We're back once again with a pre-Bank Holiday edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens. This week, our music team reviews new releases from Swallowtail, highspeedpeach, MCØ and Drew Thomas...
EP: Swallowtail - Seesaw
This band of friends from Nottingham, studying in Brighton, have been making waves in that seaside town with some rave reviews of their recent gigs. Their new six-track EP showcases Swallowtail’s talents wonderfully.
There are some delicious fuzzy guitar sounds with particular attention paid to the effects pedals along with some driving drumming; it's all held together so delicately with Katie Prescott’s otherworldly vocals which at times hint of Siouxsie Sioux. There are also other subtle post punk suggestions hiding there, too.
Distorted guitar licks kick off the first track, Laughter, while To Trace nods quietly to The Cure. The title track is gentler than the others with an ethereal feel, in contrast to Drift which has a distinctly hard Gothic edge to it, and Swansong highlights Katie’s vocals to a tee. The final track Vega Burns ends the EP in dramatic style with building vocal and full-on distorted guitar.
Be sure to go hear them next time they're in town!
@swallowtail_band (Claire Spencer)
Single: MCØ - The Way It Was
Nottingham-based producer MCØ's industrious 2025 continues with The Way It Was, a lush foray into a tropically-tinged R&B soundscape. Plaintive vocal samples efficiently establish the heartfelt theme, but it's really the thundering bass and smartly deployed natural sounds - evocative of early Clams Casino - that cement this song's impossible to ignore atmosphere. The tempo is relaxed, the production is crisp and thick with low end grunt, and the synths that dance atop add just the right amount of balance. MCØ is nothing if not eclectic, but this visit to a rain-soaked paradise is one no-one should let pass them by. (Kieran Lister)
Single: highspeedpeach - Honeybear
On highspeedpeach's most recent single, an acoustic guitar reminiscent of the finest of 90s indie combines with surf-flecked guitar and ethereal harmonies to create dreamlike waves that perfectly compliment the wistful longing of the songwriting. Exhibiting admirable restraint, the song is content to drift by, weaving its magic and resisting any theatrics.
Vocalist Daniel McPherson nails the little details that love is built on, his lyrics here a study of a moment of tenderness, two lovers riding along in a car; one of those mundane yet powerful points in time that leaves an indelible mark on your heart. A really lovely three minutes of affecting music that may well leave its own mark on you. @highspeedpeach (Kieran Lister)
EP: Drew Thomas - Watershed
Watershed is a punchy, liberating and hugely honest collection of songs from London/Nottingham indie rock artist Drew Thomas. There's been a clear arc of development from Drew leading up to this record and the energy levels are huge here, particularly in the triptych of tracks beginning with You, Me & Desire.
The EP opens with the brilliant and upfront Girls Like Girls - a track which is rich with pop/rock riffs, hugely fun to listen to and a clear message of defiance to the all-too-real haters out there. This is followed by the trio of tracks already hinted at: the rich, classic-rock inspired YM&D, the rising and falling sounds of I'm Sorry (You're Lonely), and Gemini, one of Drew's most powerfully catchy songs, where guitar and synths work in unison with some great lyricism.
The title track closes out this collection: Watershed begins and continues as a beautifully reflective but ultimately hopeful, slow-time power ballad. The whole picture this EP paints is sassy and energetic — it's a brilliant rock blast, led by Drew's powerful vocals and classic songwriting. @drewthomasmusic (Phil Taylor)
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