The MOnday: 24.03.25
Your weekly music update. This time: Blu Syrup, Kayla Grace, Two of the same, an anxiety-exploring visualiser from Japanese Breakfast, and Divorce in conversation...
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More new music… Check my latest monthly playlist for lots more!
Blu Syrup - Empty Promises
A song and a band which capture the spirit and sound of Nottingham’s current alt-rock scene. ‘Empty Promises’ is a jagged, languidly energetic, garagey track which flows neatly for just over three minutes, rising and falling on waves of electric guitar.
Kayla Grace - cats can surf (EP)
Centred around the endearingly-named title track, this is a warm, generous and sometimes disarmingly deep pop record. The EP also features ‘a leith ross song’, a lovely acoustic number in the vein of Gracie Abrams, full of hope and with some brilliant lyrical imagery. Look out for Kayla’s debut London headline show at The Grace on 8th April.
Two of the same - Occupation
This Manchester-based duo (who happen to be identical twin sisters) have been releasing music for a couple of years now — ‘Occupation’ is their best yet. It’s a well-measured, vibey alt-rock track, building slowly from jangly guitars and thrummy drums to reach an impassioned series of verse/chorus cycles interspersed with catchy breakdowns.
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This is the accompanying video to a key track from Japanese Breakfast’s new album ‘For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)’. Directed by Michelle Zauner herself, the ‘Picture Window’ video explores — very effectively — differing responses to life’s stimuli; the way our minds work in such varied ways. In Michelle’s words:
“Ever since I was a young girl I’ve dealt with intrusive thoughts of loved ones dying horrible deaths. When someone is running late or they’ve neglected a text or even if they’re just looking over a balcony, my mind has a tendency to run to the worst case scenario, a reflex only exacerbated by my experience of many real deaths. It can be both a relief and a struggle to love someone who doesn’t share this same proclivity for anxiety. Picture Window explores that dynamic.”
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Nottingham is feeling very proud of genre-blurring alternative band Divorce at the moment; they seem to be reaching new heights every day.
published a great interview with them recently, in which they tell Gemma Cockrell all about their debut album and how Divorce has evolved to where it is today:
Don’t miss this week
As we approach the month end, things are getting exceedingly busy on the release schedule. There are more listed on my Release Tracker, but I want to highlight:
Wed 26th March: Dee Rae’s ‘Purple and Red’ — this is the first release for Come Play With Me Records’ Next Up North artist development programme
Fri 28th March: Somebody’s Child releases their album ‘When Youth Fades Away’ (I’ll be reviewing it for CLASH), Better Joy puts out the ‘Heading into Blue’ EP, and we have a new song from the fabulous (‘Sleep On It’).
Don’t forget my: Release tracker | Monthly playlists | Subscriber chat