FRESH MUSIC FRIDAY: LARA D, FONTAINES D.C. AND PHRITZ

It’s our first Fresh Music Friday for 2022! Andy Park, Alex Vardanega and Nicola Weiss have shared their takes on a new track from sydney R&B up-and-comer LARA D, some gloomy and heart-wrenching Irish post-punk courtesy of Fontaines D.C., and a rush of glitchy pop dopamine from Japanese producer phritz.

Lara D – Bad case of loving you

Andy: Whilst this is one of those tracks I’d only listen to once on a car radio as I blast the AC, there are some cool pop melodies here, and ‘unrequited love + upbeat music’ is a crowd pleasing formula. It definitely has shades of Alessia Cara/Camilla Cabello/Dua Lipa.

Alex: This feels like an expert’s take on the modern pop track, with an infectious earworm of a hook that’s bound to stay in your head for the next couple of days. Really enjoyed how the atmospheric bass and harmonies juxtapose the razor-sharp percussion section.

Nicola: I feel like I’ve heard this song many different times in many different fonts. Even though I’m very bored of these easy-listening pop love songs, they do scratch a certain itch without fail, and I’m sure if this came on in the right context it would be a bop. But at this point, it just feels a little predictable.

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Fontaines D.C. – I Love You

Andy: Not that I’ve listened to anything other than Smells Like Teen Spirit, but a minute in I started thinking “Nirvana”. I dig the riff on the chorus and the tight drum groove, and whilst I’m unsure on how I feel about the talking/shouting verse, the lyrics paint a poignant and moving picture of Ireland.

Alex: Another great track from Fontaines D.C. It starts off as an underground rock song and then morphs throughout into that harsh and abrasive grunge punk sound the band is known for. Loved this track and can’t wait to see where they go from here.

Nicola: I LOVE THIS SONG. It cleverly disguises Fontaines D.C’s political anger through the tune of a soft rock love song. The final verse crescendos into a representation of the singer’s disdain that screams his emotions into the listener. Followed by the softer chorus refrain, this song perfectly encapsulates the feeling of powerlessness against corrupt politics.

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phritz – limeade

Andy: I don’t really listen to electronic music but parts of this were really fun and sonically satisfying. I particularly love the half-time breakdown, where the melody feels childlike in an uplifting way. This could be a bop for summer-loving, arcade enjoyers.

Alex: A really sweet track that blends hyper-pop and glitch-hop together to form an almost Skin-era Flume sound. I found the little one-off melodic ideas that kept me on my toes throughout to be the most enjoyable part of the song.

Nicola: Enjoyable! It’s definitely heavily influenced by other predominantly electronic artists like Porter Robinson, and even though I don’t typically gravitate towards this type of music it was definitely fun to walk down Eastern Avenue listening to this song.