First Impressions: Charli XCX Releases New Album, how i’m feeling now, Composed in Quarantine

Pop producer and songwriter Charli XCX was discovered in 2008 after posting songs on Myspace. She returned to the makeshift bedroom studio this April to record her latest album, how i’m feeling now, over five weeks while quarantining in Los Angeles. The album was released this morning, and it perfectly demonstrates Charli’s aptitude for music production. how i’m feeling now echoes the current emotional climate of much of the world: bubbling over with disquiet, seemingly ready to reach a panicked apex at any moment. The production of this album perfectly demonstrates Charli’s skill at her craft. The songs are intricate and densely layered; they sound as though they have been laboured over for months, not pieced together in mere weeks.

The first track is called ‘pink diamond.’ This is somewhat of a misnomer because the song has a very different atmosphere than implied from the title. It is not sweet, pure, light-heartedness or radiant brilliance; the song is anxiety-inducing, laden with synths which imitate white noise in their constancy. The song is a barrage of distracting, haunting sounds, and it is excellent. The unsteady beats in this track perfectly reflect the unpredictable times we are living in. ‘pink diamond,’ is a standout song on the album.

‘forever,’ is a glitchy pop song which is heavily reminiscent of Imogen Heap. Robotic-sounding vocal layering pervades the repetitious track. The production here sound effortless. The corrosive beats sound as though they could dissolve your headphones as you listen, entranced. ‘7 years’ is another song which sounds Heap-inspired. It is calmer than the majority of the songs on the album.

‘claws’ and ‘c2.0’ are industrial, glitch pop tracks. ‘claws’ is grinding, with a beat that eerily mirrors a pickaxe hitting rock. ‘c2.0’ sounds like the mechanical soundtrack to a dystopian novel. The electronic voices infused in these tracks present Charli as, arguably, a posthumanist composer. ‘enemy’ also comes from the darker side of the album. A heavy, ominous bass and sombre drive the song.

‘detonate’ is soothing and nostalgic, with mellow accompaniment. However, the lyrics present a dark, bitter edge: “I’m about to detonate… I don’t trust myself.” Similarly, ‘i finally understand’ is a catchy pop song with pensive, sorrowful lyrics.

The final three songs on the album are buzzing with energy, like a crackling fire. ‘party 4 u’ crescendos from a quiet intro to a hopeful, hefty track with an intense and powerful bassline. ‘anthems’ is a fierce, up-tempo club banger which is nostalgic at the moment while clubs are closed. It is also relatable in current times, with lyrics such as “I’m so bored… lose myself in a tv show” and “I just want to go to parties… want to feel the heat from all the bodies.” The final song on the album, ‘visions,’ has a heavy-hitting chorus which will be perfect for a large crowd at a club or festival. The outro is extremely restless and uneasy, with fizzing, droning synth and a determined, trance-producing kickdrum.

The album is a fizzing, frothing collection of syrupy synth and booming bass. On first listen, the uncertain and challenging nature songs brought out my reflective side and I began to contemplate the erratic situation we are currently experiencing due to Covid-19. However, the album ends on a high and I found myself missing nights out in Dublin, packed into a dark, crowded pub, listening to live music. For now, the Instagram and Facebook gigs are a welcome substitute, but I eagerly await the day when we can once again experience live music in Dublin.

Check out the video for ‘forever,’ created using film clips sent in by fans, here. You can stream how i’m feeling now on Spotify here.

Elina Filice Plunges into New Sonic Waters with Upcoming Single,‘Thinking of You.’

This Friday, Elina Filice is due to release ‘Thinking of You,’ a hip hop and jazz-inspired track which heavily incorporates elements of spoken word and hip hop. In fact, Elina originally intended it to be a spoken word piece but developed into a song when the chorus and beat were conceived and miraculously fit with the narrative.

The verses are sparse; a funk-inspired guitar and relaxed beat accompany Elina’s informal, detached vocals. The delicate accompaniment in the verses ensures the song’s narrative is the listener’s primary focus here. It may be the summer postcard-style cover artwork or the glittering guitar and overall airy arrangement, or perhaps it is Elina’s musical themes of “travel, adventure, movement and love” seeping in, but the song reminds me of an idyllic summer holiday. It is reminiscent of the act of unwinding and sunbathing on a beach in blistering June heat.

The difference is night and day between the chorus and verse. A subtle cacophony of guitar lines and drum hits suddenly fill the expanse the verse was so preciously protecting. If the verses are the breath of fresh air you experience on a summer holiday, then the chorus is the arrival at a thronged tourist attraction and being met with bustling streets, busy and full of life.

Elina Filice arrived in Dublin in 2017, having grown up in Singapore and attended university in Canada. She has made a strong impression on the Dublin music scene since arriving here, playing both solo and with her band, The Kicks, releasing an EP, and founding music consulting service Red Vine Music.

‘Thinking of You’ is the first song on her second EP, Flight Risk, due for release this Friday, 8th May 2020. You can pre-save ‘Thinking of You’ here.

Nathan Mac Releases Debut Single ‘Better off without you’

Nathan Mac is a performer of many guises. He has released music under several pseudonyms, been a circus arts performer for many years, and blended the two art forms on more than one occasion. For example, in a sold out show at the Smock Alley Theatre in September 2019.

Now, Nathan is taking on a new persona to release indie-pop track ‘Better off Without You’ tomorrow, 1st May. The song is melancholic, but does not lack energy for it. It crescendos into beautiful harmonic colours which permeate the arrangement. This is particularly evident in the chorus, which subtly evolves each time it is heard. This song is radically different from his previous releases, which leaned more towards a folk or singer-songwriter style. ‘Better off Without You’ instead features smooth, swelling synth and crackling, lofi drums. Nathan has exchanged folk sincerity for a catchy, rhythmic pop sound. Dropped the soft, guitar-driven storytelling and picked up a synth-heavy production.

On close listening, though, ‘Better off Without You’ is not as far removed from Nathan’s former self as it first appears. The lyrics are as convincing and narratively affecting as his releases under the name Bua. They shrewdly hint at his former style, which was inspired by the natural world. “In the moments I relapse, the ecosystem in my mind starts to collapse. I get smokey eyes when I set fire to your face.” Organic imagery such as this, sprinkled throughout the song, communicates complex emotions and does so in a memorable, distinctly indie-pop package. As a less subtle reminder of his past, birdsong rings out at the end of the track and reiterates this connection to nature.

‘Better off Without You’ is the first in a series of singles being recorded with producer Brian Dwyer, which will be released as part of the Start of Something Blue project. ‘Better off Without You’ is due for release on 1st May 2020, and you can pre-save the song on Spotify here.