FRESH MUSIC FRIDAY: CHUEY, BEABADOOBEE, AT ARM’S LENGTH

SURG IS KICKING OFF THE YEAR WITH THE VERY FIRST FRESH MUSIC FRIDAY OF 2023! ZOE BIGGS, NIAMH ELLIOTT-BRENNAN AND MIYA SYWAK REACT TO BRAND NEW RELEASES FROM CHUEY (SYD), BEABADOOBEE (UK) AND AT ARM’S LENGTH (SYD).

BRINGIN’ DISCO BACK – CHUEY

Zoe: Oh this is fun!! There are parts of the production which emulate old-school video games, and I absolutely adored the jazz piano part (jazz being a clear element of Chuey’s unique genre-mashing). The eclectic and fast-paced nature of this track probably won’t have me playing it on repeat, but I can imagine this going OFF in a live set. 

Niamh: AH, Chuey are back and at it with another banger, and this is by far my favourite of the three. It’s funky, it’s weird, it’s an EXCITING electro-disco track with some sick keyboard and a real scenic, high-energy feel – some parts gave me Jacob Collier vibes. I don’t really have any other words – I just loved this track.

Miya: Total Eurovision vibes! With the Skrillex 2016 piano tiles dance break, Chuey may not be literally bringing disco back, but it’s a definite dance hit for when you’re totally off your head.

GLUE SONG – BEABADOOBEE

Zoe: Clocking in at just 2:14, this song is short – but it’s ever so sweet. I am such a fan of beabadoobee’s voice, and who doesn’t love a love song? The orchestral arrangement of this track was what drew me in the most though, and I loved noticing all of its little intricacies on each repeat listen!

Niamh: Bright, cute, and sparkly – a perfect gentle morning song. Songs like this often teeter on the edge of saccharine and boring, but this song hits a sweet spot with its 2 minute runtime. beabadoobee’s vocals are subtle and stunning as always, drawing you in and laying you down gently on a bed of soft grass… very calming.

Miya: A very steady song with cute orchestral sparks. But when I say steady, it’s in the way that dating was like in the 50s… So clean cut and well, steady! I feel like my girl beabadoobee just has a lot more interesting songs, but its definitely not a bad listen.

UGLY – AT ARM’S LENGTH

Zoe: I’m a massive punk fan, but I kept needing more from this track. I was rocking with the energy from the start, and Tadhg Kelly’s vocals are rough and full of passion. However I just wasn’t convinced by the over-repetitive riffs – who knows, maybe I’m just not a post-hardcore enthusiast. HOWEVER, the two-minute mark begins a (short) descent into dissonant chaos which I thought added a cool point of interest to the track. I’d be keen to hear what else this band has up their sleeves.

Niamh: Woah – definitely living up to the post-hardcore, punk grunge label with this track. This track is loud and aggressive, and I could see it going off in a dark, sweaty pub somewhere. It’s one of those tracks where you can tell the recording falls short of the energy of the live performance – but I’m looking forward to more music from At Arm’s Length.

Miya: I could not tell you what I think of the lyrics but what I can tell you is the raw vocals and rough meshed in guitars totally gave me the vibes of a classic High Rotation. Maybe it’s the pre-uni mood but I really like the total anger at everything in this song. Especially the slow climax with fast drumming and guitar distortions. Absolute hot girl walk music x