FRESH MUSIC FRIDAY: CHARLI XCX, KING PRINCESS, STILL WOOZY AND REMI WOLF

Well, well, well… Harry Gay and Tamsyn Bellew join forces with Kat Porritt-Fraser to (excitedly) rip into the newest releases from pop superstar Charli XCX, queer indie icon King Princess, and the insane dream-team pairing of Still Woozy and Remi Wolf.

CRASH – CHARLI XCX

Harry: Charlie XCX is back with another fun hyper-pop dance track. A dance anthem for the self-destructive, I can imagine this song getting added to a lot of people’s party playlists over the coming year.

Tamsyn: The staccato at the beginning mixed with the high pitch is too sustained, and a little annoying. The lower, more relaxed melody that punctuates those bouts of staccato is really nice and a necessary reprieve to make it listenable. The track comes off too strong too quickly and there’s nowhere for the energy to go – sorry Charli, it’s just not my vibe.

Kat: This is so much fun! Such a perfect album opener, with a little bit of everything I love about Charli’s music – an addictive robotic hook, sexy lil groove and silly but kinda poetic lyrics? Feels like the perfect song for trying to convince your friends to come dance with you at a party – not too threatening but still a boogie.

FOR MY FRIENDS – KING PRINCESS

Tamsyn: I wish there was more vocal variation in the chorus melody because the chorus is LONG. It would have been nice to have a little run or differentiation here and there. Overall, though, the song builds nicely, and I really enjoyed this track – it was my favourite of the three.

Kat: Wasn’t the biggest fan of this one sadly! Had high hopes at the start with that spooky warping synth, and overall don’t mind the style (the production reminds me a bit of MUNA which I love) but just feels a little distant and like it’s missing some of the emotional tenderness I think it was going for. Wish there was more to grab onto because I do love the lyrics and concept!

Harry: A fairly uninspired track. I had never heard of King Princess beforehand, and this song did not lure me in to explore the rest of their discography. The sound is no different to anything else on the radio these days.

POOL – STILL WOOZY AND REMI WOLF

Kat: Sweet, chill, vaguely disassociate-y but in an endearing way! Feels so intimate and vulnerable yet still low-key, and the vocal arrangements are so warm and pretty. I love how the vocal production feels like they’re both just sitting in the room with you venting their mental spirals. Such a different vibe for Remi too, especially vocally, but still with their wonderful touch of weirdness. My heart is warmed!

Harry: I really liked this one. The vocals and instrumentals were really pleasant. Lots of small little flourishes made this fun to listen to. The lyrics were also quite beautiful, the sound of love, summer breezes and bumblebees pollinating flowers. Remi Wolf is the main star here, easily outshining Still Woozy in their performance and vocal chops.

Tamsyn: I love how sweet and welcoming this song is right off the bat. The gentle guitar plucking reminded me of 70s soft rock, and the rawness of the track (with the vocals backed predominantly by acoustic guitar) really suits Remi Wolf’s natural and raspy voice. However, I wish the percussion had crescendoed alongside the electric guitar to make the ending more pronounced because it just sounded thematically inconsistent and a bit awkward.