Wexford arrivistes Unstuck play blisteringly fun indie rock as exhibited on their recent single "Anne-Marie". The lo-fi sound and loud guitars complicate the otherwise pop simplicity of this infectious track. With slacker sentiments, Unstuck claims viability with Mid-Atlantic accents and relentlessly summery music with rhythmic richness to boot.
Dev Lemons - Nightstand
alternative
Quirky artist Dev Lemons may have amassed a sizable following on TikTok, but don't be fooled; her distinctive weirdo humour is deftly incorporated into her enjoyably intellectual music. A breezy-cool production builds towards crescendos that fall to moments of restrained acoustic and electric sounds merging as Dev offers true poetry; "Looking around the neighbourhood, tears as sweet as cedarwood." This two-and-a-half-minute track is teeming with ideas and character, but if Dev's brand of pop is a tad too off-kilter for you, listen to her when she sings: "replace me with someone easy".
Cloudy Sunny Days - Ardor
dream pop
A recent trip to the beach for the weekend was wonderfully serviced by the single "Ardor" from LA's Cloudy Summer Days. Not only was the title fitting as I sat passenger side, gazing out at the Thai countryside, but the wave of smooth energy was a precursor to seaside antics. A keyboard drum machine keeps a dreamy amalgam of guitars and syntenic sounds glued together as mood trumps intensity on this slick and readily esculent track.
The unashamedly poppy sunshine of UK group Glossy Boy on their single "Hey Julia" is a guilty pleasure if ever there was one. While their cheesy song sometimes veers towards the feigned sincerity of early 00s Brit groups like the Kooks or Scouting for Girls, there's enough innocence and melodic awareness to hear shades of Fountains of Wayne or Weezer in this catchy and mood-enhancing song.
There's a specific horror to ageing, likely the best at ego reduction; we compare ourselves to peers and use our age as a metric for judging relative success. Of course, not all of us can be football players, even fewer to international standard, yet it's impossible not to use our age as line markers on the pitch of life. The London-based Hotel Lux deliver a lyrically memorable and high-concept wallop of post-post-punk on this sneering indictment of social hierarchy.
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