Character comes first. Within all of the three artists singled out by DIY and Neu this week as the finest things we've laid ears on new-music wise, there's something cutting, straight-to-the-gut affecting. Be it an amateur, bedroom-producer going gung-ho with his first work and laying every inch of his character bare; be it a big-time producer coming good with his most anthemic, heart-on-sleeve track to date; or be it one of the UK's most promising pop prospects matching her super-deep song with a stunning video to boot, there's something to latch onto.
Our three picks this week also showcase three distinctly varying stances on how to produce your tracks. St. Lucia does glossy like no other. Pawws doesn't mind letting a little dark into her otherwise pristine productions, but Hang Tight, a producer from Austin, is all about the rough edges.
Here's the best of what happened this week in new music:
TRACK OF THE WEEK
St. Lucia - Elevate
There's little doubting St. Lucia is going to take off, way beyond his current producer cred (it's hardly like he's an insider secret, after all). But you'd reckon 'Elevate' to be a defining moment, with the potential to go M83 'Midnight City' huge on us. Unashamed, glitterball pop with emotions running high, it's passed the 100k play mark and it'll go some distance further than that in the coming weeks. Nigh-on euphoria has never brushed up so close with all-out despair. "No-one elevates you now" could become the next go-to tattoo. God knows. This thing has to take off, right? Into every single car stereo and festival arenas at once. Maybe summer's on the mind, maybe we're growing dizzy. But the timing of this feels perfect.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Pawws - Time To Say Goodbye
Pristine pop it might be, but that's only aesthetically. Pawws' music relies on its laid-bare emotions, most of which take some guts to express. Lucy Taylor's latest video begins with her walking away from an outraged ex, before confessing all to the camera, backed by some gorgeous scenery. It's confessional, it means something and it's pretty much unparalleled. The 'Time To Say Goodbye' video plays to its song's strengths.
DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK
Hang Tight
EP by Hang Tight
Hang Tight's debut EP has faults. So many of them. These faults, though. They're crucial. No facts are known about Hang Tight apart from he experiences the everyday problem of finding "splinters in my milkshake", plus the fact that "Jake Gyllenhall's what I'm reppin'". He's a bedroom kid with a microphone, no doubt. But as the tracks progress, he gets gradually more confident. "I don't need a research assistant, to prove my existence". Inspired by Why? in places, Kitty too, no doubt; there's something wonderfully off-kilter with this first work, so much so it'd be a miracle if it doesn't end up being picked up by some big-deal producer.
Our three picks this week also showcase three distinctly varying stances on how to produce your tracks. St. Lucia does glossy like no other. Pawws doesn't mind letting a little dark into her otherwise pristine productions, but Hang Tight, a producer from Austin, is all about the rough edges.
Here's the best of what happened this week in new music:
TRACK OF THE WEEK
St. Lucia - Elevate
There's little doubting St. Lucia is going to take off, way beyond his current producer cred (it's hardly like he's an insider secret, after all). But you'd reckon 'Elevate' to be a defining moment, with the potential to go M83 'Midnight City' huge on us. Unashamed, glitterball pop with emotions running high, it's passed the 100k play mark and it'll go some distance further than that in the coming weeks. Nigh-on euphoria has never brushed up so close with all-out despair. "No-one elevates you now" could become the next go-to tattoo. God knows. This thing has to take off, right? Into every single car stereo and festival arenas at once. Maybe summer's on the mind, maybe we're growing dizzy. But the timing of this feels perfect.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Pawws - Time To Say Goodbye
Pristine pop it might be, but that's only aesthetically. Pawws' music relies on its laid-bare emotions, most of which take some guts to express. Lucy Taylor's latest video begins with her walking away from an outraged ex, before confessing all to the camera, backed by some gorgeous scenery. It's confessional, it means something and it's pretty much unparalleled. The 'Time To Say Goodbye' video plays to its song's strengths.
DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK
Hang Tight
EP by Hang Tight
Hang Tight's debut EP has faults. So many of them. These faults, though. They're crucial. No facts are known about Hang Tight apart from he experiences the everyday problem of finding "splinters in my milkshake", plus the fact that "Jake Gyllenhall's what I'm reppin'". He's a bedroom kid with a microphone, no doubt. But as the tracks progress, he gets gradually more confident. "I don't need a research assistant, to prove my existence". Inspired by Why? in places, Kitty too, no doubt; there's something wonderfully off-kilter with this first work, so much so it'd be a miracle if it doesn't end up being picked up by some big-deal producer.