Given that Sophie Lloyd basically owns the internet these days (surely it's only a matter of time before she buys Twitter from Elon Musk at a knock-down price), it was perhaps no surprise to see her walk away from our most recent Tracks Of The Week fracas in first place.
So congratulations to her, and congratulations to to Seafoam Green, whose Heavy And Low came in second, and to Elegant Weapons, whose Do Or Die finished on the podium's bottom step.
This week, it's another battle. And it begins right here, with some returning Foos.
Foo Fighters - Rescued
The Foos return with their first new material since the tragic passing of Taylor Hawkins. ‘It came in a flash, it came outta nowhere / It happened so fast, and then it was over’ calls out Grohl, as drums thump and guitar licks whizz forward like strikes of lightning shooting through a black sky. Nostalgic, melancholic yet deeply full of hope, Rescued sees the band look forward to a brighter future, while sounding much like the records of their past, such as In Your Honour and One By One.
Skindred - If I Could
Skindred continue to lay down the soundtrack of the festival season with another big, bouncing single from forthcoming album Smile. This time round however, the Welsh reggae-metallers turn down the cartoonish swagger in lieu of more sentimental moments, with piano-adorned sentimental crooning and angsty choruses about the resentment that comes from putting your trust in unworthy people. Like the bittersweet morning-after, If I Could captures the spirit of a party at its end, soured by the memory of last night’s regretful decisions.
Black Spiders - Alright Alright Alright
Black Spiders and rock’n’roll go together like a beer can and an unsuspecting head; it’s fiendish, fun, and will usually leave you in the mood to cause a little mischief, no matter the consequences. A meaty underbelly of granular bass partners up with quick-paced drums on this new track, as impish vocals muse over how ‘revenge is best served cold’ to a greasy melody that’ll have you hoisting up your middle fingers and imagining targets on the heads of everyone who has ever pissed you off. Most importantly however, it makes excellent fodder for cracking open a cold one and having a good old boogie; just like most Black Spiders songs.
Ingrid & The Ministers - Jack’s House
‘This is the house where a baby died,’ squalls vocalist Ingrid Saker. While certainly morbid, Ingrid & The Ministers aren’t here to soften the blow, but tell the vital story of a mother who lost her infant to the poor living conditions of New Zealand’s housing crisis. Immediately after the head-turning statement, the track continues its urgent path, with swampy blues tumbling vigorously in a hip-shaking storm. Meanwhile, Saker claws her way through the chaos with politically-charged lyrics, dripping in scorn and attitude, taking aim at the ruthless landlords and money-hungry men of the world.
Wytch Hazel - A Thousand Years
Recorded in a converted Baptist chapel in rural Wales, Wytch Hazel’s new single from upcoming album IV: Sacrament emits an earthly majesty, similar to that of its surroundings. Like a cabbalistic folk song of ancient times, the English metallers sing in regal harmonies of Satan, who has been ‘chained for a thousand years, cast into the ground’, before soaring guitar licks sweep in an ethereal cascade and a swirling solo follows.
Uriah Heep - Golden Light
Uriah Heep puff out their wizard sleeves on this epic, five minute escapade of prog rock sorcery. As strings soar and atmospheric guitar riffs announce a theatrical start, a grand verse springs into action, led by shimmering organs, a steady drum beat and a melody that commands a power-stance when sung. The track reaches its grandiose peak when a triumphant Bernie Shaw bellows out stately lines about gleaming, mysterious lights and angel guides that help you survive on the open road of life. Utterly glorious.
The Damned - You're Gonna Realise
Claiming that a band are experiencing a "new lease of life" is a well-worn cliche, but in The Damned's case it's undeniably true, and You're Gonna Realise is further evidence. It's as energetic as a caffeine-fuelled early morning walk in the dog park, it straddles that line between goth and punk and pop and whatever else it is that The Damned do with perfection, and it somehow feels shorter than it actually is. Plus there's a Zeppelin in the video.
John Mellencamp - Hey God
John Mellencamp pitches himself into the debate surrounding The US's ongoing gun trauma with a bible-black blues that wonders if the wisdom of the founding fathers is applicable today ('Weapons and guns, are they really my rights / Laws written a long time ago / No one could imagine the sight / Of so many dead on the floor') and implores the big fella do do something about it ('Hey God, if you're still there / Would you please come down / We can't take it no more'). Haunting and heartbreaking, it's from upcoming album Orpheus Descending, which is due to arrive on June 2.
