With summer at its height, here's what our music team has been listening to recently. In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, we review releases from Antonio Panzera, Marvin's Revenge, Richard Snow and EMiDORA & Darling I Dreamt
Single: EMiDORA & Darling I Dreamt - Severed Ties 2.0
A twisting, writhing burst of hyperppop goodness, Severed Ties 2.0 reworks Darling I Dreamt’s (formerly Jonah Michael) still-recent original track to incorporate exciting local talent EMiDORA’s uniquely characterful blend of sensitive-yet-hyperactive self-expression. It’s assured, confident and imaginative: slams of bass reinforcing the emotional vulnerability found in the lyrics and melodies teased out of glitching electronica. The duo create a seamless pairing, EMiDORA’s verse contributing a perspective that makes the brief two-minute track feel like it’s maximising every second. Impeccably produced and a testament to the flexibility and versatility of the current wave of Sophie-inspired hyperpop, the maximalism never feels forced or overwhelming, treading the dangerous line between dense and cluttered beautifully. @emidora__ / @darlingidreamt (Kieran Lister)
Single: Antonio Panzera - that awful sound
With a hazy, distorted vocal reminiscent of Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous' remarkable voice, Notts’ own Antonio Panzera oh-so-delicately describes "that awful sound", juxtaposing the lyrics atop gently-strummed acoustic and laid back drumming. Sparse yet deceptively richly textured, this beautiful little song is content to hum along at a relatively sedate pace, hypnotic and dreamlike. The track creates a wonderfully coherent and solid universe of its own within the four-minute duration, with the choruses flaring into pretty-yet-still-distant life, as though watching a supernova burst into existence light-years away. that awful sound’s inviting softness will draw you in and its celestial melodies will stay with you long after it ends. @antpanzera (Kieran Lister)
Single: Marvin's Revenge - Scrape
The trio that are Marvin's Revenge waste no time here in launching themselves - and us - into a dark, brooding land filled with thickly layered guitars and vocals redolent of The Murder Capital. Scrape is a powerfully anthemic track, one of those no-holds-barred journeys that will fill your ears and brain to overflowing with sonic energy. But it's not noise for it's own sake: there's plenty of melody here and some well-thought-out arrangement - the low and high guitar sounds complement the mix perfectly, and those vocals can be subtle when needed. An enjoyably explosive slice of sound. Scrape is the first single from the band's forthcoming EP Offer Of Love. @marvins_revenge (Phil Taylor)
Single: Richard Snow - Governments Always Lie
Richard Snow has been on the Nottingham music scene for some time, more recently with his band The Inlaws, who had an album out worthy of a listen a few months back (titled Look Back In Manga). Richard’s music is heavily influenced by what he calls "The holy trinity of B’s", namely Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrds. Governments Always Lie is a non-album song which features a great YouTube video, filmed with Richard singing to the backdrop of Bulwell High Street, interspersed with images relating to the song’s lyrics, co-written with Craig Barwell, who incidentally lives in Bulwell, as did Richard when he was younger.
Richard dons his tinfoil hat and questions the validity of much of the dialogue that governments propagate as truth including John Lennon’s death, 9/11 and Covid vaccines. He justifies this by stating that governments always lie and mess with our brains, so what are we supposed to believe?
The song’s melody nods appreciatively to Richard’s guitar heroes such as George Harrison and Roger McGuinn, with some jangly tuneful sounds from his cherished Rickenbacker 330/12, which gives a lot of his music that distinctive Power Pop sound. @richardsnow_theinlaws (Claire Spencer)
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