New music review with singles from Holly Head and Tunde Adebimpe

Our weekly fix of the best new music as Julia Mason (aka The Decibel Decoder) brings us her new music review with singles from Holly Head Whatever Drags You Through It and Tunde Adebimpe Drop

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Artist: Holly Head

Track: Whatever Drags You Through It

Credit Gary Conway

Manchester’s punk four-piece, Holly Head, return with their scuffed and confrontational, two-and-a-half-minute blast of incisive social commentary. Whatever Drags You Through It is a funky, tight and direct track, not hiding in the shadows but forthright in its themes. There is a spark here, a wild abandon in the instrumentation yet passion and emotion in the vocals, fuelled no doubt by the fury and frustrations of contemporary life.

By all accounts the band looks inwards and outwards to challenge stereotyping, hate and delusion. Activism is at the heart of their being, indeed last year’s debut No Gain was written in a police cell following arrest due to Britain’s protest laws. The song however provided the key to their first BBC 6 Music live session last November, with the performance used to further profile urgent causes.

Singer Joe shares the following on Whatever Drags You Through It: “When facing the massive and seemingly unchangeable task of trying to change our failing political systems, people can understandably feel totally powerless in their already struggling lives. An easier way is to shy away from it or, worse, resort to blaming migrants, trans people and climate policy for the issues that repeatedly arise in our society. This song is essentially about how people come to explain away the harm they see and do in their lives, be it economically, socially or both.”

Holly Head Live Dates

February

19– Brighton, Rossi Bar

20 – London, Brixton Windmill

21 – Oxford, Common Ground

22 – Southampton, Heartbreakers (So Young Mag Presents)

March

8 – Glasgow, Akoustik Anarkhy at The Flying Duck

14 - Manchester - Akoustik Anarkhy at The Star and Garter

22 – Bristol, The Old England with Klyphex

28 – Leeds, Superfrendz at Headrow House

April

4 – Halifax, The Grayston Unity

May

21 – London, The Social (DHP) for Footsteps Festival

24 – Bristol, DOT TO DOT

25 – Nottingham, DOT TO DOT

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Artist: Tunde Adebimpe

Track: Drop

Credit Xavier Simmons

Tunde Adebimpe, the multi-hyphenate talent and lead singer of TV on the Radio, has announced his debut solo album. Thee Black Boltz will be released on 18 April via Sub Pop Records. Showcasing his unique voice and visionary soundscapes, Thee Black Boltz is a nod to Adebimpe’s propensity to write and sing about the human condition.

Tunde initially conceived of the album in 2019, while TV On The Radio was on a break. Two years later, as the world was emerging out of the global pandemic, he started to put ideas down on paper; specifically, a notebook, which captures a free-thinking mix of words, illustrations and ideas. Included was a list of musical references and visual sketches that constituted what he calls, ”mixtape of emotions the music could evoke. A feeling map of sorts.” He started capturing those ideas in 2021 with the help of multi-instrumentalist Wilder Zoby (Run The Jewels), with whom he shares a studio in Los Angeles.

Adebimpe has shared new single Drop which begins with beatboxing before its lyrics question:

“But will I feel it when I drop? / Restless hours / The ticking of a clock / On my life / And my life’s just a dot / On a timeline / And my soul / Is fading tonight.”

The track is led by the vocal of Adebimpe, loud and clear it articulates a thought-provoking, personal view of simply living. These are indeed extraordinary times and creativity in all its forms can assist in handling the turmoil, both for the creator and, in this case, the listener. Drop is a soulful track with beats which add an edge without detracting from the heart of the song.

Referencing the debut album Thee Black Boltz, Adebimpe writes in his notebook: “The sparks of inspiration/motivation / hope that flash up in the midst of (and sometimes as a result of) deep grief, depression or despair. Sort of like electrons building up in storm clouds clashing until they fire off lightning and illuminate a way out, if only for a second.”

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