PROG
It’s never been the most fashionable of genres, but progressive rock has undeniably enjoyed a resurgence since the early 2000s. The likes of Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta and even Muse helped to reintroduce prog into the modern rock vocabulary.
Glasgow five-piece Halo Tora are the latest act to revitalise the genre, tastefully integrating elements of post-rock and modern alternative into their powerful sound.
The band have cherry-picked only the best elements for their new single Ruins.
There are no guitar solos or pretentious concepts in sight – just cinematic keys, muscular guitar riffs and powerful vocals that resemble a more melodramatic Mike Vennart (Oceansize).
Their album Omni\One is available to pre-order from today.
PUNK
On the topic of Oceansize, while Vennart has been been touring as guest guitarist for Biffy Clyro, his old bassist Steven Hodson has been treading murkier waters with USA Nails.
The London-based quartet present punk at its most ugly and irreverent on their new track I Am Normal. The riffs are discordant, the rhythm is intense and the vocals are barely discernible – and that is all to the track’s benefit.
If furious post-hardcore performed at breakneck speed is what you look for in your music, look no further.
FOLK
BBC Radio 2 folk award nominees Gilmore & Roberts may seem a more timid proposition but their topics of discussion are anything but. Their upcoming album Conflict Tourism is aptly named, lyrically concentrating on pain and struggle.
It’s a refreshing approach for a modern folk act to take. Cecilia proves a poignant choice for the album’s promotional single. The track conveys its melancholic message in a daring way as highly energetic guitar and mandolin interlock in a minor key. Gilmore’s lead vocals are impressive too, beautifully crooning the track’s hook over Roberts’ rhythmic play.
Scottish traditional acts such as Skipinnish have been enjoying surprise mainstream exposure over the past few months. It’ll be interesting to see whether a modern take on roots music is as successful.
ELECTRONIC
On a grander scale, the new single from Disclosure didn’t disappoint. The English garage/house duo have reunited with popular vocalist Sam Smith for their new single Omen.
The result isn’t a massive departure from the sound that won them international plaudits on their debut album Settle, although Smith’s vocals undeniably elevate this single from being a fairly standard affair from the Lawrence brothers.
The funky loop that forms the basis for the track might not be as catchy as the earworms of White Noise and When a Fire Starts to Burn, but there’s a comfortability to Disclosure’s sound now that dispels all that.
R&B
Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd has frequently been compared to Michael Jackson for his impassioned and seductive vocals, however his new single Can’t Feel My Face is the first time there’s been a more stylistic resemblance.
Whereas Tesfaye often had a tendency to use his voice to merely augment the moody production on his otherwise terrific trilogy of mixtapes, here it is the absolute focal point.
The Weeknd even embraces a type of synth funk of his own, suggesting that the Canadian singer has finally grown up and truly taken his music in a new, exciting direction.
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