No Frills Reviews

10. stoop lee – RED VERSION TAPE

Detroit’s stoop lee displays his eclecticism on the third in a series of Pokémon-themed tapes (non-Pokémon nerds need not fear, beyond the artwork and song titles, the theme isn’t too overt). Across the EP’s fifteen minutes, stoop delivers soulful and playful indie-pop and R&B-tinged hip-hop.

He exhibits his rapping chops over dreamy minimalistic beats and funk-rock hybrids. While there’s also psychy synth-pop à la Tame Impala. And his incorporation of sugary sweet hooks recalls Brockhampton’s brand of pop-rap. A slick blend of genres which suggests stoop could be a potential crossover star in waiting.

9. kilonova – Dial Tone

The debut EP from upcoming singer-songwriter Jenna Hunt aka kilonova is a good old-fashioned breakup record. Bare bones songs with just the slight plucks and strums of an acoustic guitar supporting hushed, quavering vocals. The only embellishments are the click and hiss of a tape to open, and an answer machine dial tone to close. The choices of slightly dated technology gives this the feeling of a time capsule; like uncovering a diary entry documenting heartbreak.

There’s pockets of quietly beautiful melodies throughout, but it’s the writing that really makes this an interesting prospect. Tales of a toxic relationship breeding toxic behaviours, even once it’s over. It’s stark and almost desperate. Hugely personal with ultra-specific references, yet also completely relatable. As brief and stripped-back as it is, this is thoughtfully put together, showcasing an intriguing new songwriter at their most vulnerable.

8. Jay Cinema & Chow – ALCDELUXE

Brooklyn emcee, Jay Cinema, is a rising star in the alt hip-hop scene. With three full lengths to his name in 2024, he rounds off the year by revisiting a collaboration from one of those releases, teaming with Massachusetts producer, Chow. Adapted from the title of their Alchemy LP, the duo fittingly create a collection where disparate elements merge and transform into something greater.

Jay’s flow seems to alternate between urgent and effortless, his mood teetering between attitude and apprehension: “Life heading in the right direction, but I’m still stressing”. Chow’s production feels familiar yet distant. Soulful and funky boom bap beats obscured amidst a turbulent haze. A blend of accessibility and experimentation that serves as a perfect short introduction for a duo to keep your eye on.

7. Joshua Idehen – Mum Does the Washing EP

Simply put, you need to hear the title track. A phenomenal spoken-word piece set to a psychedelic club groove. British-Nigerian poet and musician, Joshua Idehen, breaks down the world in under four minutes with wit, insight, and precision. From capitalism through to surrealism, he patiently explains many of the concepts and systems that underpin the world we inhabit, all through the relatable lens of your mum and your washing.

But the EP offers far more beyond that. There’s solemn reflections on the undying devotion of love and the different coping mechanisms we all employ to get through life. Tinged with experiences from the African diaspora, and backed by the gentle pulse of melancholic electro beats from producer, Ludvig Parment. And the EP closes with the rarely seen worthwhile cover version. Fully embracing David Byrne’s influences on the Talking Heads’ classic, Once in a Lifetime, to deliver a glorious, uplifting gospel sermon.

6. Headshrinkers – Judgement Day

Black Country quartet, Headshrinkers combine rumbling, bass-driven post-punk with garage rock intensity. But, in Garran Hickman, they have a classic frontman that sets them apart from the pack. Landing somewhere between Liam Gallagher and Jamie T; part tender hooligan swagger, part kitchen-sink poet.

The heavy twang of his accent, and occasional bursts of rapid-fire delivery bring to life gritty sketches of forgotten towns and alienation in the age of algorithms. Though used sparingly, the backing vocals of drummer, Scarlett Churchill, may be the secret ingredient; offering a gleeful contrast to Hickman’s raspy growls. With multiple certified bangers, this EP marks them as one of the most exiting bands coming up in the UK indie scene.

5. Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams – Something About Shirley

Ten minutes of disturbingly thrilling avant-garde hip-hop from a duo at the forefront of the experimental underground. New Jersey rapper, Fatboi Sharif is like a semi-mythical force; offering up an almost otherworldly take on hip-hop. Whatever Sharif represents to the form of rap is manifested in the production of long-time collaborator, Roper Williams. Like being taken on a trip through a state of altered consciousness; a disorienting storm of dreams colliding with nightmares.

Sharif seems to inhabit a different character with each new verse as he takes you on a tour through deep-seated psychological traumas and inter-generational, systemic failures and pain. But if you really pay attention you can also catch Sharif finding absurdist humour in the obscurest of places. Listening to this isn’t always an enjoyable experience, it’s challenging and outright unsettling. But, it’s also magnetic. A car crash of humanity’s horrors that you can’t bring yourself to turn away from.

4. Brògeal – Brògeal EP

Falkirk’s Brògeal bring the punk, Pogues-y spirit to the current wave of traditional folk renaissance. On their second EP, they show their flair for crafting songs that feel intensely personal and localised, yet also like they’ve been getting passed down for generations.

From grand Celtic ballads through to more contemporary’s influences, with hints of the raucous energy of classic Libertines and the anthemic swagger of mid-90’s Oasis. A band injecting new life into the past.

3. Rhys Langston & Steel Tipped Dove – Polyglot on Chloroform

Perhaps more mini-album, than EP. But let’s not get too pedantic about labels, because Polyglot on Chloroform is a lesson in breaking down, or rather gliding through, boundaries. With the abstract poetry of LA rapper Rhys Langston, it can feel like you’re getting schooled on topics you don’t even have a rudimentary knowledge of. But for all of his erudite wordplay, there’s always a humanity and humour illuminating his lyrics. His shape-shifting delivery is entrancing; from casual spoken-word, to machine-gun bursts, to airy harmonies.

The lightness of the production from NYC underground veteran, Steel Tipped Dove, gently absorbs you into a world where the music is almost incidental, yet perfectly mirrors Langston’s mood through every twist and turn. A masterclass in minimalism, providing the backdrop for a lyrical maximalist.

2. Bon Iver – SABLE,

Justin Vernon’s voice has always been the thing capable of transforming a good Bon Iver song into a great one. On this short EP, he strips back the experimental electro-folk layers of recent releases, returning to the stark intimacy of his debut. He delivers 12-minutes of pure catharsis, carried by some of his most overtly personal and straightforward lyrics, making this perhaps some of his most rounded work.

Packed with moments of beauty; from the opening twangs of Speyside to the burst of horns on Awards Season. But, as always, it’s those vocals that shine brightest; the big falsetto, that weird little yodel he does, or in the closing moments where everything else falls away, leaving only the power and the pain of that voice.

1. Antenna – Antenna EP

Sydney punks, Antenna, are headed up by former Royal Headache frontman, Tim “Shogun” Wall. Their debut EP may be the most vital 12 minutes of music from 2024. Now a punk veteran, Shogun is still grappling with old struggles, and the EP plays like a confessional as he tries to break the self-destructive cycle.

On opener, Cubes, he falls back into bad habits, dropping psychedelics out of boredom. There’s a semblance of bittersweet comfort in the fact he’s survived long enough to become a “teenager again” on Don’t Cry. Elsewhere there’s defiance and anger as he mourns a failed relationship. This is the sound of someone searching; for answers, for stability, for happiness.

It’s drowning in melancholia, but the delivery is pure catharsis as the riffs of guitarist, Hideki Amasaki, call for urgency. The cry of “Love should be all that you need” on the closer isn’t a feel good hook, it’s Shogun pleading with himself. This isn’t music for wallowing in your feelings, it’s music for exorcising them; desperately soulful punk rock.