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Posted: 30 Jul 2013 12:21 PM PDT
If the handful of older, practically-buried tracks on YouTube are any indication, Sydney's the Preatures have spent the last few years pinging between mildly overbaked songwriting exercises and forgettable boy-girl rock duets. "Is This How You Feel?", the title track from their forthcoming EP (out August 9 via Univeral Australia), is a clear departure from their early material, showcasing a newfound dedication to rhythm and restraint.
The reference points are all very much of-the-moment, including Haim's unfettered love for the sing-along radio hits of 1970s pop and, by extension, Fleetwood Mac. Singer Isabella Manfredi's range and cadence is reminiscent of Feist's, while, the production nods to the 80s' tightly sequenced, understated, and rhythm-focused pop. "Is This How You Feel?" is a mid-tempo, feel-good, groove-based confection that explodes into one of the year's best choruses. What a nice surprise.
The Preatures: "Is This How You Feel?" on SoundCloud.
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Posted: 30 Jul 2013 10:17 AM PDT
Vancouver dark-pop quintet the Belle Game introduce "River" as a fairly standard and agreeable piece of indie rock, with chalky guitars that could be taken from the past decade of Walkmen records, the anachronistic hollowed-out reverb and waltz-time balladry of Cults, the plainspoken longing of Best Coast. The band sounds like they're trying to sneak up on you, or at least blend in enough to be sync-able.
Frontwoman Andrea Lo, however is not trying to sneak up on you, nor is she trying to blend in. "River" is her showcase, as it should be; her voice is an expansive, powerful instrument that demands to be noticed, driving the melody of "River" and turning a simple song of simple sentiments into showstopping, extroverted piece of musical theater.
The Belle Game: "River" on SoundCloud.
[from Ritual Tradition Habit; out now via Boompa]
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