Songs To Brush Your Teeth To (9th February)
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Enjoy the new music recommendations.
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Soft Cult – not sorry
There’s something tantalisingly familiar about the opening to this alt-rock shoegaze song by Ontario rising stars Softcult. It makes not sorry feel almost comforting, like you’re revisiting an old favourite from the 90s grunge era you forgot about. Once the vocals kick in and the track opens up a little more that nostalgic switch soon flicks off as Mercedes’ impactful vocals take centre stage, and I enjoyed this juxtaposition of something feeling both new and not new at the same time.
Speaking of the new single, vocalist Mercedes Arn-Horn shares, “Not sorry is about not allowing the hateful ignorance of others to affect our self-esteem. Patriarchal society can be extremely cruel to cultural, racial, sexual and gender minorities. Most of this vitriol stems from ignorance and weaponised misinformation. Certain political organizations promote hateful rhetoric when they see minority groups as a threat to their grasp on power. Hate speech is a tactic used to silence the groups that it targets, and it’s important to not only combat it by speaking out with counter-speech so that hate is not the only narrative, but also to protect the mental health of those affected, including ourselves.”
Find out more about Softcult here.
Romanie – Anything or Anyone
Pop-folk Anything or Anyone by Naarm/Melbourne based Romanie is a story of loneliness and fighting the urge to isolate yourself further. Centred around gentle plucked guitars it’s a soft, stripped back number.
“This song is a really big reminder to myself that I’m not alone,” Romanie says. “I wrote it in the midst of a really dark and lonely time – thinking I was completely alone by shutting myself out. Living on the other side of the world, choosing a career that is not straight forward – it can sometimes feel like you’re screaming into the void. I think the song, even though it stemmed from a sad time, is a reminder and dedication to anyone who’s ever felt lonely (all of us) and a reminder that we never are alone. Community is everything.”
Find out more about Romanie here.
Vinted Vineer – underthetable
Brisbane’s Vinted Vineer return with underthetable. I love their slightly emo, slightly discordant brand of indie. It’s like they took something that should be a pop song and put it through some kind of musical filter and this is what came out the other side.
As the band explains, “The song is really inward looking. It’s about that state of mind where you find yourself questioning things, feeling a bit lost, and eventually just confessing that you miss someone. It’s not entirely heavy or light. It’s suspended somewhere in between, with a moody vibe that keeps pushing forward. By the end, I want people to feel like it’s a song they can weave into their own lives. There’s some intentional ambiguity so it’s not just my diary entry. It’s kind of a day song, something with a morning vibe, but really you can play it whenever.”
Find out more about Vinted Vineer here.
Holly Humberstone – To Love Somebody
One of my greatest regrets is not seeing Holly Humberstone live when she was in Australia (I either had another gig or a work commitment). I love her energetic pop sound and vivid storytelling. I like that while To Love Somebody musically quite light it’s lyrically much deeper and a little dark. I also think she’s one of those artists that’s so ready for her ‘moment’ (by which I mean some sort of consistent recognition and opportunities – like she get’s a Coachella spot on the one hand, but is overlooked for the most obvious opportunities in other cases, despite the fact she seems to pretty much sell out all her shows).
“In To Love Somebody I wanted to capture that contradiction: to love somebody, is to hurt somebody and to lose somebody, well at least you got to love somebody. In order to feel extreme happiness, you have to know extreme sadness. That’s the tension of the record,” says Holly.
Find out more about Holly Humberstone here.
Blush – Embarrassed 4 U
I absolutely love this track. It’s a cross between Garbage at their most punk and Shampoo’s Trouble. It’s taken that 90’s girl power energy and made it 2020’s in the most perfect way. It’s got attitude, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Lyrically, ‘EMBARRASSED 4 U’, is an unapologetic reckoning with how Blush believe they’re perceived by the world, “too loud, too overwhelming, too much”, flipping judgement into power with sharp self-awareness and defiant confidence. It’s an exciting track and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the EP from this bold Western Australian band.
Find out more about Blush here.
All our Songs To Brush Your Teeth to can be found on our playlist for new music:
Apple Music and Spotify versions of the playlist here.
Let us know in the comments which track is your fave!