It might be a coincidence or an easy marketing tactic, but with today being Friday the 13th, this week’s #NewMusicFriday is stacked with new releases. From looking at the extensive list below, there is considerably no “major” releases that jump out of you. However, if you dive a little deeper then you’ll discover plenty of worthwhile new music for consumption.
There is an abundance of emerging talent from home and abroad sharing new music today. Amongst these is the new album from genre-crossing Londoner Kid Bookie. His new record, ‘Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead’ has some impressive moments and easily fuses various styles.
Elsewhere on the homefront, synth goth-rock duo Zetra deliver their self-titled debut. Oxfordshire post-hardcore upstarts Lastelle leave their mark on the emotionally-charged ‘Exist Vol. i’ EP. Whereas ‘waded’ sees London’s Uzumaki produce plenty of grunge-laden earworms.
Fans of BONES UK are sure to welcome the release of ‘Soft’, as the duo showcase an evocative and sultry brand of rock with electro-pop flourishes. Furthermore, “Brat punk” Delilah Bon releases the strongly avoidable ‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ (see below). Progressive art-rock group, Sans Froid, release their debut album, ‘Hello, Boil Brain’ and explosive riff merchants Torus share their self-titled full-length.
There is also the return of Jonny Foreigner. ‘How To Be Hopeful’ sees the Birmingham quartet return with their first album in eight years. A band who seemingly want to be active when they have something to say, rather than rest on former glories. Their return is a joyful one yet as varied as Jonny Foreigner have always been. Alexei Berrow and company ruminate on themes of insecurity, loss of friends, post-Brexit Britain, post-pandemic hedonism, and references to past releases.
When it comes to names from overseas, Foxing follow up their impressive 2021 album, ‘Draw Down the Moon,’ as they aim to leave their definitive offering with their self-titled album. Elsewhere, former Fever 333 pair Stephen Harrison and Aric Improt deliver the debut House of Protection outing. ‘GALORE’ sees the duo provide a dynamic and sonically striking set of songs.
Lastly, Yon Loader‘s eponymous offering from New Zealand has the potential to be a hidden gem. With comparisons to American Football, The Hotelier, and The World Is…, it sees James Stuteley and a handful of remote collaborators compose a series of intricate emo rock songs littered with candid lyrics.
Kid Bookie – Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead
Kid Bookie (aka Tyronne Hill) cites Slipknot, Frank Ocean, and Eminem as the names behind his favourite three albums. His musical diet of crushing metal, alternative R&B, and confident hip-hop is firmly explored on his third full-length outing – ‘Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead’. Its 10 tracks see the London-born artist finesse himself between rock, hip-hop, and metal, occasionally wrapping all of them into a single track.
Bookie’s fusion of various styles is far from being lodged in for effect. From the outset, ‘AI (Save Yourself)’ bursts out the gate with sharp, industrious guitars before introducing a tight trap beat in the verse as Hill spits rapid bars. Its chorus soars, serving as a release to his feature for a robot-led future. It soon becomes obvious that Hill knows how to deliver bold hooks.
For example, ‘Love Drunk’ is a simple, uplifting slice of pop-rock with added “na-na-na”s. It’s followed up by the boisterous ‘Love Me While You’re Angry’. Assisted by long-time friend and co-writer Ziey Kizzy, it’s one of ‘SFTL//SFTD’s most fleshed-out numbers with glitchy beats, heavy guitars, and a bold chorus. Add to that an impressive, crushing breakdown, and you’re left with a thunderous highlight.
As a lyricist, Hill is vulnerable and honest, confronting his insecurities, upbringing (‘Scars’) and pondering the future. The pairing of ‘Self Control’ and ‘Down My Friend’ strips away the punchy rock and hip-hop, allowing Bookie’s sultry acoustic R&B to briefly take centre stage. ‘Purgatory’ allows moments like this to develop. The mix of tender acoustics with soft vocals proves to have a magnetic quality, while also being aided by words of hopelessness and helplessness in love.
Frustratingly, for all of ‘Songs…’ strengths, you can’t help but come away wanting just a little bit more. This especially comes to fruition when an interlude, alongside the aforementioned fleeting duo of ‘Self Control‘ and ‘Down My Friend,’ make up a quarter of the 10-track offering.
Despite these genuine shortcomings, Kid Bookie makes up for it by delivering some sturdy songs that effortlessly cross genre lines. ‘Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead’ lends Kid Bookie enough substance for him to continue the momentum he’s gathered over recent years.
House of Protection – GALORE
Having carved out a reputation, both individually and collectively, as specialists in expansive heavy music, it’s no surprise Stephen Harrison and Aric Improt’s new project House of Protection maintains that same ethos. ‘GALORE’ is their debut EP and sees the former Fever 333 pair step up to the spotlight. With a blank canvas, and aided by Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me The Horizon) and Nick DePirro (Night Verses) on production duties, Harrison and Improt fuse elements of hardcore, electronica, and punk in a chaotic manner.
‘Pulling Teeth’ kicks things off with irritating electronica and a tough beat before exploding, it quickly showcases the duo’s ability to easily combine different styles. ‘Learn To Forget’ is equally bombastic with Harrison’s razor-sharp guitar combined with Improt’s penetrative drums to create a rapturous sound.
‘Fuse’ and ‘Being One’ benefit from Fish’s input. The former is energetic, boosted by Harrison’s distorted vocals with Improt supplying a harmonious chorus. ‘Being One’ embraces electronica to the fullest as Stephen’s smooth, euphoric vocals and personal words glisten above the drum-n-bass tempo. When sandwiched between ‘Learn To Forget’ and the frenzied ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt,’ ‘Being One’ stops the momentum. Whereas the other two numbers are considerably the strongest on offer. ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’ undoubtedly thrives on Improt’s drum work and Harrison’s titular screams.
‘Better Off’ rounds out the EP. Leaning into a hip-hop beat with Fish’s glitchy electronic production quips yet highlights how Harrison’s and Improt’s vocals complement each other. Furthermore, its tortured-laden chorus is executed with a favourable bounce.
‘GALORE’ is a well-rounded statement of intent from House of Protection. With a range of ideas scattered across its six tracks, Harrison and Improt, and to an extent Fish and DePirro, have crafted an EP that reinvigorates their passion as musicians and elevates them to co-frontmen. Thoroughly energetic, diverse, and ambitious. Watch House of Protection thrive in the coming months.
Delilah Bon – Evil, Hate Filled Female
It’s been said “Brat Summer” is over, but for Delilah Bon being “brat” isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle. The fiercely independent artist is upfront and confrontational as she delivers her second full-length. Titled ‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’, Delilah swaggers with confidence throughout, flexing between nu-metal, hip-hop, and riot grrrl punk across 14 songs. Unfortunately, it’s a challenging listen, littered with poor ideas.
‘Hey World’ is supposed to be Bon’s autobiographical introductory yet its tinny hip-hop/pop production leaves a sickly impression. ‘Maverick’ attempts to inject some nu-metal bite but even that soon outstays its welcome. Throughout Deliah’s vocals go from sultry pop to barbed-laced rapping with occasional screams, with varying results.
Ideas are thrown at the wall carelessly and few, if any, truly stick. ‘Villain’ is one of several attempts of Deliah of trying to become a modern female equivalent of Eminem’s ‘Slim Shady’ persona, yet its plastic execution means it doesn’t pay off. While her lyrical intent can be appreciated, the LGBTQ+ supporting ‘The Internet’ is spoiled by Bon’s insistence on rapping in a faux American accent. It merely cheapens her music. Likewise, ‘I Am The Best (Just Ask Your Momma)’ aims at male keyboard warriors, and pairs it with 2000s garage pop. Past single, ‘Volatile’, pings about with a generic beat as Deliah spits lines about her perseverance despite being oppressed by “Mr. Industry”.
I’m all for artists speaking their minds, being confrontational, and standing up for whatever they believe in. However, ‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ soon becomes nauseous. To be frank, it’s an absolute slog to listen to, with each song draining anything, no matter how combative Bon’s words become (see ‘Epstein’).
Sure Delilah Bon‘s trials, tribulations, and rallying calls for equality and feminism will connect with those willing to persevere with this 14-track set. However, where other artists have pulled off the genre-crossing trope with admirable results, Bon isn’t one of them. Her style is playful but also extremely overbearing. This isn’t helped by her attempts at becoming an inspiration to young girls and queer people. As I said, it’ll connect with some but more will find this a tiresome, forgettable record.
What is out on #NewMusicFriday?
Foxing – Foxing
Johnny Foreigner – How To Be Hopeful
156/Silence – People Watching
Cursive – Devourer
Zetra – Zetra
House of Protection – Galore
Kid Bookie – Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead
Delilah Bon – Evil, Hate Filled Female
Uzumaki – waded
BONES UK – Soft
Sans Froid – Hello, Boil Brain
The Bar Stool Preachers – Below The Static
Yon Loader – Yon Loader
Torus – Torus
Lastelle – Exist Vol. 1
Taylor Acorn – Survival In Motion
Hello Mary – Emita Ox
Chastity – Chastity
Crashface – Life and Death In The Wasteland
Nada Surf – Moon Mirror
the Jesus Lizard – Rack
The Wytches – Replica EP
Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon
Hayley and the Crushers – Unsubscribe from the Underground EP
Abusements – Grievance Beerwater Reprisal
Deadletter – Hysterical Strength
Bad Moves – Wearing Out The Refrain
The Devil’s Sons – Now and at the Hour of Death
A Killer’s Confession – Victim 1
Val Experience Band – Osmium
mirabelle. – Welcome to My Funeral
Go Betty Go – Black & Blue
Go Ahead And Die – Better Dead Than Mainstream: Live At The Marquee Theater
Chaosbay – Are You Afraid?
Crobot – Obsidian
Silent Theory – Tell Us How It Ends
If you think I’ve missed something or have a new album/EP/song to tell us about, tell us about it here.
If you’re looking for the latest tracks focusing on rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, then check out our ‘Newish Music’ playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
