunaGeorge, Sampha and more!

  1. Pingback: Rocksucker: The best of this week’s singles: Oliver Wilde, AlunaGeorge, Sampha and more! | moonblogsfromsyb

  2. Pingback: The best of this week's singles: Dismemberment Plan, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more! - Rocksucker

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