by Dave Bertram
It’ll come as little surprise that a new National single makes our weekly recommendations. But believe us, it’s worthy of its inclusion alongside a wonderful new track from Mac DeMarco, the return of M83, Kate Teague, Anna Burch, She Keeps Bees and two minutes of Stephen Malkmus magic.
First up then, You Had Your Soul With You (the first offering from upcoming record I Am Easy to Find) has all the typical National traits – a minor key, stabbing guitars, a familiar off-kilter Devendorf drum pattern and a muttering Berninger trading his confessions. But as we found with Sleep Well Beast, it’s another step forward. There’s another voice on there for one.
Mac is back with a continuation of the carefully crafted simplicity we found on This Old Dog. His slightly off-kilter perspective accompanies a very bare arrangement and a rather unnerving video on Nobody. The LP, Here Comes The Cowboy, is out on 10th May, and will be the first on his own Mac’s Record Label.
M83’s Anthony Gonzalez has returned with the soundtrack to a new queer slasher film directed by his brother (and sometime bandmate) Yann. Karl – the first offering – delivers all the dynamic orchestral arrangements we became so familiar with on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.
Following the release of singles Viktor Borgia and Rushing The Acid Frat, Stephen Malkmus has shared a third track off Groove Denied which is out on Domino next week – the psychedelic, Eastern-inspired Come Get Me.
Oxford, Mississippi’s Kate Teague is gearing up for her first SXSW with newest offering, the twangy indie-rock slow burner, In Our Element.
And finally, New York’s She Keeps Bees are back with their follow-up to 2014’s Eight Houses. Kinship – a richly-dark record which places our environmental woes at its heart – is out on the 10th May, with Coyote its first single.
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