Video: Believe Me - Lilla Vargen

This one gives me goosebumps. Maybe don’t focus on these words and instead just let the music do the talking.

Believe Me is the latest single from Northern Irish musician Lilla Vargen, and it follows her debut EP Hold On, which features a cover of Majical Cloudz’s staggeringly beautiful Downtown (seriously, that track is like falling in love).

This new track features a beautiful vocal performance and delivery I can’t resist. It’s an honest portrayal of discovering mutual love in someone, and the attempts to convey and convince that person of how you feel and that you will be there for them. Describing the track Lilla says:

“It was inspired by a friendship that was quite complicated. I let that person down before and I was determined not to do it again. The only way I could explain myself, to let them know I was ready to let my guard down, was to put my words down on paper, and post the letter.”

Enough words from me. Just listen, then go and check out Lilla’s cover version of Downtown. You can see Lilla live on the following dates (more to be announced):

• Feb 01: Kings Head Members Club, London (Mahogany Horizons)
• Feb 08: Output, Belfast
• Feb 09: Wehre’s The Music, Sweden

Premiere: Suydam - Pikoe

Pikoe is the electronic R&B project of Rafael Sanchez - initiated following success leading folk acts Hunting Stories and Cowpoke.

Pikoe came into existing in 2016 when Sanchez began writing songs solo material under the moniker. Following a breakup and a series of mental and physical illness, including a melanoma scare, Sanchez started recording with friend and longtime collaborator Patrick Taylor. The first EP, titled Songs To Dance Alone To, was initially released on SoundCloud as a collection of unmixed tracks. However following the overwhelmingly positive reactions to the release Sanchez created a band around the project - pulling in his brother and collaborator Jose, Berklee College of Music alum Ben Marino of drums (known for working with Blood Orange) and Michael Summer on saxophone.

Suydam is the second single to be released from Pikoe's EP, following on from the infectious lead single Fall-N-Out. The track is inspired by a break-up and is named after a street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where it happened. It is a darker, more resigned track than Fall-N-Out, Sanchez’s vocals pleading “I know, I know the future; rips back, rips back the suture”. The music is wound similarly tight, gradually applying layers of distortion, percussion and bass to create a foreboding sense of dread. When Sanchez delivers the line “I should let you know... I’ve been thinking about love” it almost sounds like a threat. The result of that most terrifying and destructive of emotions that can tear us apart as much as it brings us together.

The official version of Songs To Dance Alone To is set for release on 2 March through CEN/The Orchard. Check out Suydam below or head straight to Spotify or iTunes.

Video: Late Night - Pale Grey feat. Serengeti

Late Night is the lead single for Pale Grey’s forthcoming album Waves and it’s a dreamy kaleidoscopic track that blends underground MC Serengeti’s dynamic flow with dreamy synths and pleading indie that reminds me of the Cribs. It’s a weird but kind of wonderful combination, and a bold track to announce the album - particularly as this is the only track that features a rap.

The draw for me here is the interplay between those three things - the sung vocals, that Serengeti rap and that otherworldly melody. It’s like being stuck in a crowded room when you don’t feel like you are quite there - sometimes the layers of emotion inside mean you are elsewhere, despite all the energy and motion that surrounds you.

The video for Late Night captures the same feeling of isolation created by the track - check it out below and look out for Waves when it drops on 2 March.

Stream: Under My Wing - Young Galaxy

Electronic pop duo Young Galaxy are back with a new single in advance of their new independent album, Down Time.

Under My Wing is a breathless track of soft-focused ambience and hushed vocals. The Montreal pair created a sound where the vocals are deliberately obscured and the result is beautifully cinematic and dream-like.

Describing the track Young Galaxy said:

“It’s a song that sleeps during the day and walks the empty streets at night. It’s about the failure of capitalism, the isolation of suburbia, and the drive to discover sensuality, connection, and a spark of life in the face of despair.”

Check out Under My Wing below and look out for Down Time when it gets released on 6 April.

Stream: Motions - Luxe For Fun

New year, new you: Motions is the debut release from Luxe For Fun, a two piece who here focus on channeling Sade and Kate Bush-esque pop.

Luxe For Fun are duo Zara Tobias ands Alex Tyrrel who draw on inspiration as diverse as Erykah Badu and Peter Gabriel & Brian Eno. The pair started recording whilst Zara studied for her Masters in Jazz at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and since then they have spent 12-months refining their sound and recording in London and Copenhagen.

Gently swaying, Motions is a gorgeous record that feels like someone nervously coming to terms with their emotions. Describing a relationship that is entering a breakdown, Zara’s vocals pleadingly observing “this feels like a step in the wrong direction”. Production comes Tyrrel and with some subtle drums that gradually emerge from the background, the sound of this debut release has me excited.

Luxe For Fun will be releasing a new track at the start of each month until their debut album drops in April.