The Angle is back again, offering you a selection of unknown tracks we’ve uncovered over the past week. Go on, have a listen!
1. Trophy Wife – ‘Canopy Shade’
This Oxford trio is formed from elements of indie rock group Jonquil, and a similar atmosphere can be observed throughout the first track from their EP Bruxism. On ‘Canopy Shade’ there is a light yet exuberant tempo, reinforced through the jangly keys and soft drum beats. Throughout there are drifts into elements of smart electro-pop through clever manufactured rhythms, with lead singer Jody Prewett providing a calming monologue throughout, in a style akin to Foals who helped produce one of the other tracks on the EP, ‘Wolf’. Trophy Wife could be hotly tipped for good things in 2012 if they keep up this form.
2. Daughter – ‘Home’
Daughter is a duo of Elena Torina and Igor Haefeli, and here they are demonstrating some very pristine work representative of a genre that has seen such growth in recent years: mellow and haunting female singers. ‘Home’ is a minimalistic track, taking on board a plethora of percussion melodies to reinforce a brooding environment, as well as incorporating elements of experimentation to showcase the vocal rhythm and talent. ‘Home’ is from the EP The Wild Youth.
3. Rapids! – ‘House of Sand and Fog’
Rapids! are a Bournemouth group who tick all the boxes for an indie rock group, with piercing guitars, tight drumming and soft vocals forming a persona that already seems very well trained and focused. These frontal and angular riffs, clearly noticeable on ‘House of Sand and Fog’, along with the rasping lyrics remind me of some early Bloc Party demos, yet with a softer vibe and more importance placed on echoes to create an all-encompassing sound. Other tracks from the EP Fragments see Rapids! start off with some cautious attempts to build synths and reverb into their tracks, which could see the band propelled into greater limelight.
4. Post War Years – ‘All Eyes’
This is the new single from the Leamington Spa four-piece, who have recently supported The Naked & the Famous, which was great! Their as-yet untitled second album is due for release in 2012. The opening few moments of ‘All Eyes’ sound like the material you would find on their debut album, which would be great to say the least. But it gets better: the track drops into an orgy of soundscapes, distorted guitar riffs and ‘dirty’ bass. The chorus drop really makes it, and along with lead singer Simon Critten’s commanding vocals makes this a knock-out song. The single is released on December 12th.
