By Jack

Gorillaz – Humility

Fruity and demented. Bill Withers’ ‘Lovely Day’ beamed from a distant spiral arm. Ticks along nicely but there is little doubt we are now dealing with diminishing returns. The Gorillaz project it seems has little else to give.

The 1975 – Give Yourself a Try

Don’t adjust your ‘phones – it really does sound like this. Evoking the sound of nostalgia has long been their hallmark but this goes one step further. This sounds like a demo, and that is the intention. Surely not a lead single, nor a signifier of sounds to come. Enjoyable enough and a fun titbit.

Cassels – When Completing Handshakes

Fuzz, fuzz and more fuzz. Every surface that can be left rough is. The result: a bruising punk tune. Punishing riff and a spoken word vocal turn. This is the side of avant-garde you can dance to, or at least trash a room to.

Maroon 5 – Girls Like You feat. Cardi B

Another week another third verse Cardi B collab. Thunderously boring. There is absolutely nothing to this. Not an issue when you’re attempting minimalist ambience. Very much a problem when you’re writing a pop song. Very very much a problem when you only have the combined talents of Maroon 5 to apply. Yet somehow it took four external songwriters to make this happen. If you’re placated by the faux-feminism of the MV then good on you. Soggy tasteless mulch.

Farao – The Ghost Ship

Spiralling, psychedelic funk-folk. The Norweigan singer builds up structures of constantly escalating electronics and B-movie synth washes alongside picked guitar and heavenly multi-tracked vocals. The result is part coffee shop soundtrack, part space odyssey.

The Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez, Vicktor Taiwò – In The Round