Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke
Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke review the latest releases from Charli XCX, Flasher, Sundara Karma and Luke Markinson & Bryce Xavier.
Charli XCX – Every Rule
Charli hasn’t entirely abandoned the sound she adopted for the latter half of the 2010s in favour of mainstream pop
As her fifth and final single from Crash, which was released last Friday, Charli XCX has released Every Rule, probably the track most similar to some of her previous work out of the singles from the new album. The track reminds me of something that appeared on her mixtapes ‘Pop 2’ and ‘Number 1 Angel’; it is relatively slow-paced, contrasting to the upbeat radio-friendly vibe of previous singles Beg For You and Baby.
The piano-led ballad is layered with autotuned vocals reminiscent of her 2020 album ‘how i’m feeling now’, a welcome nod to Charli’s more experimental era. It shows that Charli hasn’t entirely abandoned the sound she adopted for the latter half of the 2010s in favour of mainstream pop. With Every Rule being one of my favourite songs I had heard from ‘Crash’ leading up to the album’s release, it only heightened my excitement for the album in its entirety. Gemma Cockrell
Flasher – Sideways
New wave post punk duo Flasher have returned with their new single Sideways, their first release since their debut album ‘Constant Image’ in 2018, a record which resulted in them being picked as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s ‘Artist You Need To Know’.
This new track sees them leaning more towards the pop side of their sound, with a laidback groove driving the song throughout, on top of which vocal harmonies are layered. Earning comparisons to post punk frontrunners Shame, as well as Warpaint and Men I Trust, Flasher are definitely one to watch, and I have no doubt that their sophomore record will receive as much deserved praise as their debut did once it is released. Gemma Cockrell
Sundara Karama – All These Dreams
the band have used different pop influences in All These Dreams, blending both influences from pop and emo into this new release
Sundara Karma have released new single All These Dreams as the latest single from their upcoming EP ‘Oblivion!’. An upbeat track, the band have used different pop influences in All These Dreams, blending both influences from pop and emo into this new release.
For this song, the band have worked with Clarence Clarity, whose production credits include songs with Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama. ‘Oblivion!’ will be Sundara Karama’s fifth EP together and will develop the band’s sound further by experimenting with new sounds. When talking about the new EP, frontman Oscar Pollock shared– ‘’It’s fun to amalgamate different genres, often I love re-contextualising things like vocal styles etc”. Kiah Tooke
Luke Markinson & Bryce Xavier – Mirror Mirror
Hyperpop singer Luke Markinson and TikTok star Bryce Xavier have joined forces for their new single together Mirror Mirror. Markinson is from LA and has started releasing music very recently, with his first single Never Alone having been released in 2020.
Markinson’s music takes inspiration from the hyperpop genre, with Charli XCX being one of his biggest influences. Xavier is also a musician who has received attention since his recent single Romeo went viral on TikTok. Aside from music, Xavier is a content creator with over 3 million followers on TikTok and has previously been an actor. Mirror Mirror discusses the feeling of having an epiphany about your life whilst looking in a mirror at a party, using an entrancing backing throughout the song to build upon this strange feeling. Kiah Tooke
Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke
Featured image courtesy of Nina via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image courtesy of @charli_xcx via @instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
To listen to all of these tracks, check out the New Releases Roundup playlist on Spotify.
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