Fresh Music Fridays #8: 08/06/18

In the eigth instalment of Fresh Music Fridays, Ali Nejati, Jamie Weiss, and James Newbold test out Tove Lo’s new girl group (and the answer to Rita Ora’s “Girls”), a dream collab from Khalid and H.E.R., and a blast from the past by Wild Nothing. 

“Bitches (Remix)” — Tove Lo (feat. Charli XCX, Icona Pop, Elliphant, & ALMA) 

Ali: Pretty trashy with its generic overly produced vocals over an aptly generic beat. The slightly dark bass and the smattering of voice timbres bring a little colour to the monotony, but it can’t help a track that relies solely on the “edginess” of being sexually explicit and the word ‘bitches’ to keep interest.
Jamie: The saddest girl in Sweden bounces back with a jamming ode to girl-on-girl love in “bitches”. The synths are satisfyingly crunchy and the beat appropriately dark. My main complaint is despite this remix having some really stacked features – Charli XCX, Icona Pop, Elliphant and ALMA – none of them feel like an equal match for Tove Lo here, and their additions fall a little short. Sometimes, the original is just better.
James: The verses are a bit uninspired, but this posse cut delivers heaps of attitude and a killer chorus to boot.

“This Way” — Khalid & H.E.R.

Ali: A seductive minimal duet, that keeps its vibe from getting stale with some dynamic R&B production. Khalid is greatly overshadowed on this track, as H.E.R.’s gorgeous, occasionally jazzy vocals jump all over the place in the best way possible.
Jamie: A dripping, sultry tale of two jilted ex-lovers that benefits from its pared back vocals and instrumentals, leaving listeners hanging on every syllable. H.E.R. really shines here but Khalid’s drawl doesn’t quite have the same cut-through.
James: H.E.R.’s vocal performance is more compelling than Khalid’s, with a super slinky R&B beat managing to carry the track

“Letting Go” — Wild Nothing

Ali: A little disappointing from Wild Nothing. As a big fan of their Nocturne album, this feels like a really safe single that is begging to push into slightly more post-punky or noisy territory. Nevertheless, come ‘round for some lush summery vibes to keep you warm from the Sydney winter.
Jamie: “Letting Go” is a weird time capsule of a track – it wouldn’t feel out of place playing out of a Lamborghini Countach’s stereo on Rodeo Drive in the 80s, except that the drums have a particularly Coldplay taste. Expect to hear this at Goodspace some time soon.
James: This decent dream pop song doesn’t get it’s own personality until about a minute in, but even then the band has drenched the instrumental in reverb rather than given it emotional punch; you can have both, but “Letting Go” doesn’t.

Tune in next week for our next Fresh Music Friday!