Wonder Villains - Space Jam

We're less than six weeks away from the long-anticipated début album from Derry's finest pop group, Wonder Villains. To whet our appetite before its release, the band have made a song that didn't make the cut available as a free download. But don't think that this is an off-cut, oh no. This is a very special song indeed.

If you've been a fan of Wonder Villains for as long as I have, then "Space Jam" is a song that you should be very familiar with. It has been part of their live set from as far back as 2010, and to the best of my knowledge, it was their only single that received a CD release (I'm a proud owner of one of them, complete with its hand-made cover). More importantly, it was the song that made be fall in love with the band in the first place. Ostensibly about the cult Michael Jordan meets Bugs Bunny film, "Space Jam" was a manic, invigorating tune full of youthful verve, one which made me realise that these guys had something very special indeed.

I was disappointed when I saw the track listing for their album that "Space Jam" didn't make the cut, but I'm delighted that the band have re-recorded the song. In comparison to the original, this version, which has been produced by Rocky O'Reilly, is slightly more sparkly and guitar-centric. However, it's still as wonderfully poptastic and fun as it's ever been. My appetite has now been well and truly whetted. Their album cannot come soon enough.

"Rocky" will be released on June 23rd. They play several dates at The Great Escape in Brighton.

Young Night - Picasso

Young Night are one of an increasing amount of artists who have relocated from their home country (in this case, Australia) to settle in Brighton for musical reasons. Why that town in particular has become such a hub is uncertain, although one might suspect that being a short distance away from London without the capital's extortionate rental prices, coupled with a reputation for great events promoting upcoming artists (such as this weekend's Great Escape Festival) make it an attractive location for hungry young artists.

The band's latest single is "Picasso", is a quirky little indie-pop number, albeit one that take you on a sprawling journey throughout its running time, before putting you back exactly where you started. It's a bit like Vampire Weekend with a harsher edge. It is an interesting, fresh approach to a familiar style of music, which should make Young Night a band worth keeping an eye on.

"Picasso" is available as a free download.

Album Review: Bridie Jackson & The Arbour - New Skin

(Self-release)

Bridie Jackson & The Arbour are a folk four-piece from Newcastle. Although they released their first album back in 2012, it has only really been in the past twelve months that they have really started to take off. They've released several well-received singles, beat out over 8,000 other bands to win a slot at Glastonbury, recorded sessions on BBC Radio 2, and somewhat oddly, won a North-East Museum Award. All this has culminated in the release of their sophomore album, "New Skin".

The first thing that really stands out on "New Skin" is Bridie's vocals. As I mentioned last year when reviewing their single "Prolong" (which makes an appearance on this album), "Bridie Jackson could sing from the directory of phone directories, and still we would hang on to every single syllable as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world". This can be heard throughout the album, be it on the album's string laden title track, the sinister-playful musings of "Scarecrow", or the closing track "One Winter Evening", Bridie has a voice that warrants attention, one that really speaks to the heart, whether those feelings are of the dark, or of the light.

There's a few other great tracks on the album that are worth highlighting. "Diminutive Man" is perhaps the closest thing to an 'upbeat' track on "New Skin", with its country-ish bent, handclaps and fiddle coming off like a close companion to Laura Marling circa "A Creature I Don't Know". Meanwhile, "Sandgate Dandling Song" sees the band take an obscure folk song, originally written by a 19th century Tyneside musician, and reinterpret it through their own haunted, closed-harmonised gaze. In all honesty the song seems somewhat out of place with the other songs on the record, but in spite of this (or possibly because of it), it is the most irresistible tracks on it.

"New Skin" by Bridie Jackson & The Arbour is a fine example of the more haunting, introspective side of English folk music. It may not be the sort of album that is easy to get into on first listen, but if you give it time to grow, and immerse yourself it the worlds created within it, you will uncover something very special indeed.

Released: 5th May 2014 - available to purchase from the band's website.

Highlights: "New Skin", "Diminutive Man", "Sandgate Dandling Song".

Happyness - Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste The Same

London based trio Happyness appear to have been brought up on a diet consisting entirely of 90s American slacker rock, if their latest single, the wonderfully titled "Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste The Same", is anything to go by. This sub-2 minute track combines Pavement-esque grooves and "ooh-oohs" with some of the most deadpan lyrics (sample - "the more I like you, the more I like my dog"). It's great that they give off the impression of not trying very hard, yet have given us something very special indeed.

The debut album from Happyness, "Weird Little Birthday", will be released on June 16th.

The Diamond Age - I Might Just Be

Here's another artist that has been in the "Inbox of Shame" for some time now. Southampton based duo The Diamond Age have been floating on the cusps of our peripheral vision for a few months now, and whilst there was something interesting about their sound, I never did get around to posting something about them.

But having seen the name bandied about on Twitter recently, as well as noting that they're playing at The Great Escape next week, I felt it was worth revisiting their most recent release, "I Might Just Be", and realised that it actually is quite good. Listening to the track, you might understand the initial reservations, as it sounds as if it's been recorded in a tin can, which even someone like myself who doesn't mind lo-fi recordings found a little off-putting. However, once you get over this, what's left is a delightful little dreamy surf-rock tune, with a wonderfully crafted guitar riff and some blissed out vocals. Definitely one to keep a more focused eye on.

"I Might Just Be" will be released on Monday 5th May. They play The Great Escape Festival, Brighton on May 10th at 3pm at Sticky Mike's Frog Bar.