TRACKS
YVA MISSING ME
(PLEASE TRY TO GET IN TOUCH 8-6 WEEKS AHEAD OF THE MONTH OF RELEASE)
Image by Andy Martin
Words: Ali Welford First steps tend to be the most difficult, and have certainly proven so for Newcastle songwriter Eva Stone, whose debut EP was first touted some five years back and will finally land next month. Moreover, this stunning second single not only suggests it’ll have been worth the wait, but also provides an insight into just what took her so long. Inspired by years of fragmented, anxiety inducing sessions in London, Missing Me is a deep, introspective ballad from an artist – and more importantly, human – seeking to rediscover their sense of self. Riddled with fear, envy and existential dread (“It’s hiding there inside of me / I’m scared that one day it’ll come to be uncontained”), it’s a potent, intensely relatable account of mental health’s omnipresent burdens. Marvellous. Released: 12.03.21 www.yvaofficial.bandcamp.com
MXYM PAGEANT Words: Michael O’Neill A phenomenal rush of euphoria bursting at the seams with character and energy, Pageant is an utter triumph of sputtering synths and hooks so clean you could eat your dinner off them. It’s an incredibly eclectic and engaging piece of pop wonder, with the North East-based artist fusing a disparate range of influences (from Marilyn Manson through to Madonna) together to create something which is entertaining and immediately catchy as hell. There’s a wonderful undercurrent of emo running through the vibrant soundscape of pounding drums, slashing power chords and arpeggiating synths. It taps into a sound that is always deserving of better representation within the local scene, and MXYM is a refreshingly radical addition to our rapidly diversifying musical community. Released: 26.02.21 www.facebook.com/themxym
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REVIEWS OF SINGLES AND EPS BY NORTH EAST ARTISTS. WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? EMAIL NARCMEDIA@GMAIL.COM
EYECONIC PRAYING MANTIS Words: Ali Welford It’s one of hip-hop’s oldest tropes; rapper hares out of the traps with an orgy of braggadocio, only for personal reality checks to send them and their music crashing back to the realms of mere mortals. For Polish-born, Teesside-based Eyeconic, however, this familiar process has unfolded in reverse. Whereas last year’s full-length Do Not Resuscitate proved an unusually pensive debut, Praying Mantis asserts its territory with blaring bass and baying punchlines; the result of a lockdown spent escaping the “dark pit” which hung over past works. Likening his prowess to “Lewandowski when he’s shooting with his right foot / Tyron with his right hook / Edgar Allan Flow but I don’t write books,” it makes for a refreshing narrative flip. Released: 12.03.21 www.facebook.com/iameyeconic
IGG SEEKING TO LOCATE THE GREENERY Words: Kate Murphy Igg’s Natural Symbiosis was one of the standout demos of 2019: snake-charming rap that spilled bright colours all over the brain. With a knack for producing music that seems to physically move, his latest offering also boasts clever rhymes – “It’s all just so obscene to me / Maybe I just need a complete change of scenery / Like living in a city seeking to locate the greenery” – and brings added humour in the deep ghost-wobble of its lowest male vocal, and the sharp, shiny-pure bell that rings in a note of winking satire throughout. The song itself rocks like a bed, or a DIY wagon with loose wheels. It’s lo-fi and slick at the same time, and smart and weird is never a bad combination either. Released: 19.03.21 www.soundcloud.com/iamigg
