Singles and downloads - September 2012
Errors, Withered Hand and Miaoux Miaoux among highlights
We’re not just here for the nasty things in life, like reporting that vapid-folk yawn-patrol Mumford and Sons return with ‘I Will Wait’ (I wish they had) (●●, Gentlemen of the Road/Island Records).
We’re here for the sexy pop goods too, such as RM Hubbert’s tryst avec Emma Pollock – all mercurial nylon axe-mastery and candle-lit indie-blues – on ‘Split Tour EP’ (●●●●, Chemikal Underground). Taking it up a notch are alt-rock propagators Frightened Rabbit, whose ‘State Hospital’ EP (●●●●, Atlantic) features an exceptional doom-disco orgy, ‘Wedding Gloves’, wherein Scott Hutchison plays the trilling Kiki Dee to Aidan Moffat’s dank-chambered Elton John. It is grubby, absurd and gorgeous, and offers gripping reassurance that the Frabbits’ leap from indie to major has not diminished their rampant charms.
The East-West Coast rap axis (Scotland branch) delivers two stellar hip-hop salvos via lavish funk on Stanley Odd’s ‘Killergram’ (●●●●, Circular) and Hector Bizerk’s minimalist, rapid-fire, ‘Bury The Hatchet’ (●●●●, self-release). Beat-boxer and art-pop idol Adam Stafford joins Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo for a typically enthralling ‘Split EP’ (●●●● Wiseblood Industries), while Jo Mango will floor you with sublime hymn ‘Cordelia’ (●●●●, Olive Grove). Jessie Ware smoulders on moonstruck-swoon ‘Night Light’ (●●●, Island); 2:54 seduce on the Cure-fuelled downer-pop of ‘Sugar’ (●●●, Fiction).
Miaoux Miaoux’s ‘Autopilot EP’ (Chemikal Underground, ●●●●) brims with delirious Auntie Flo and Discopolis remixes, Withered Hand trashes and brightens hearts with his exquisite ‘Inbetweens EP’ (●●●●, Brother+Dad), The Pictish Trail thrills with dreamy, psychedelic pop on ‘The Summer Is Empty of Idiots EP’ (●●●●, Fence) and Malcolm Middleton’s Human Don’t Be Angry allies deep-humanoid beats with new-pop licks on the glorious ‘Dreamer’ (●●●●, Chemikal Underground).
By virtue of its throbbing, kosmische wonder, Single of the Month goes to the increasingly almighty Errors, for the extra-celestial ‘Ammaboa Glass’ (●●●●●, Rock Action). You’ll notice that they’ve got the world in their hands in its mind-melding video. That is no accident.