Scruff of the Neck Presents ... - 20160201
- Written by Dave Beech
For your entertainment at the start of another working week here's five more hand-picked delights from the Scruff Of The Neck stable.
Blooms – 'Head Is Spinning'
It seems like we've been waiting forever for BLOOMS to drop their debut single, and now that wait is finally over. 'Head Is Spinning' is a suitably trippy track that reflects its name perfectly. The accompanying video, however, takes things a step further; a film of primary colour covering each shot whilst off-kilter camera work adds to the overall feeling of disorientation. Fantastic stuff.
Fairchild – 'Breathless'
Moving from Australia's Gold Coast to a rain-soaked North of England might not be in the five-year plan of most bands, but then most bands aren't Fairchild. 'Breathless' is both stark, yet strangely warming, the band incorporating the aesthetics of the cities they've lived in, combining them to form an understated and groove-laden single.
The Jackobins – 'One More Chance'
An ominous, loose sounding bass and almost-martial percussion open proceedings on 'One More Chance', but it only takes a matter of seconds before the waves of uplifting and anthemic optimism come crashing in. Harbouring buckets of commercial appeal and self-confidence to match, it won't be long before Liverpool's The Jackobins blow up.
Jimmy Amnesia – 'Days Of Our Lives'
Making red-blooded indie rock that draws influence from the likes of a wealth of '90s and '00s acts, Leicester's Jimmy Amnesia aren't afraid of getting loud. 'Days Of Our Lives' is four minutes of blistering britpop, flecked with grunge and lavished with an acerbic fuzz that's enough to make anyone who hears it sit up and pay attention.
Psyblings – 'Never Make A Living'
Aside from their excellent name, Manchester five-piece Psyblings are taking the spirit of the '60s and dragging it kicking and screaming in to the present. Brilliantly understated, at least as far as psychedelia goes, 'Never Make A Living' studiously pushes onward, ever-building and only reaching the level of true freakout in its closing moments.