It’s new music release day again – The sun has been spitting the skies this afternoon and I decided to treat myself to a game of golf to celebrate. It felt weird being out and about again. Lockdown certainly hasn’t ended but a golf game on my own was just the tonic needed. Due to Spotify taking over the planet, all new music is released on Friday’s now – I suppose it’s time to share some tunes worth a listen this week.
Today features music from R.D Thomas / Alvinos Zavlis / Torso
R.D Thomas / This Bloom
We start off today with a lovely piece of folk from Richard Thomas. This Bloom is the title track of his new three song EP released this morning. I’ve been suffering with a bit of writers block this week for some reason, it happens like this sometimes. Normally, I’d blast out three paragraphs in ten minutes and describe every emotion a tune evoked in me. Right now, it’s difficult to even think of what to say.
This Bloom is a chilled out track and I have been using it’s beauty to sooth the angst brought on by this writers block. Thomas has a husky vocal tone that’s not too dissimilar to that of John Smith. I feckin’ love John Smith, especially his wonderful duets with Lisa Hannigan and his one-man band performance of Winter on Other Voices in Dingle. This new tune from R.D Thomas is a treat and fits snugly into that same prestigious category of UK based folk that I love.
Ease your stress and enjoy.
Torso / Boxster
I just couldn’t help myself – Torso is a three piece band based in Tunbridge Wells. As soon as I heard the spoken word style here, my ears pricked up! It’s really a duo – Jon on guitar and Tristan on the words. The drumming comes from a robotic kit that just plays away itself in the corner of the room. I was sent over their latest single called ‘Disco‘ during the week and I was sold. Their music is sarcastic, cynical and passive aggressive – just my type of thing. I really enjoyed the new tune Disco and it honestly has one of the best collections of lyrics I’ve heard all year to close it out.
”So now you’ve settled down and your wife works for Google,
Well I’m pretty sure… that Google works for me.
I spent the morning searching for topless celebrities
Circa ’98 to 2003
That’s all the reminiscing you are getting from me.”
This is weird and wonderful – I stumbled upon Boxster on a mini Torso binge last night. Pardon the cursing in it, it’s a cracker though. I won’t go out on a limb and suggest that Torso are the best band ever formed, but they are just my type of thing. (that was horrific writing)
Alvinos Zavlis / When I Fall
I have been waiting for this song to be released for a couple of months now – it was sent my way in April and has finally been released. When I Fall features Waji on the lyrics. The vocals are actually quite haunting and eerie and set the scene early on. The main encapsulating aspect of this one is the ridiculously heavy wavy, almost dubstep styled, bass-line. This wobbly wonder got me dancing like it was 2010 again.
I used to listen to a French producer called Son of Kick when dubstep was a thing – he used similarly intense bass lines. I haven’t heard much wobbly dub music since really, Zavlis caught me by surprise and I really engaged with the production on this one.
It’s intense, the bass here should come with a warning.
A wildly eclectic bunch of selections this week for the ‘New Music Friday’.
About ‘The Sound Sniffer’
The Sound Sniffer is a music blog which is still only a baby – Founded and run by Kevin Coakley in early 2019. He is a music writer and ghostwriter. ‘The Sound Sniffer’ also runs gigs and showcases in London since Oct 2019. The showcases are picked from artists we find in our submissions inbox.
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