Ensh… Deserves a mensh (Image: Veronika Decides To Die)
The Best of This Week’s Singles: Ensh, Younghusband, September Girls and more!
Published on February 19th, 2014 | Jonny Abrams
We’re delighted to report that the best of this week’s singles are numerous, with plenty of emergent talent piping up…
Blackbird and The Storm – “Black Crow”
Video premiere at contactmusic.com
Not sure what to make of this one: it’s completely ridiculous, but in a welcomely daft way. Definitely inclusionworthy. Besides, it’s no less ridiculous than making up words like ‘welcomely’ and ‘inclusionworthy’.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half out of Five!
Kasim Keto – “Rat Race”
Instantly agreeable, and though it maybe doesn’t quite end up going the places you want it to, the groove it settles into is a luxurious one. Nice swaggering hip-hop beat, too.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
Playlounge – “Zero”
A good old sludgy blast to send your cheeks flapping backwards and your head off on a pogo all of its own. Fans of No Age and Broken Social Scene apply within.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
Shy Nature – “Lie Back”
Ummed and ahed at the more familiar-sounding aspects of it, but it’s got an energising warmth to it that we couldn’t ignore.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
The Hooks – “Get Out”
We so, so wanted for this one to go “Get it out! Jesus Christ, get it out! You’re welcome” (that won’t make sense until you read our review of “Fiks” by Ensh, lower), but it’s got a grin-inducing early Supergrass mischief about it that’s quite irresistible in its own right.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
Mariam the Believer – “Above the World”
A fine week for off-the-wall singles continues apace with this softly rumbling (if that’s even possible) jazzicalia. Exotic in an exquisitely otherworldly way.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
Pete Cannon & Dr Syntax feat. Jehst and Del the Funky Homosapien) – “Do What We Wanna Do”
Heavy lounging yet futuristic stuff with two stellar MCs laying down the lyrical topsoil, as we can’t believe we’ve just written. It’s just lovely.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
Rare Monk – “Splice”/”Sleep/Attack”
Nifty double A-side from a band that kind of make us think variously of Grandaddy, Doves, Ride and Mansun. All good things, by the way.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
September Girls – “Green Eyed”
C86-sweetened fuzz blast with trippy backing vocals, and all over in under three minutes. This is turning into a cracking week for singles.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
Windmill – “Birdman”
Mournful, candlelit country from Liverpool duo united by a love of Joan Baez, Sparklehorse, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley and Chrissie Hynde. Yes, we did just copy/paste those names straight from the press release, but they are instructive.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
Younghusband – “Left of the Rocks”
Their debut album Dromes is lovely and so is this. It is from it, after all. A band with a knack for a killer key change, this.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
Ensh – “Fiks”
As if not to be outdone in the ‘completely ridiculous’ stakes, this Belgrade-based producer made us laugh out loud at how utterly and unashamedly bonkers it is.
“Put it down! The crackpipe, put it down! You’re welcome” might not become this summer’s number one festival refrain, but it should be.
Give it a second listen, because it might sound really rather jarring at first. Single of the week, albeit an odd one.
Rocksucker says: Four and a Half Quails out of Five!
Those were the best of this week’s singles. Catch you next time, folks!
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About the Author
Jonny Abrams 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.
