'Wayback EP' by The Real Cool

Picture Source: @therealcooluk on Twitter

Hailing from Birmingham, UK, The Real Cool are a three piece dream pop band on a mission to bring the 80s sound into modern times. Today we'll be looking at their debut three track EP 'Wayback!'.

Released earlier this year, the EP uses synths, drum machines and the narrative of love as a thread.

The EP opens with title track 'Way Back' and immediately packs a punch diving straight into the lyrics of the chorus.

'I knew I'd be with you, when I met you

way back in the summer girl.' 

Although slightly repetitive, this is a chilled song with relaxed synths and perfectly placed drum beats/claps punctuating the track. The reduction of instrumentation to just synths and a simple beat towards the end of the song is particularly interesting and adds to the laid back vibe.

A relatively simple, clean sounding love song - this is one to sway your arms along to.

Next up we have 'Home', a contender for my favourite track on the EP.

Bright guitar riffs introduce the track but we quickly revert to the chilled synths heard previously with perhaps more of a bass element.

Personally, my favourite part of this song comes towards the middle when almost all the instruments are taken away so you can hear the relaxed, raw tone and accent in the vocals.

The mixture of slightly sarcastic social commentary-like lyrics, mellow synths and guitar riffs is slightly reminiscent of bands such as The 1975 - never a bad thing! But of course, The Real Cool add their own unique edge.

'Home' is all about the modern dating scene and how technology plays a key part in that. This gives rise to some of the best lyrics I have heard in a while, such as:

'It's okay to be at home, 

I'll seek you in a screen on my phone.'

'If you swipe right,

then I know that you're just my kind.'

'I fell in love with a selfie.'

'You're sweet twenteen

and you're living a dream on your newsfeed. '

'Blinds' is the final track on the EP. - upbeat, pure synth heaven. 

I'd argue that this is the most 80's influenced song but still retains a modern twist and those smooth guitar riffs continue to make an appearance. 

With a higher energy and more bass enhanced groove, 'Blinds' is definitely one to dance along to and finishes the EP perfectly. 

The future looks very exciting for this Birmingham trio.

Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic

Find out more about The Real Cool here.  

'Let Down' EP by Dresses

Whilst this blog normally features new music, we are also here to promote music discovery. When researching last week's Youth Club post, I stumbled across an indie pop male/female duo named Dresses' EP 'Let Down'. Having listened to a couple of songs on the EP, I thought it'd be good to share with you all (even if it was released in 2015). It appears as though the US duo haven't been active on social media for a while but I hope you enjoy this little slice of summer pop.

Beginning with whistle-like synth tones, an intricate clicking rhythm, plucked strings and upbeat vocals, 'Catch' introduces the feel good EP. This song throws a veil of cheerful claps, bright guitars and optimism over the deeper, more personal, emotive core of the story of how important communication is within a relationship. This becomes particularly prominent in the beautifully metaphoric chorus:

 'Don't wanna be another one that you throw back

 This is a two way street not a culdesac,

And if I threw my heart and made a pass

Would your hands reach out when I said Catch.'

The two way street emphasises how both people in a relationship need to talk and try to understand eachother - it's not one way communication. However, it is the final line of the chorus that is very bold and resonates emotion implying the question; will you be there for me when I need you?

Following on from 'Catch' is the equally as catchy and bright track 'Drift Away'.

In contrast from 'Catch', 'Drift Away' begins with a solo guitar that builds up from a simple strum to more intricate patterns. The cheerful claps are replaced temporarily with slightly stronger drum beats but the duo's signature harmonies remain. 

'No matter what we are

We're gonna give it up

My mind, your heart have had enough

No matter what you do

I'm still in love with you 

But my heart, your mind

Are out of touch.' 

As the title would suggest, my interpretation of 'Drift Away' is that it is about two people separating from each other due to a lack of understanding of the others' feelings. 

Suddenly the EP takes a darker toned turn with 'I Don't Believe Them'. Drum beats become more intense and purposeful, almost like a march, while the synths and guitars that are often used as a bright pick up have become more mysterious in tone. 

'They say I have come so far but I don't believe them, I don't believe them.'

Skipping over the anomaly that is 'I Don't Believe Them', the brighter tone returns in title track 'Let Down'. With similar instrumentation and ''sway your arms'' vibe to the first two tracks on the EP, 'Let Down' tells the tale of perseverance, trying to make a relationship work - ultimately failing but happy in the knowledge the narrator tried. 

'I'm sorry if I let you down, but I didn't let me down.'

Next up is 'Frozen' (not featuring any mention of building any snowmen). 

This track has a slightly different feel to the rest of the EP as more of a ballad than pop song. Featuring layered vocals as well as the return of purposeful drum beats and the odd cymbal crash promotes a powerful sound throughout. 

Finally we have 'Fools'. 

Starting with quick guitar licks and the return of whistles, 'Fools' is the ultimate summer song with a bright, upbeat tone and xylophone inserts. Unexpectedly, the chorus of 'Fools' is perhaps more mellow than the tracks that precede it - perfect for driving along to in the summer sun. 

After listening to the 'Let Down' EP it is clear that Dresses are incredibly talented as they manage to make you smile and tap your feet along to heartbreak. Combining cheerful hooks and bright tones with personal, thought provoking lyrics has allowed Dresses to create a fun, summer sounding EP that we thoroughly enjoyed listening to.

Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic

LISTEN to the 'Let Down' EP on Spotify here.

Introducing Youth Club

Picture Source: @weareyouthclub on Twitter

We are late to the party.

After attending Village Green Festival last weekend and not being able to fit into the tent this Southend four piece were playing, we knew they were something special.

Youth Club are an indie pop band from Essex that combine catchy hooks with upbeat guitars, creating infectious songs that leave you no choice but to dance along. This week we'll be looking at a few of Youth Club's singles, beginning with their most recent release 'Are You Wanting It All'.

Starting off with a laid back vibe created by clicks and a funky bass line, the rhythmic groove present in many Youth Club songs is given a slightly mysterious sounding twist. Typical to Youth Club, this song has a quite mellow dance groove in the verses with more uplifting phrases in the chorus aided by repeating brighter guitar patterns. Another interesting element to this track is its video which features silhouettes of the band throughout - something different.

Next, we're going a bit further back into Youth Club history with 'Pressure'.

The start of this track is rather unique, with drips and synthy beats punctuated by guitar strums introducing the song. This drip-feed of synths, drums and guitars flows into the musical accompaniment for the chorus and rest of the song representing, in my opinion, the confused/pressured situation. 'Pressure' has an arguably darker tone than most other Youth Club songs and a slightly more chaotic feel.

'We're wasting our time, never live up to the pressure.'

Half way through the pressure breaks.

'I know I know.'

This is a sort of calm oasis in the song. Overall, 'Pressure' has a good groove and reminiscent carnival vibes created by the mix of instruments and beats.

The final track we're going to talk about is 'DTLA' (short for Downtown LA).

With a defined beat and bass line from the start, DTLA definitely packs a punch. This upbeat track mixes guitar licks with a more R'n'B orientated vocal to once again create a catchy blend of indie pop. In particular, towards the end the guitar copies the vocal pattern in a solo type affair which was a nice addition to an already fantastic track.

If you're looking for more Youth Club tunes to jump around, sway your arms and move your feet to check out their 2014 EP 'Brothers'.


Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic



Find out more about Youth Club here.  

IN PICTURES: VILLAGE GREEN 2017

It's that time of year again - festival season. Saturday 8th July saw the return of Village Green Festival in Essex, a fantastic grassroots festival for the whole family.

With a combination of undiscovered/unsigned bands and a few familiar names, it is easy to see why this festival draws crowds of all ages from across the region.

Some of our highlights included:

- Airways joking about how relevant their song 'Mate' is to Essex.
- Janet Street Porter masks the audience received from BAIT.
- The brilliant pop/rock energy brought by special guests Youth Club.
- This quote from intense rockers Suspects:

'This one's for all of us because going to work sucks - this is War Horse'.

Overall, Village Green is a great family day out that brings local talent and the community together - bring on next year!

Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic

Village Green In Pictures

AIRWAYS

NOTHING BUT THIEVES

YOUTH CLUB (so good we couldn't fit in!)

HOLLOWAY ROAD

SUSPECTS

LONGY & THE GOSPEL TRASH 

BAIT

All photos taken using an iPhone 6s.

The Hummingbirds - 'Moving On' EP

Picture Source: PledgeMusic

Hailing from Liverpool, The Hummingbirds are a five piece Nashville inspired alt. rock band. Set for release on 28th July, their new EP 'Moving On' follows the success of their debut album released in 2016.

The four track EP begins with title track 'Moving On'.

Having never heard The Hummingbirds before, one of the first things I noticed was how their sound echoes other bands such as The Eagles and Oasis but with a Nashville-esque flavour, resulting in a truly unique sound. 'Moving On' is the track where these influences are most prominent in my opinion.

The EP links songs through the common narrative of love.

Nambyar

For those unaware of the creative, soulful singer-songwriter Nambyar here's a brief overview. Currently based in Amsterdam, Nambyar is half Fijian, half Dutch and has made a name for himself in Europe, with writing credentials including Swedish pop singer Erik Rapp's single 'Look Like Lovers'. 

Now, Nambyar has used his writing and production talents to produce two alternative R&B singles - 'Warm In The Winter' and 'Once More'.

Released earlier this year, 'Warm In The Winter' has a mellow groove featuring Nambyar's signature soulful vocal punctuated by understated beats. Starting with warm tones created by ambient analogue synths, this chilled vibe track is perfect for a relaxed playlist. Even the explosive chorus, featuring beautiful piano parts, maintains a perfect balance for this atmospheric electronic love song. 

The Maine: 'Lovely Little Lonely' Album

Last weekend I attended Slam Dunk Festival with the sole aim of finally seeing one of my favourite bands live. The Maine did not disappoint. Their set was everything a fan could wish for - great music with a couple of the hits thrown in, plenty of comedic moments and an abundance of audience participation! It was only when the band played one of their most recent releases ('Bad Behaviour') that I realised I hadn't written about their incredible new album yet. So here it is, my take on The Maine's 'Lovely Little Lonely' album.

Released in April 2017, 'Lovely Little Lonely' builds upon the success of The Maine's previous album 'American Candy' incorporating memorable hooks with rhythms that drown you in the desire to dance.

A clean, typically Maine sounding guitar and clear vocal introduces the album with a tambourine lifting the song. As soon as the drums hit you know you're in for a treat - the summer vibe exerted so perfectly by The Maine has begun. This is 'Don't Come Down', a song about living in the moment, appreciating the good times and not getting caught up on the bad times whilst surrounding yourself with the best people to enjoy each day.

One thing that The Maine do extremely well is create catchy choruses that will get stuck in your head for the foreseeable future - this isn't a bad thing. 'Bad Behaviour' is one of those songs that you can't help but hum and tap a foot along to as soon as you hear the ring of guitar and crash of drums that start the track. Seeing this performed live was everything you'd imagine it to be - everyone jumping and singing in unison with not a care in the world. As the lead single from 'Lovely Little Lonely', 'Bad Behaviour' doesn't hold back from the beginning and tells the story of a romantic encounter with a girl that could be disadvantageous for both parties.