Caught in the Crossfire

Big Deal
Sakura
Mute

Big Deal didn’t hit the ground running as steadily as a hoard of other bands that emerged at a similar time back in 2011. But as the years have passed, with names fading into obscurity, the release of their latest EP Sakura sees Big Deal proving themselves to be more of a slow, steady burner of a band rather than a flash in the pan.

Opener ‘Talk’ harks back to the good old days of Big Deal. Where there were once choppy and shrill guitar riffs, peppered with juvenile lyrics, Alice and Kacey have now risen to the plate with a new take on production and song-writing. Keeping their youthful essence in buckets but with smoother melodies, making ‘Talk’ a well timed leap forward in terms of progression.

Second track ‘Always Boys’ is less cautionary tale, more lament over relationship behaviour. This track perfectly demonstrates the new found ‘California soul’ slathered all over this EP like a thick layer of sun cream applied in blissful abandon.

The eponymous track’s off kilter melody feels like a genius spur of the moment jam, capturing the essence of why Big Deal tracks always hold such a good vibe; because they can make you feel like you’re the first and only person who is ever going to hear the track. It’s personal, intricate and up close.

Closing up a truly great EP is ‘Figure It Out’ which amps up the ante but only mildly – everything is just so hazy, all you can liken this track to is waking up, the morning after the night before, still slightly drunk but happily so. A joyous listen from start to finish showcasing a mighty song-writing partnership, Sakura is out now via Mute.

Rachael Scarsbrook

Jungle
‘Time’
XL

14th July 1789. It is morning on the streets of central Paris. Leagues of the oppressed working-class rise up against the abusive monarchy, storming the gates of the infamous prison-fortress ‘The Bastille’.

225 years later it is surely no coincidence that the London based duo Jungle are due to drop their debut album on that very same day. Is anyone else tired of these relentless Bastille Day anniversary releases?! No?

Ahead of Jungle’s debut album, released today, ‘Time’ appeared online. This single encapsulates the sonic pallet that Jungle has to offer. Warm, mid-tempo, mid-70’s grooves that lurch and push you along, with sporadic percussion and ethereal synth lines floating all around you.

To top it all off, you are guided by spectacularly uplifting melodies from the two octave apart lead vocals. It’s like the coolest people you know getting you to strut about town with them, arm in arm. The scene would not be too dissimilar to that cold morning in Paris when those groovy artisans took on the squares of the establishment.

Charlie Pelling