It's been around for a few weeks but I've only just discovered it - Billie Black has followed up her impressive R&B number I Don't Need Another Lover with this collaboration with Mura Masa (who I featured back in April for a lovely remix of HARTEBEEST's Drums). If anything, it's even better. Jump in.
On their debut EP, duo The Union Pool cite some disperate influences - Beach House, Jai Paul, Mount Kimbie, Bill Murray, Wes Anderson and skateboarding, amongst others. I'll parse those music ones first: The Number Four has some of dreamy wistfulness of Beach House and you can certainly detect a textural sophistication of the percussion that aligns with the sheer detail of Mount Kimbie. There is also a certain Eastern influence that fits with Mount Kimbie and Jai Paul. The result also sounds like Foals at their most aquatic, as on the still blue swimming pool and empty beaches of Total Life Forever.
Bill Murray, Wes Anderson and, erm, skateboarding? A little more difficult to pinpoint the influence of those here... Anderson is perhaps there, in that dreamy, global sound and the refined detail. Nothing about this release feels like skateboarding music in the traditional sense, but there is an undeniable sense of slow movement that feels like gracefully coasting down paved streets and pulling the odd effortless ollie to get to higher ground. So our last influence? Well, Bill Murray is good... And The Number Four is also good?
The Union Pool sound incredibly tight given this is their début EP. The title track sounds like a deep dive into sparkling water amongst stunning wildlife, bubbles perhaps floating rapidly past in the song's rapid rhythms, as the vocals encourage you to 'Take a deep breath...'. Second track S.A.D. is exactly as it says - turgidity and a morose sensibility prevail, capturing the seemingly pointless attempt to move on when you don't really want to.
Time And Space almost has a hint of Metronomy in the poppy interplay between the male and female vocals that cry out for an opportunity to get away from it all. It's a sweet and heartfelt plea, and it's hard not to feel like we've all been there too many times. Thick brassy synths and snappy drums give it a heartfelt break that provides a contrast to the fragility of the verse. Finally Magic Hour provides the EP's climax in a track that gradually builds to a crescendo and a subsequent break that feels like an epic conclusion.
This is an EP with lots of little detail but it also does a fantastic job of demonstrating The Union Pool's range and it is well worth seeking out.
The Number Four is out now on Tape Club Records, available from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link].
Seems like the internet just had a collective shit fit over this incredible new joint from Columbian-born, Brooklyn-based singer Tei Shi, previously best known for her cover of Beyonce's No Angel. Bassically pairs the femininity of Tei Shi's raw vocals to producer Luca Buccellati's aggressively analogue production. If you like FKA Twigs and Banks you'll love this.
This is the first track I've heard from Naomi Pilgrim, but it's a corker. Sassy dance-influenced R&B, it's a song about those days where everything should be great but you just aren't feeling it so you need that extra little kick to get you out of bed. Love the production, the vocals and the sentiment... One to watch.
Highly emotive pop from 22-year-old Swedish singer Sirena, who spent her years growing up between Barcelona and Stockholm. Sirena has always been inspired to be creative, whether it be through poetry, photography, dance or singing in choirs, but ultimately music making became her calling after a spiritual awakening that saw her drop out of school and focus on it full time.