Tune-Yards - Water Fountain 8.5/10

Tune-Yards is the stage name of experimental folk singer Merrill Garbus, originally from Connecticut, USA. This track is taken from her forthcoming album Nikki Nack which will be released by 4AD Records in early May 2014. This song has a bit of everything from Merrill's past releases, including lyrics which will make you laugh, ponder, and ultimately conclude that she's approaching Beck's stream-of-consciousness delivery from the Odelay era. The emphasis on percussion and bass as propulsion continues from the style seen on her previous album whokill, but the idea for this track is simply to make everything bigger and broader in scale. The rousing refrain of "Woo-ha!" and its pop song sensibility suggests Merrill is aiming for a broader audience with this release, as this is probably the catchiest and most approachable track she has released so far. Despite this the track retains all the wonderful experimentation and energy we've come to expect from Tune-Yards, and this is a solid addition to her catalogue which shows both stylistic progression and improved production techniques.

Seapony - Outside 8.1/10

Seapony is an indie twee pop band from Seattle, Washington. This track is taken from their album Falling which was released by Hardly Art Records in 2012. The wistful, dreamy vocals and reverb-heavy guitars featured here put Seapony firmly in the traditional twee pop mold, though at times the jangly edge of the guitars suggest the influence of The Smiths, while some elements of the west coast Surf Pop scene creep in as well. Singer Jenny Weidl's lyrics suggest a yearning for a simpler, less complicated time in the past, though it's more about the atmosphere of quiet longing she creates than the words themselves. This is introverted music for a late-night session while an autumn chill develops outside the windowpane.

Waxahatchee - Coast to Coast 8.2/10

Waxahatchee is the stage name of Katie Crutchfield from the US state of Alabama. This track is taken from the album Cerulean Salt released by Don Giovanni Records in March 2013. The unusual name she has chosen for this project is taken from the nearby Waxahatchee Creek in central Alabama (which is the body of water she jumps into in the video). The sound of Cerulean Salt is a big step up from the acoustic bedroom production of 2012's American Weekend, and Coast to Coast showcases this more fully-formed electric sound. The track has a guitar hook that seems destined to be heard on rock radio, yet it peters out after just a minute and forty seconds of playing time. The song isn't all sweetness and light, the title Coast to Coast references a US radio call-in show which discusses conspiracy theories, while the lyrics contain a line about 'blood on the back seat'. The overall feeling is of a cross-country road trip with the windows down, making this a great summertime track.