TRACKS
MXYM WORTH REMEMBERING Words: Kate Murphy MXYM brings us a raucous, rapturous left-field delight with Worth Remembering. Like stadium rock, pop punk and 80s indie all running outdoors to deliver the finale in a musical, it’s BIG in every aspect: from its straight-to-the-heavens guitar solo to its deliciously grand vocal performance, it makes you feel fifty feet tall just to listen to it. It’s infectious to hear someone who completely knows and completely likes who they are, and the track is thrillingly alive from start to finish. You can’t help but smile at the twangy beginning and ELO-esque synth voice that follows the first chorus: this is confident, inspired cherry-picking from genres you can’t predict, a refusal to be contained in any one box, and a song you won’t be forgetting any time soon. Released: 04.08.21 www.soundcloud.com/themxym
CEILING DEMONS FEAT. ZARAHRUTH SILVER BIRCH Words: Luke Waller Symbolism-heavy, utterly out there, and tinted by some kind of spiritual atmosphere – Ceiling Demons, the self-described “alternative art-rap band”, are back with their latest single Silver Birch. Serving as a prelude to their new album, Snakes & Ladders, due for release in September. From beginning to end, this song is a mystical journey with such contrasting parts in a three-minute track having been scarcely seen since the Beatles’ Happiness Is A Warm Gun. From Dan Demon’s rasping, gravelly vocals, through the will-o’-the-wisp choruses written and sung by guest vocalist Zarahruth, to when Chris Shaw’s guitar comes jangling in, foreshadowing the Clash-reminiscent final verse which is sung by the gruff voice of Psy Ceiling, Silver Birch is exciting, enticing and everything you’d never thought of before. Something really quite special. Released: 06.08.21 www.ceilingdemons.bandcamp.com
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REVIEWS OF SINGLES AND EPS BY NORTH EAST ARTISTS. WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? EMAIL NARCMEDIA@GMAIL.COM (PLEASE TRY TO GET IN TOUCH 8-6 WEEKS AHEAD OF THE MONTH OF RELEASE)
SALSOLA THE SEEKERS Words: Beverley Knight For their fourth single release following Deconstruction last year, Salsola present The Seekers. The Teesside quartet busied themselves as best they could through the pandemic by performing livestreams for the Georgian Theatre and BBC Introducing, Art Mouse Promotions and Music Mayhem while recording this very track. The Seekers floats across the airwaves steadily, unclenched, like a surfer catching a wave; echoing guitar hooks find their way at the forefront as a plush voice lays out a melodious tune, evidencing the feminine tone as witnessed in peers and South London punks Goat Girl. An added breakdown and change of pace adds to the texture, bringing us to a close and a final stamp in their neat package of indie rock. Released: 06.08.21 www.facebook.com/salsolamusic
SCOTT WILSON HOME Words: Beverley Knight Making sense of a situation through music is what Darlington singersongwriter Scott Wilson opted for in his debut single Home. After years of learning his craft through gigging around the region, he fine-tuned his sound, extracting the influence of Steven Wilson and Tash Sultana. Relief, pain, heartache and the spectrum of emotions that inevitably come to the surface were tapped into for the gentle, folk outpouring; a beat-free tune with strummed loops ensure that the words are the focus here. Scott’s lulling, echoed voice sadly addresses the situation: “I don’t love you tonight, but you’ll always feel like home,” acting as an example of a heart exposed, avoiding the enormity, but still wanting the best for who’s lost. Released: 13.08.21 www.facebook.com/scottwilsontunes
