Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 6 August 2021.
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. The film features an incredible soundtrack written by Daniel Hart. The resulting 29-track collection is both as epic and unique as the film itself, a sweepingly dramatic and expansive body of music that straddles the divide between medieval and modern. The soundtrack is the latest in a longstanding creative partnership between Lowery and Hart, the duo having worked together previously on Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon, A Ghost Story and The Old Man & the Gun.
You think Boyracer plan to slow down? Absolutely not! The band return with a brand new record – Assuaged – released by Stewart’s own label Emotional Response. The record sees the band brandishing their noisy elements and coiling them around a nice little bubblegum pop core, ready to spring exuberant hooks on unassuming fans. Stew gets the perfect foil here from bandmate Christina Riley, tossing in some supporting harmonies to give the melody a little more buoyancy. The star of the show, however is the drum work. It’s so sharp and helps keep the song rambunctious and fun all at once. Assuaged is out now.
Known for his deeply meaningful brand of folk-roots that emanates with lyrical sincerity and instrumental prowess, North Queensland’s Dan Baker is unveiling his next melodic journey with the release of EP From Corners Quiet. Showcasing his aptitude for eloquent lyricism, Baker has delivered a tender five-track EP that weaves empathetically between loss and longing, promise and forgiveness. With his natural ability to transform insightful observations into introspective, all-encompassing folk-scapes, From Corners Quiet brings together five intimate stories that meld fluidly to create a beautifully nuanced EP.
Bandleader, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Emma-Jean Thackray was born and raised in Yorkshire but is today a resident of Catford, south-east London. Her 2020 EPs Um Yang 음 양 and Rain Dance marked Thackray out as standard-bearer of a spiritually-minded, dancefloor-angled take on jazz that stood at a slight remove from the broader UK scene. Her debut album Yellow has just been released.
A superstar in her homeland and in high demand worldwide as a soloist, South Korean violinist Bomsori Kim now presents her solo debut album on Deutsche Grammophon. Violin on Stage includes works written for or inspired by opera or ballet. Recorded at the state-of-the-art National Forum of Music in Wrocław last December with the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic and its Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero, the album also captures the close bond Bomsori feels with Poland, its music and its musicians. With the album, Bomsori is also reconnecting with the virtuoso tradition of the old masters. Many famous violinists in music history – figures such as Heifetz, Milstein and Kogan – arranged pieces for their instrument in order to develop their artistry and playfully test their limits. Today the custom is less widespread, but Bomsori is reviving it and expanding the well-known violin repertoire with virtuosic transcriptions.
Billy Childish – musician, poet, painter and writer – shows no sign of slowing down. The last twelve months have seen him record a “career in a year” with The William Loveday Intention, battle off a debilitating COVID infection and revisit his punk roots with CTMF. His latest CTMF album is Where the Purple Iris Grows and it’s out now.
An Alien Invasion In The Petty Kingdoms (Part 1: Prelude) is the debut EP from folk collective Awen Veleda & The Wandering Lights. Set in ancient times the story of an unexpected event unfolds through the voices of various characters all scrambling to understand the truth and agree what to do. This unique 5 track EP explores how people deal with the unexpected, manage change through their own beliefs and context, and find ways to work together.
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- New music round-up (for w/e 23 July 2021)
- New music round-up (for w/e 29 July 2022)
- New music round-up
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television