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Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, July 23

IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles. All you have to do is click on the pictures to order them…

Electric Soft Parade, Misunderstanding

SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: ELECTRIC SOFT PARADE – MISUNDERSTANDING: Brighton’s Electric Soft Parade provide a timely reminder of why they were once considered the new kings of indie-influenced electro-pop. Misunderstanding is a shimmering, feelgood piece of songwriting that’s built around prog-laced hooks and an infectious sense of style. At two and a half minutes, it’s a breezy anthem in waiting that’s perfect for playing loud and free on a hot summer’s day. The vocal layering is, at times, reminiscent of Brian Wilson and co, while the laidback chorus is superbly delivered to ensure maximum satisfaction. The cute little central stop-start riff even flirts with Weezer’s Island In The Sun – or am I misunderstood? Nevertheless, it’s a welcome return to form for the Electric Soft Parade that ought to be embraced by a wide listener base.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Feist, 1234

SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: FEIST – 1234: Just occasionally, you need to listen to something kooky, endearing and so melody strewn it’s capable of blowing away the stresses and strains of the everyday. Feist’s whimsical, charming 1234 is that kind of track. Built around her lovely, lazy vocals and all manner of instrumental layering (from banjos to pianos and hand-clap beats), this is a feel-good song par excellence from one of the more interesting artists working in Canada at the moment. Feist is, of course, the solo project of Canada’s Leslie Feist, a prolific artist who has also played in one capacity or another with Broken Social Scene, Kings of Convenience and half a dozen other bands. It’s taken from her current album The Reminder and boasts a similarly giddy video featuring the singer herself surrounded by a bevy of dancers and simply going with the flow. We encourage you to do the same, given it has the ability to put a smile on your face on the rainiest of summer days.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Newton Faulkner, Dream Catch Me

NEWTON FAULKNERDREAM CATCH ME: The rise of Newton Faulkner has taken a steady path over the past two years with constant touring, primarily with leftfield “surfer friendly” acts such as Donovan Frankenreiter and John Butler Trio and more recently with more commercial acts like James Morrison and Paolo Nutini. Following the release of his debut single I Need Something, Faulkner now delivers his next effort Dream Catch Me as a pre-cursor to his debut album Hand Built By Robots at the end of July. Dream Catch Me is a shimmering mid-tempo ballad that boasts a strong set of vocals, some nice guitar loops and a notable backbeat that lends it a genuinely rousing quality. “Surfer friendly” is an appropriate term, as it’ll doubtless be one of the records of choice around many beach campfires this summer (where board boys and gals can strum along to its hooks with their own acoustic guitars).
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Nine Black Alps, Burn Faster

NINE BLACK ALPSBURN FASTER: Nine Black Alps recently returned from an extended sojourn in LA recording their follow-up album to the critically acclaimed Everything Is with Dave Sardy (Oasis, Jet, Wolfmother). The first fruit of their labour is new single Burn Faster, a typically gutsy piece of guitar rock that’s rousing, melodic and instantly gratifying. The guitars are nicely distorted and explode to life on several occasions, while the vocals are as striking as ever. What’s most encouraging though is that Nine Black Alps continue to show signs of maturing as songwriters. This bodes extremely well for the forthcoming sophomore album and looks set to put them firmly back on the map.
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Groove Armada, Song 4 Mutya

GROOVE ARMADASONG FOR MUTYA: Song 4 Mutya is the second single from Groove Armada’s latest album Soundboy Rock and one of its easiest and most accessible highlights. Featuring ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, the song boasts some deliberately strong ‘80s influences and an infectious sense of melody that makes it a huge jump-around pop tune for the summer (if we ever get one!). There are times when you think the disco melodies might career into a Go West or Roxette cover version but thanks to Mutya’s gritty vocals and the busy beats and ever-evolving format this is a fun song that ought to appeal to swingers from just about every demographic. What’s more, it’s a radical dep