Posted in: April 2019

At first glance, Dua Lipa might seem cut from the same cloth that gave the world Ariana Grande – that auto-tune driven, melodically acrobatic melting pot of music and, more crucially, image that ensures that Instagram is somehow an important service to the world. But not so! Dua Lipa comes at you with an added dosage of sharp rebelliousness, like biting into a chilli with your corn flakes or hearing a kids show presenter swear. It’s things you’re certainly familiar with and like, but with that added kick in the pants that takes it from being wholly generic to bitingly catchy.

Caravan Palace seem to have adopted the style of the time, which is to take a hiatus between releases. Case in point: their last album, < |°_°|> (or Robot Face if you’re trying to use words) was released all the way back in 2015. Ah, were we ever that young? But as they say, good things come to those who wait, which the ol’ Palace has proven rather cannily. This track seems to pull away from the swing part of the electro swing tag that they’re consistently saddled with and instead slip into the warm and stylish dressing gown that is downtempo. Whether it’s the trend they’ll follow for whatever their next album will be remains to be seen, but this is a damn fine track, make no mistake.

The Shins have been kicking around for well over 20 years now in their cunning guise as indie darlings. But it’s a well-earned title, as their music is undeniably catchy with just enough lo-fi pizzazz to make it seem like they’re a plucky group recording EPs in someone’s basement. And hey, sometimes their videos are like that too, with this charmingly dated bit of CGI tomfoolery involving communist penguins and various oppressive moments. Sometimes, I wonder how I manage to live my life without having to type the words ‘communist penguins’ but that streak is unalterably broken now.