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Week 38 – Sept 19

A short one this week to mix things up abit. This week features alt-rockers Biffy Clyro, giant pop newcomer Lola Young, true 6Music grit maestros Wednesday and New York’s own Native Sun who celebrate their debut drop.

There’s never guarantees in this world of music we live in. But one mountain you can die on is that Biffy Clyro will still be out there topping expectations and bringing in their visceral alt-rock fire to the droves. For over two decades, the trio have cemented themselves as one of the best ever to grace studio and stage. Now, they are back from the brink with a full-length.

Scottish rock stalwarts reaffirm the importance of accepting what we have in an energised tenth record, Futique. With its overarching concept of ‘future antique’, it features stand out moments – True Believer and Hunting Season relive off-school Biff – but appears to fall by the wayside compared to their existing catalogue.

It’s no doubt that it’s a record celebrating the boys’ past lives and future. Goodbye denotes Ellipsis and its powerful balladry notes while Woe Is Me, Wow Is You harks back to the tetchy anthems of LP Different People.

For a record all about recalling memories and relationships soaked in nostalgia, it’s one that’s all too forgetful.

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Off the back of her honest break-up song that shook the Internet with everyone and their dog seemingly hearing it, Lola Young revels in her own chaos with I’m Only F**king Myself – an intriguing twist in soul and pop. Featuring potent trendsetters One Thing and d£aler, the record channels a young popstar with a mix of ideas – with a varying degree of success.

SPIDERS is a heartfelt marking of a growing popstar shedding a side of ‘silly’, while Post Sex Clarity offers a decisive vocal performance. It’s a fun, sickly sweet pop album with moments of great songwriting dexterity beneath the facade of trendy TikTok short-form snapshots.

A former Brit School graduate, Lola Young has already proved her worth in the dog-eat-dog climate of the music industry. A pop phenomena who has made navigating it look like a walk in the park, I’m Only F**king Myself is just another feather in her cap.

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Deemed as one of the most interesting rock bands to surface, Wednesday have crafted a trademark sound that is so hard to pin down. Bleeds – the spiritual successor of Rat Saw God – weaves delicate songwriting of creek wineries and forest walks amongst life’s poetry and love’s power. Developing their craft from the former glory of restless punk shanties from the previous record, it sees the band gratified with their formula refinery.

The album itself flows from cut-throat intensity reminiscent of the raw punk shanties of yesteryear to delicate poetry swimming in indie-folk. The North Carolina outfit are ready and willing to make dramatic changes to cut out their cornerstone of music. They’re on the way.

Concrete Language is a first work from a band who are relieved to let go of something they’ve been harbouring for so long. An urgent and direct record of mass proportions, The New Yorkers’ debut record is a love letter to a city in turmoil as it churns through garage rock staples and punk preliminaries. The guttural walls of guitar noise make up the garage rock whereas the socially-charged vocals from frontman Danny Gomez make up the punk schematics.

Reminiscent of Stone Roses’ melodic sensibilities, I Need Nothing leads by example in its groove and attitude. Old-school punk number Adam wheels in from behind with its fast and frenzied monologue into society’s misfits. Elsewhere, Squash brings in that no-nonsense sincerity. It’s no surprise that Native Sun are for the people. So listen to it as intended: at full-volume front-to-back.

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Missed last weeks? View them all here.