Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke
As the days get brighter and spring looms, Gemma and Kiah review the latest releases from Nessa Barrett, Hannah Diamond, Momma and Cavetown ft. beabadoobee.
Nessa Barrett – dying on the inside
TW: Discussion of disordered eating.
If you are not giving Nessa Barrett’s music a chance because she originated on TikTok, then you are missing out. Her latest single dying on the inside has been taken from her upcoming debut album that she initially teased will be named ‘Death Becomes Her’ after the 90s Meryl Streep film of the same name, yet she has since admitted that she has changed the title. Barrett has never shied away from talking about mental health, both on her social media platforms and within her music, and dying on the inside sees her at perhaps her most vulnerable and honest to date. The track speaks of her struggles with disordered eating, the most striking lyric being “Beauty is a knife I’ve been holding by the blade”. There is no doubt that this song will help people who are going through similar things, making them feel as if their voices are being heard and providing reassurance that someone understands their emotions. Gemma Cockrell
Hannah Diamond – Staring at the Ceiling
Hannah Diamond is back with her newest music since her 2019 debut album ‘Reflections’. Staring at the Ceiling follows a similar approach to this album, with PC Music production and auto-tuned bubblegum vocals. While this track doesn’t see Diamond treading on new territory, and doesn’t see her exploring any further with her already experimental sound, she is still undeniably the pioneer of this genre that she ultimately helped to establish. The main change that can be seen following this release is in her aesthetic – it appears that Diamond’s image now centres around a cutesy, pink theme, a drastic change from the dark black and purple colours that dominated her Instagram feed previously. However, even though the track is a pleasant listen, it doesn’t see her take much of a step forward. If you were a fan of ‘Reflections’ then you will enjoy this track, but if you were expecting something new, different, or ground-breaking from Diamond, then you might be disappointed. Gemma Cockrell
Momma – Rockstar
Rockstar follows Momma becoming big in their career, on a quest to be recognised as a ‘real rockstar’
Brooklyn based band Momma have release new single Rockstar, a grungy pop anthem that showcases a stronger production sound from the band. Alongside the release of the new single, Momma shared that they would be playing their debut UK shows, starting off with shows in both London and Manchester. Rockstar follows Momma becoming big in their career, on a quest to be recognised as a ‘real rockstar’. When discussing the song singer/guitarist Allegra Weingarten shared ‘’We didn’t want to take anything too seriously, lyrically, or musically. We just wanted the song to sound big.” The single came released with a music video, directed by Batshit!, that follows Momma playing a battle of the bands set which helps them launch into superstardom, encouraged by Kurt Cobain. This new release follows Medicine, which was received well with coverage from the likes of NME and Rolling Stone. Momma also announced that they would be supporting both Wet Leg and Snail Mail across their US tours, giving the band a fully packed year ahead. Kiah Tooke
Cavetown – Fall In Love With A Girl (feat. beabadoobee)
Singer-songwriter Cavetown has teamed up with beabadoobee for Fall In Love With A Girl, a light indie-pop track. The song begins with Cavetown singing alongside an acoustic guitar, before introducing a catchy drum backing and light electric guitars for the chorus and Bea’s verse. Fall In Love With A Girl compliments both singers’ voices nicely by including lots of delicate harmonies throughout, with Bea’s higher tones being the perfect contrast for Cavetown’s deeper ones. When discussing the new song, Robbie shared ”Fall In Love With A Girl is about someone who’s struggling with their sexuality and how that affects their happiness.” The track’s lyrics explore the scenario of being with a partner who doesn’t appreciate you, whilst ignoring the way you feel about a girl. Directed by Chris Fowles, the music video for the song sees Robbie and Bea recreate the lyrics with a doll house and small painted figures. This new release marks Cavetown’s first single for 2022, following on from last year’s ‘Man’s Best Friend’ EP. Kiah Tooke
Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke
Featured image courtesy of Nina via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @nessabarrett via instagram.com. No changes made to these images.
To listen to all of these tracks, check out the New Releases Roundup playlist on Spotify.
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