Ones To Watch

It’s been another great week for music, with plenty of new songs to feed your ears with. From relative newcomers The Voyeurs and Sinkane to living legend Leonard Cohen; Indie, Folk, Blues and Funk are all represented in this week’s roundup of the best new songs. These artists are definitely ones to watch – enjoy without moderation.

Ben Howard – I Forget Where We Were

It’s not exactly ‘brand new’ as it’s been hanging around the internet for about a year now as a live version. This is the real thing though, the studio version. Ben Howard’s new album is coming out this October and as sure as his first album was a big success, this will probably be the case for this one too. Personally, I feel this song and the previously unveiled single ‘End of the Affair’ are better than anything on Howard’s debut album. It’s grander, trickier, deeper and overall more engaging.

Leonard Cohen – Almost Like The Blues

80 years old and still going. Leonard Cohen is not exactly known for being prolific. It comes as quite a surprise then that he should be releasing a new album to celebrate his 80th anniversary next month, only two years after the excellent Old Ideas. The first taste of the record comes in the form of ‘Almost Like The Blues’, a piano-led ballad which totally justifies the album title Popular Problems. “I saw some people starving, there was murder, there was rape, their villages were burning, they were trying to escape, I couldn’t meet their glances I was staring at my shoes”, he delivers tragically.

Interpol – Ancient Ways

Interpol may well be about to release their best album in a decade. After ‘Anywhere’ and opener ‘All The Rage Back Home’, Paul Banks and co have unveiled yet another new song from the upcoming El Pintor. And once again, it’s a thrilling track that suggests the band’s desire to veer away from the moody, mid-tempo numbers they’ve come to be acclaimed for. ‘Ancient Ways’ still has a big ‘classic Interpol’ stamp all over it, but it’s the most upbeat they’ve been since Antics. Which, of course, is rather good news.

The Voyeurs – England Sings Rhubarb Rhubarb

Last year, Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs released their debut album Clarietta which was also the best Television record since Adventure. A name change and a new haircut later, Charlie and the boys are back with a new album Rhubarb Rhubarb in November. ‘England Sings Rhubarb Rhubarb’ finds them in psychedelic mode, somewhere between ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and The Flaming Lips. “I just wanna make primitive, sexy, glamorous rock ’n’ roll music”, Charlie Boyer said last year. On this new song, however, they sound more sophisticated and unique than they ever have.

Sinkane – New Name

Yet another perfect Funk Soul offering from Sinkane, who drops his new album Mean Love in September. ‘New Name’ is rife with Pop hooks, African percussions and funky horns. His previous album Mars was something of a revelation, and judging by the songs he’s released from the new record so far (‘How We Be’ and ‘Hold Tight’), Mean Love will be fantastic. Incorporating both American and African influences with a mastery few can match, Ahmed Gallab aka Sinkane is this century’s Stevie Wonder and you all should expect great things to come from this guy.