This week in New Music: Indie rock quartet Inheaven go stadium rock on their latest track, Tori Amos thankfully does classic Tori Amos on “Up the Creek” and London trio Girl Ray are effortlessly indie timeless on Earl Ray.
Inheaven – “Stupid Things”
Indie rock act Inheaven seemed to be heading for a sound more akin to The Cult of Pixies with their first couple of throwback singles.
They’re recently popped-up their efforts seem to be heading squarely in the direction of world-dominating stadium rock which makes sense considering they recently released a track via The Stokes frontman Julian Casablanas’ Cult Records.
If anything, on “Stupid Things” the quartet emulate The Killers with a hook to die for.
The song is “a school crush that feels like it will last forever…and it’s our very own coming of age soundtrack.”
Tori Amos – “Up the Creek”
With her 18th studio album due out in early September, Tori Amos has just issued the second track off the album – “Up the Creek”.
Of the forthcoming Native Invader, Amos said the album “looks to Nature and how, through resilience, she heals herself.”
Sounds about right.
“The songs,” she added, “also wrestle with the question: what is our part in the destruction of our land, as well as ourselves, and in our relationships with each other?
“In life there can be the shock of unexpected fires, floods, earthquakes, or any cataclysmic ravager – both on the inside and outside of our minds. Sonically and visually, I wanted to look at how Nature creates with her opposing forces, becoming the ultimate regenerator through her cycles of death and re-birth. Time and time again she is able to renew, can we find this renewal for ourselves?”
Sticking with that theme, “Up the Creek” includes the lines “Good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise/ We may just survive/ If the militia of the mind/ Arm against those climate blind,” apparently a reference to her Native American grandfather.
Girl Ray – Earl Grey
English trio Girl Ray – Poppy Hankin, Iris McConnell and Sophie Moss – are the very epitome of London cool.
The anti-pop teens took as their stepping off points not the likes of Lorde and Charli XCX but the old 90s vinyl albums in their parents’ attics – Pavement, The Shop Assistants, Housemartins, early REM.
The list of influences is endless so there is, frankly, nothing original about the album but in familiarity their is great comfort.
One of the greatest attributes of Earl Ray is that it fits right in with their folks’ faves. It’s a truly lovely album.
