A few good times in my life
One of the best pop songs of the year so far was released by Bluegirl at the start of last week. Behind the name is the British-Cypriot alt-pop artist Phoebe Xenofontos, who has since been earning a living as a producer and co-writer for bands I’m not familiar with. With her debut, she has delivered a driving, atmospheric anthem about profound emotions. Nothing more and nothing less than great, melancholic existential pop.
A friend recently sent me a link and recommended a band to me. The True Loves are a soul/funk band from Seattle who, with a magnificent horn section and a guitar that could well have come from Fela Kuti, have recorded one of the best funk tracks I’ve heard this year.
Earlier this year, Helicon, a band from East Kilbride, Glasgow, released their latest album to date. It’s a well-crafted blend of psychedelic guitars and a good dose of krautrock. On this album, they have taken things a step further and decided to collaborate with the American DJ Al Lover, who makes greater use of electronic instruments. This has done their sound a world of good, as the result is a dense, hypnotic and extremely rhythmic album that combines trip-hop breaks, deep basslines and dub textures with Helicon’s psychedelic sound.
