By the time you read this, there will be an outbreak of sweats, dry throats, uncontrollable butterflies in the stomach, and vivid dreams across the nation. Yes, Scotland will have a severe case of Euros Fever, and there’s no known cure: you just need to power through to the other side.
If the team comes home too soon, or you need to take your mind off the impending success, SNACK Bits is back and we have new music for you.
When you’re working your way through a review list, some words have the chilling ability to stop you in your tracks or send you running for the door. After my heart rate returned to a normal level, I was pleased to see Muse referring to the EP by Robyn Smith, and not a new release by the warbling, nonsensical band.
Anyways, the titular track slowly builds until it’s washing over you, while ‘Home Again’ has a sweet country style. ‘Throw Everything Away’ has a strong Scottish feel, with a spirited rhythm, and ‘The Sky is Green’ has a delicate feel with a sting in its banjo-driven tail. Across the EP, the artist shows herself to be more than capable of sparking songs to life, and there’s a lot to like and even sing along with. If you fancy catching Robyn in the live arena, she launches the EP at The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh on Friday 7th June.
Eve Simpson has a voice that could send armies to sleep (in a good way), such is its lilting way and welcome charm, but with ‘More of You’ she marries herself to something sprightly. There’ll be no thoughts of sleep as Eve dances around the cello and piano creating a track which surely lets someone know they’re loved deeply.
‘Where We Begin’ by Alx Romance has a glitchy and suspicious verse which blossoms into a pop chorus with an edge. It’s a song which spans the genres, but if you’re open to something different, it’s as uplifting as it is inventive.
Body, the Glaswegian producer, is joined by Dundee poet Ace Says on ‘Without’, sprinkling dystopian blues over a sparse backing. It’s brief and challenging, but mature in its field.
‘Worth (Confirmed)’ by Buffet Lunch is a quirky and jangly indie-guitar number with a loose feel and a few knowing winks in its cooing backing vocals. An album is due in July, but if you enjoy teetering on your toes, this song will catch your interest.
We’ve already given racecar our seal of approval (which has no monetary value), so it’s good to see their latest release, ‘Remains’, is as lively and sprightly as previous releases. The song careers into chaos with no warning, but it glides out the other side with vocalist Izzy Flower giving the impression she was always in complete control.
Brat Coven is another act we’ve backed, so it was positive to see them return at the end of May with ‘Favourite Crime’. The song kicks off with a menacing guitar growl, ideal for the title, lurches around for a while, and then prowls around a raft of hefty topics, allowing singer Luce Smith to go on the front foot against a range of injustices. It’ll be helpful for some to consider this a trigger warning for the track, but it’ll give a voice to many who’ve suffered over the years.
‘Temporary Love’ by Crashes, from Inverclyde, glides by quite quickly, in an angsty poppy-punk way that brings an avalanche of acts to mind. Then again, that must mean lots of people will like it, and there’s enough soaring moments to ensure people will enjoy this.
‘Lemon’ by Linzi Clark is another opportunity to marvel at her bewitching vocal style, this time with a track that is far more menacing than you’d imagine. Then again, with lemons known for their sour taste, it’s maybe not a surprise there’s an unsettling theme flowing through the track.
Fairways, from Falkirk, continue to build to their Social Norms EP with ‘Dopamine’, a perfectly pleasant indie guitar track with a slight 80s edge. With a track title like this, you know the song has a cheery chorus, hopefully giving you that spike you need to make it through the day.
We’re sticking with the letter F, although this time it symbolises a Forfar band, Around 7. This mob don’t mess about, with the band proclaiming they have a West Coast punk sound mixed with an anthemic rock feel. Now, Bits isn’t the brightest monthly music column, but Forfar is on the east coast! That aside, the band’s description is spot on, and if you’re looking for something that feels like a slap on the face on a bracing day, you have it with ‘Will To Survive’.
Anyways, we’ll be back in July, and no doubt some of you hope, and maybe even believe, Steve Clarke is saying the same. Who knows how it’ll pan out, but allow yourselves to dream, at least up until kick-off. Enjoy!
