Begin your week with three new songs hand-picked for your playlist: Ashland band Slow Corpse, Portland soul singer Ural Thomas and the gifted songwriter Julien Baker.
Slow Corpse — “Wasted”
The musical duo of Mitchell Winters and Brenton Clarke out of Ashland, Oregon, are at it again with their sophomore album “Bite your Tongue” and the retro rhythms of the track “Wasted.” The band worked with up-and-coming producer Cameron Spies, formerly of the Portland band Radiation City, to reshape this song into a faster-paced single. The effect is a classic pulsating beat of melodic industrial sound that perfectly fuses goth and pop. “It’s funny listening to old recordings of that because it’s like a completely different song,” said vocalist/producer Winters.
Julien Baker — “Favor”
Memphis-born singer-songwriter Julien Baker is continuing to develop, going from her bedroom-pop origins to teaming up with fellow songwriting luminaries Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers to form boygenius, to releasing this newest single, “Favor.” Dacus and Bridgers lend their voices as backup on this one, but it’s Baker’s lyrical talents that left Bridgers gushing. “Julien is one of those people whose opinion you want to hear about everything,” Bridgers said. “A true critical thinker with an ever-changing and ridiculously articulate worldview.”
Lost Horizons featuring Ural Thomas — “In Quiet Moments”
Lost Horizons, the duo of Simon Raymonde, who founded Cocteau Twins and Bella Union, and Richie Thomas of Dif Juz released the second installment of their two-part album. It’s highlighted by the title track, “In Quiet Moments” featuring octogenarian Portland soul singer Ural Thomas. Thomas gave a breakdown of the track, saying, “When I first heard the song, I thought it was such a wonderful thing, both open and calm, with that steady, insistent groove. The chords go from looming to embracing then back again, like a sad, friendly giant.” Thomas puts on the finishing touch with a classic sultry voice that defies his age.