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Five best new pop tunes this week: feat. Kate Jackson & George Maple

5 May, 2016 — by Lee Bennett0

kate jackson the end of reason

In recent weeks we’ve nipped down under as well as back to the 80s for our occasional pop column. We’ve enjoyed bringing you our recommendations so much we’ve decided to make it a weekly feature. Welcome to our very first round up of the five best new pop songs you need in your life right now:

Kate Jackson – The End Of Reason

The Long Blondes released their second and what turned out to be final album Couples back in 2008. Eight years later after a stop/start attempt at a solo career, frontwoman Kate Jackson is finally set to release her debut album British Road Movies at the end of May. During her time away, Kate has developed as both a musician and an artist, and these two creative worlds very much collide on British Road Movies, with single and album art created by Kate’s own hand. Musically the brutalism Kate depicts in her art also surfaces on the album – not unlike the way LoneLady brought derelict industrial Manchester to life on ‘Hinterland’. On lead single ‘The End Of Reason’ Kate somehow manages to glamourise the British motorway – quite some task.

George Maple featuring GoldLink – Sticks And Horses

We have championed several emerging Australian artists at Methods Unsound and here’s another cracker for you. Until the release of ‘Sticks And Horses’, George Maple had looked likely to be Australia’s answer to Jessie Ware, however on this new track she goes somewhere far more daring – in more ways than one and quite unexpectedly. ‘Sticks And Horses’ is a twisted bit of electronic RnB and suggests a debut album full of surprises.

Badlands – Echo

It wouldn’t be a pop round-up without a slice of Scandipop in there somewhere. That said, Badlands’ ‘Echo’ is not exactly pop in the purest form. From her album Locus, ‘Echo’ starts in a rather sinister and brooding manner before building into something cinematic in an M83 sense. ‘Echo’ includes some of my favourite synth work this year.

Feral Love – Like The Wind

Like fellow Merseysider Lapsley, boy/girl duo Feral Love know their way around an emotive electronic tune or two (well I say two, ‘Like The Wind’ is only their track so far). ‘Like The Wind’ is the sound of London Grammar getting a Wolf Alice makeover. Time will tell whether either of those two comparisons bear fruit but in the meantime as attention grabbing and dramatic debut singles go, ‘Like The Wind’ is rather fine.

Youngr – Out Of My System

We love a good multi-instrumentalist here and Youngr might just be our favourite new find in that respect. ‘Out Of My System’ is a celebration of what it is to be young, free and single (I just about remember that feeling) and exploring yourself and the world around you without a care in the world. Could well be the sound of the summer.

For more brand new music check out this round-up featuring new songs from Metronomy and Shield.

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