The new Harry Styles single is the worst
Inside: Hadid for Taoiseach. Why is Kean Kavanagh cool? "Sad bangers" agus magical Maggie Rogers.
April Fools, I love it!! I’m about to be insufferable now that the Harry’s House era has begun, so I’ve left that review ‘til last. Ignore if you must.
Idir an dá linn, seo roinnt ceoil agus cúpla ceolchoirm Éireannach ar fiú súil - nó cluas - a thabhairt dóibh!
Síomha - Infinite Space Album Launch Tour
Tá Infinite Space le heisiúint ar an 22 Aibreán ach (speaking from experience) is fiú agus molaim go láidir é a chloisteáil beo! Agus beidh an deis againn é sin a dhéanamh an mhí seo chugainn! Ceol croíúil, liricí machnamhacha draíochtúla, and some pure psychadellic groove, I love love this album. Síomha’s music is just so lush - éist le Fly anseo. Tá ticéid agus réamhordú an albaim ag siomhamusic.com
Kean Kavanagh - Dog Person Tour
I am so excited for these gigs. Despite Dog Person being on the go a year a half now, I haven’t heard any of Kean’s music since Coca Cola Sky live. Considering most of it was home produced I think it’s going to be so interesting to see how instrumentation etc works on stage. But nerdiness aside, Kean Kavanagh rarely misses and new Heart Attacks is no exception. There’s something KK’s music that I can’t put my finger on, or phrase better than it just is cool. Like you know someone cool made it and feel a little cooler for being a listener. I really enjoy him as a lyricst, and like his Eviction Notice on Kojaque’s Deli Daydreams, this song and video balance the melancholy and everyday with the ridiculous and humorous. “Keep living when my heart attacks” really pulls at the heartstrings, but the video (below) is in keeping with Soft Boy’s absurdist style is directed by Kojaque. Tickets for Galway, Limerick and London here.
I actually have a spare ticket for the Port Laois show if anybody’s stuck for one, pop me a message on Instagram!
Súil Amháin - Viva Liobarnach
Ceapaim gur luaigh mé an t-amhrán seo cheana ach is fiú é a lua arís anois go bhfuil físeán ceoil agus liricí (saibhre blasta) ar fáil freisin. Cormac Dunne a stiúraigh, agus ní hamháin go gcuireann sé leis an amhrán, is píosa ann fhéin é - thug mé suntas ar leith don na radharcanna cliste ina gcasann SBÓS isteach i lóchrann mar a bheadh seanmhicreafón ann go háirithe. Caith súil air:
Ceol idirnáisiúnta agus cúpla rud iontach, aisteach nó álainn eile a tharla an tseachtain seo:
Maggie Rogers - Surrender
I love Maggie Rogers. Like I’m in love with Maggie Rogers. I’ve been in love with her since that heartrenching video where she’s waiting for Pharell to react to her first studio recording, má tá ardú croí uait tá an físeán anseo. Wholesome. I met her briefly while I flirted with an internship at a small record label in London and can honestly say she is magical. She’s spoken about the importance of taking our time in a world where everything is instant and ephemeral, and I think we can expect big things from her sophmore album. She’s teased it with a poem and video and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it as a whole.
In other music-related news Tyler the Creator is making me want to go for picnics and be Extremely Offline. “What the fuck is an NFT?” he asks. And you know, He’s dead right. Watch the interview here.
And in other celebrity-but-not-music-related news, what weird parallel universe did we step into when Bella Hadid started posting PBP infographics on her Instagram story? And following Richard Boyd Barrett? April fool’s? Need to hear some opinions on this, please share yours.
Harry Styles - As It Was
Confession: I never listened to Harry Styles’ first album. Aside from Kiwi that played on a TikTok loop through most of last year I could hardly hum a song from the tracklist. But Fine Line had me hooked. And the colourful, sun-soaked aesthetic had everything to do with it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music, and while I came for the glittering palazzo pants, I did stay for the sunshine-y, era-defying pop and quirky production choices across the album. So when rumours started to float that HS3 would be a black-leather-clad rock album, I wasn’t really interested.
Thankfully, that’s not the case at all! The sequins are VERY MUCH here to stay this time around and so… so am I! The video by Ukranian team and director Tanu Muino is beautiful (if anyone knows who the artist is behind the stunning cartoonish wallpaper, I’d Iove to know). As It Was opens with bright 80’s pop synth - a little bit Wham! or A-Ha - but the lyrics are dark and confessional. Fun fact (that I’ve definitely bored you in the smoking area and maybe even on the newsletter with before): Robyn’s Dancing In The Dark has been named scientifically* as the perfect popsong, mainly due to the perfect blend of melancholy lyrics and euphoric beat. A “sad banger”, if you will - and As It Was also fits that bill.
*Other “science” has also named The Beatles’ Ob-la-di Ob-la-da but that doesn’t fit my narrative here
The vocals are giving me Vampire Weekend’s FOTB, and the overall sound shares that special quality that Fine Line had which allows it to be a little nostalgic and timeless, while still able to sit comfortably in today’s pop charts (I actually think the synth is suspiciously similar to The Weekend, please Harries, don’t come for me).
Something else that stands out is the inclusivity and sustainability (as sustainable as you can be as a millionaire popstar and fashion icon, I guess) built into everything he’s been working on lately, from a diverse cast of models in the Pleasing campaign, to charging more for merch to ensure sustainability, to the deadstock sequins used to create the As It Was music video costume.
Very jealous of the Rolling Stone reviewers who have already heard Harry’s House, and excited by Rob Sheffield’s response was that sounds “even better than you hope it is”. If Harry Styles happens to be reading this, I am also avaible for album reviews and press copies (the sea glass green vinyl please). But as I said on Twitter, my initial reaction to / review of this first single was to immediately order the album. Am I a real a Harrie now??