Music
Setlist
The Discover Setlist – 31st January
Tune in to what's been playing at Ticketmaster this week – including music from Del Amitri, Warpaint, Metronomy and A Tribe Called Quest
‘Things Will Be Fine’ – Metronomy
Will they though? Play Metronomy’s new single on a loop and Joseph Mount’s chorus starts to sound like a mantra worth believing in – shaking off the band’s layers of electro-irony to deliver an uncharacteristically wholesome anthem for the 2021 apocalypse. A song to drive into spring with. PB
‘That Impression I Get’ – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
I’ve never been a ska fan, but there is something so lovable about the Bosstones and this absolutely perfect rager, in particular. I remember first hearing it in Chasing Amy and immediately buying the CD single, playing it so often and so loudly that my parents turned off the power to my room. Sad to hear the Bosstones called it a day and sad for my neighbours that I’ve spent the time since reverting to previous form. MG
‘The Smoke’ – The Smile
A trio of livestreamed gigs from Magazine London last weekend saw The Smile arrive with at least an album’s worth of new material (surely dropping without any warning any day now…?), but if you didn’t pay to watch you still only have two tracks to listen to. Second single, ‘The Smoke’, is the one your subwoofers will hate – riding a thick funk bassline that’s easily the closest Thom Yorke will ever get to having his own 70s cop show theme song. PB
‘In The Meantime’ – Del Amitri
Oh to be Justin Currie, blessed with so many great songs that he can relegate a song as wonderful as this to a B-side. The Dels are famed for the quality of their non-album material but heartbreaker ‘In The Meantime’ rivals their absolute best work. To borrow the name of their rarities collection, it’s classic Currie: lousy with love. MG
‘Sheets Of Grey’ – Ducks Ltd.
It’s an odd title for a song that’s so bursting with colour, but the genius of Ducks Ltd. is how they meld the gloomiest of The Smiths with the brightest of Belle And Sebastian – ‘Sheets Of Grey’ sounding here like a picnic on a rainy day. A beautifully off-key guitar snarl threatens to harden the edges of the band’s latest single, but jangle pop this warm can never sound uninviting. PB
‘Excursions’ – A Tribe Called Quest
I’m not sure there’s a better opening track out there. It’s a call to arms and a swaggering riposte to anyone who doubted Tribe could repeat the genius of People’s Instinctive Travels… Watch out for its joyous appearance in Station Eleven, brilliantly performed by Himesh Patel and Nabhaan Rizwan. MG
‘Champion’ – Warpaint
The word “soundscape” gets thrown around a lot whenever Warpaint play, but whatever sonic architecture the band are constructing on their new track is still pretty undefinable – somewhere between a mirrored LA lounge bar and a smokey graveyard full of Cocteau Twins fans. Wherever they are in the lead up to this year’s Radiate Like This, the build and swell here is as mesmerising as their best. PB
‘Change’ – Beachheads
Two of Beachheads ply their trade in notorious Norwegian metal band Kvelertak, but instead of pummelling drums and ferocious riffing, Beachheads favour melodic power pop a la Sugar and Teenage Fanclub. On ‘Change’ they even call to mind college rock heroes like Gin Blossoms and Toad The Wet Sprocket. It’s the kind of mid-tempo jangler that is crying out for a 90s teen comedy to call its own. MG
Hear January’s full Discover Setlist below:
Tickets are on sale now or soon for many of the names on this week’s list at ticketmaster.co.uk. Check back next week to listen to another Discover Setlist.
