Tag: Libertino Records

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Kidsmoke · Layla’s Love

 

Last year was a momentum building year for the rapidly rising, Wrexham, Wales, UK-based indie act Kidsmoke — Lance Williams (vocals, guitar), James Stickels (bass, vocals), Sophie Ballamy (guitar, vocals) and Ash Turner (drums): they played at FOCUS Wales Festival‘s SXSW showcase. “Passenger” landed on NPR’s Austin 100 Playlist — and has since been featured on E4’s  Made in Chelsea along with “Rising Sun.” Additionally, “Take Me to the River” appeared in Netflix’s hit series Black Mirror. 

Continuing on the momentum of last year, the band recently signed to Libertino Records, who released the band’s first single of this year, “The Bluest You,” which I wrote about last month. Centered around swirling layers of shimmering guitars, a propulsive rhythm section, a rousingly arena friendly hook and Williams’ plaintive falsetto, “The Bluest You” found the band crafting a song that possessed elements of dream pop, shoegaze and Brit pop with earnest yet ambitious songwriting — all while being a somber meditation of how mental health issues can impact the person suffering from them, and their loved ones.

“Layla’s Love,” the Welsh act’s latest single is a deliberately crafted yet upbeat guitar pop confection centered around shimmering guitars, a soaring hook and pretty boy-girl harmonies — and while bringing JOVM mainstays Husky and countless others to mind, the song features a narrator, looking back at a recent relationship with a series of “what ifs” about themselves, their actions and the relationship. But as the song ends, the song’s narrator comes to terms with the fact that the relationship has taught them about themselves — and has made them a much better person, which is something they can never lose.

“I’m a big fan of Prefab Sprout and love the way they utilise the male/female vocals; a dream-like section, when the main character is having an imaginary conversation with ‘Layla’ is my favourite moment on the album,” the band’s Lance Williams says in press notes. Kidsmoke’s Sophie Bellamy adds “Layla’s Love’ took a little longer to come together than some of our other tracks. We were being pretty ambitious with the arrangement in the studio and wanted to make sure we got it perfect, as we knew it would be worth it if we nailed it.”

“The Bluest You” and “Layla’s Love” will appear on the Welsh act’s soon-to-be released full-length debut, A Vision in the Dark slated for a June 19, 2020 release.

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Kidsmoke · The Bluest You (Radio Edit)

Rapidly rising, Wrexham, Wales, UK-based indie act Kidsmoke — Lance Williams (vocals, guitar), James Stickels (bass, vocals), Sophie Ballamy (guitar, vocals) and Ash Turner (drums) — had a massive year last year that included playing at SXSW, among a series of other highlights. Continuing on the momentum of last year, the band recently signed to Libertino Records, who released the band’s latest single “The Bluest You.”

Centered around swirling layers of shimmering guitars, a propulsive rhythm section, a rousingly arena friendly hook and Williams’ plaintive falsetto, “The Bluest You” finds the band bridging elements of dream pop, shoegaze and Brit pop with ambitious songwriting and a self-assured delivery. But just under the gorgeously shimmering surface, the song is a somber meditation on how mental health issues can affect loved ones rooted in empathetic and novelistic observations. Originally inspired by Low and Heroes-era David Bowie, the track was intended to be an instrumental but after intense rehearsals and the addition of some Matt Berninger-influenced lyrics, the song eventually morphed into its current shape.

“This song is a live favourite of ours. It is a fly on the wall look into a household where one person’s depression is affecting everyone else who lives there,” the members of the Welsh band explain. “The song doesn’t address the feelings of the person suffering with depression, it is a sort of commentary from the viewpoint of the rest of the family.”

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Introducing the 120 Minute era MTV Sounds and Visuals of Cardiff Wales’ Silent Forum

Comprised of Richard Wiggins (vocals), Darlo Ordi (guitar), Oli Richards (bass), and Eliot Samphier (drums), the Cardiff, Wales-based quartet Silent Forum have developed a reputation for crafting accessible yet moody post punk, moving “from cold and brooding to nervy and almost overbold,” as Destroy//Exist says. Building upon a growing profile, the band has released a series of singles with a number of indie labels, including Libertino Records, who will be releasing the Welsh band’s latest single “How I Faked the Moon Landing,” as the part of of their Ghost Disco single club. 

As the members of the band explain in press notes, the song, which derives its name from their original name under a different lineup, finds the band moving into a more euphoric space — and as a result, the single finds the band meshing the shimmering guitar chords of classic 80s period Smiths (in particular, I think of “Panic”) with swaggering and anthemic Brit Pop; in fact, the song reveals a band that can craft a rousing, arena friendly hook but within an expansive 6 minute song, complete with some dexterous guitar pyrotechnics. Recorded and produced by Jaydon Martin, the recently released music video goofing around in their hometown as the band’s frontman Wiggins sings the song — it’s fittingly 120 Minutes-like.