Miniature Tigers - Oblivious 6.3/10

Miniature Tigers are an indie pop rock/synth band now based in New York, USA. This track is taken from their forthcoming album Cruel Runnings which will be released by Modern Art Records in June 2014. After 2012's Mia Pharaoh album turned sharply away from guitar pop towards a glistening synth-pop future, there was some speculation about whether it was a one-album deviation or where the band were really headed for the long term. The first singles released from Cruel Runnings confirm that the synths are (unfortunately) here to stay. As a big fan of their first two predominantly guitar-driven albums I don't see why they've decided to jump into the thoroughly saturated synth band pool and churn out tracks that could be made by almost anyone. The formerly witty, sharp as a whip lyrics and revenge fantasy imaginings just aren't there anymore - lead singer Charlie Brand is still singing about failed relationships using self-deprecating metaphors, but they just don't bite the way they used to. The melody of this pop track is also just a little too, dare I say it, bland to draw more than a cursory listen. The Tigers may be in a bold new synth world but this just doesn't live up to their former standards and doesn't bode well for the new album which is shaping up to be Mia Pharaoh part two.

Amen Dunes - Lilac in Hand 7.6/10

Amen Dunes is the psychedelic folk solo project of Damon McMahon from New York state, USA. This track is taken from his forthcoming album Love which will be released by Sacred Bones Records in May 2014. This new album marks an expansion in McMahon's sound with the addition of a cast of musicians which play on the album. The feel of traditional Americana field recordings springs to mind on first listen, and McMahon's gravelly voice and world-weary delivery are the defining feature that sets this track apart as something above average. The track begins with strummed guitar, light piano chords and wood block percussion, eventually reaching a chorus with female accompanying vocals which lighten the mood considerably by puncturing the cloudy mood. Something in the melody and the vocal range he's aiming for suggests to me that he's absorbed some of Sigur Ros' sense for epic scales and pacing, and the fact that several members of Godspeed You Black Emperor took part in the recording of the album is also apparent in the deeply enveloping atmospherics. This is a strong track from Amen Dunes and probably the finest he's yet produced, so let's hope the new album will bear similar fruit.

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.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Simple and Sure 6.2/10

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are an indie twee rock band from New York, USA. This track is taken from their forthcoming album called Days of Abandon which will be released in May 2014 by Yebo Records. The track begins with a simple sing-along vocal part which recalls the style of Dirty Projectors. The strummed verse sections sound rather similar to many tracks The Pains have produced before, if perhaps a bit chirpier and sunnier. However, it's the arrival of the chorus which makes me cringe whenever I hear it - like something you'd expect to hear on an 80's easy listening radio station, with a hook that is anything but memorable. The band have apparently moved too far to the 'pop' end of their musical spectrum, and forgotten that what made their past material great was the interplay of clever, suggestive lyrics with a sweet and sour delivery that conveyed shy yearnings. This saccharine sweet track is a huge disappointment after a run of extremely enjoyable singles and albums, and the song's title really sums up the one-dimensional feeling of it, they've chosen to go with something 'simple and sure'. Let's hope when the full album arrives that this is a sugary deviation from what Days of Abandon will actually sound like.

Wild Nothing - Chinatown 9.5/10

Wild Nothing is the indie guitar pop project of Jack Tatum from Virginia, USA. This track is taken from his album Gemini which was released by Captured Tracks Records in 2010. The song begins with a lush arrangement of flute-like synths hovering at the margins before a steady rhythm of light percussion and a mesmerizing bass line make an entrance. The thickness of the production needs to be complemented since the myriad different layers going on in this track never overlap or sound muddied, they are all given room to be heard separately. There are enough different sounds that headphones are strongly recommended to catch all the different parts, particularly the depth and complexity of the superb bass line. The moody, longing atmosphere is matched by Tatum's lyrics, where he exclaims "I need to keep you here/I need to picture you still/I need to clear the fog", expressing yearnings for a lost companion. This is Wild Nothing's finest moment to date, a track where all the best features of Tatum's style came together in something timeless.

LionLimb - Rot 8.6/10

LionLimb is an indie psychedelic rock band based in Chicago, USA. This track was self-released as a single by the band in 2013 ahead of their debut EP. The track begins with a southern blues-style melody, but this simple categorization is quickly dismissed when the reedy synths and organ effects kick in during the rousing chorus. Clanging guitar dissonance adds some enjoyable clutter to the second half of the track, while guitar chord vibrations are enhanced until they sound more like a muffled trumpet. The relaxed, self-assured vocals are hard to make out, but the repeated refrain of "What are you trying to keep me from?" suggests an assertion of independence in a relationship. This is an accomplished debut from LionLimb and a track I've returned to over and over again to try to figure out just how they made some of these sounds.

Glass Gang - Waves 8.7/10

Glass Gang is an experimental electronic group from New York, USA. This track was self-released by the band as a single in 2013. The track takes a simple pattern of electronic beats and buries them in heavy downpours of feedback which recall My Bloody Valentine's wall of sound approach to guitar backdrops. The soft, fluttering vocals and tinkling piano chords glide above the storm of feedback making the overall feeling one of weightlessness, like floating in space or perhaps in the ocean depths. This was one of my favourite tracks of 2013 to sit and bliss out to through headphones, and I hope Glass Gang will live up to the huge promise which this track represents. Taking My Bloody Valentine-style feedback effects and adding electro beats while crafting a pop song out of the result was never going to be an easy thing to pull off, but Glass Gang accomplish it with a track which sounds unlike anything else out there at the moment.

Zammuto - F U C-3PO 9.0/10

Zammuto is the current experimental electronic project of Nick Zammuto, formerly part of the duo behind the band The Books. This track is taken from Zammuto's debut self-titled album which was released by Temporary Residence Records in 2012. After the breakup of The Books at the beginning of 2012, Zammuto toned down the most out-there experimental impulses of The Books and added more of a human touch with increased reliance on real instruments. F U C-3PO begins with a creepy, unsettling beat and distorted vocals which recall Massive Attack's Mezzanine album. This feeling is broken with the arrival of a chorus section of rising chopped vocals (if such a song can be said to have a 'chorus') which releases the tension and lifts the song briefly heavenward before returning to the depths for the second verse. The overall feeling is of meeting a creature deep inside a cave, at least until strummed guitar chords near the end bring the mood back to something more human. This is a track for nocturnal journeys and it rewards repeated listening to focus on the sound of each of its assembled parts and the way they snugly fit together.

Woods - Leaves Like Glass 8.8/10

Woods is an indie psychadelic folk rock band from New York, USA. This track is taken from their album With Light and with Love which was released by their own Woodsist record label in April 2014. Woods have consistently produced a string of likeable, sun-bleached and earthy singles over the past eight years, and Leaves Like Grass easily carries on the trend. Lead singer Jeremy Earl has a highly distinctive voice which is now placed more prominently in the mix than on previous albums. The production is crisp and clear, with the organ part forming the backbone of the swaggering rhythm beneath the careful guitar picking. The ringing guitar melody in the final minute makes this possibly the finest tune that Woods have written to date. This track harks back to a 1960's folk style while still sounding like it belongs on the contemporary radio dial. All this makes it a perfect chillout track for a sunny summer afternoon sitting outdoors.

Cloud Nothings - Psychic Trauma 9.2/10

Cloud Nothings are an indie hard rock band from Cleveland, USA. This track is taken from their album Here and Nowhere Else which was released by Carpark Records in March 2014. The track starts out with a calm, swaying rhythm of ringing guitars with vocals kept low in the mix. Everything shifts abruptly after 44 seconds with the arrival of crashing drums and a doubling of the timing. At 65 seconds the group fall into a new whirling groove with driving, wailing guitars which leads into the raging chorus with singer Dylan Baldi's voice reaching a snarl. I've listened to this track at least 100 times and still get caught up each time in the blinding rush of the guitar slashes as the song barrels into the chorus. This will get your blood pumping no matter the time or place - a strong contender for song of the year for 2014.

HEALTH - Die Slow 9.0/10

HEALTH is an electro noise rock band based in Los Angeles, USA. This track is taken from their album Get Color which was released by Lovepump United Records in 2009. This is almost-danceable pop music put through a shredder, with hard industrial riffs and beats arranged in a tight song structure. The whispery vocals of singer Jake Duzsik sound almost feminine and stand in sharp contrast to the maelstrom of noise flying around him. The track was the album's lead single and an appropriate choice, though unfortunately this remains the high water mark for the whole album. This is something to put on to get psyched up and excited before going to a goth club, though on a normal day it's also a great track to play in the car.

Tobacco - Hairy Candy 8.6/10

Tobacco is the psychedelic electronic solo project of Tom Fec from the Pittsburgh-based group Black Moth Super Rainbow. This track is taken from his album Fucked Up Friends which was released by Anticon Records in 2008. Heavily treated vocals echo across a bed of revving synths and robotic beats, and somehow the result feels warm and organic rather than cold and mechanical. The lyrics are almost impenetrable in the mix and consist of just two repeated phrases, "Eat(?) the sun" and "too young", but it's the wistful emotion in the chopped vocal melody which adds depth to the song's headlong rush into what sounds like a trans-dimensional vortex. This is a late-night chillout track to listen to through headphones after watching sci-fi movies.

Neon Indian - Local Joke 9.3/10

Neon Indian is an indie electronic project by Alan Palomo from Denton, Texas. This track is taken from his album Psychic Chasms which was released by Lefse Records in 2009. This was the track which hooked me on the chillwave genre and made me realise that it could be much more than just lightweight nostalgia. The pummeling synth beats sound straight from a 1985 time warp, but the crisp production and layers of complex sampling make sure the mood is thoroughly grounded in the present. Palomo sings of a girl who doesn't care for him anymore and the inevitability of a looming breakup, intoning in the last line that 'she needs an excuse to end things and become the things you hate'. This is certainly one of my favourite songs of all time, a track that I can put on no matter what the occasion and immediately feel rejuvenated.

Brothertiger - Back To Us 8.5/10

Brothertiger is an indie electronic project by John Jagos from Athens, Ohio. This track is taken from his EP called Point of View which was released by Collective Crowd Records in 2011. For those who enjoy sunny, poppy chillwave, look no further than the work of Brothertiger. This is a warm, relaxing track with classic synths and echoing custard cream vocals. Jagos sings of his longing to be near someone he misses; he name-drops The Police's Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, a song which seems to serve as his muse for this track. This is as syrupy as chillwave gets, feel good music ready to brighten up a rainy day.

Wise Blood - Darlin You're Sweet 8.5/10

Wise Blood is an indie electronic pop project by Chris Laufman from Pittsburgh, USA. This track is taken from his EP called These Wings which was released by Dovecote Records in 2011. This is an electro dance track done in slow motion, a chillout song for a quiet night in at home. For a bedroom lo-fi recording the production quality is high, and Laufman's layered vocals sung in a half-whisper and half-falsetto come across as fully sincere. He describes his love for his partner, and worries that he may not be everything that they need him to be, while also wondering if they are everything that he needs. The sampled backing vocals used during the bridge sound like a full church choir and add considerable volume and atmosphere. This is the standout track from the EP These Wings, and the best track so far from Wise Blood; hopefully he's working on more material that pushes the boundaries of bedroom electro pop the way Darlin You're Sweet does.

Terry Malts - Something About You 7.7/10

Terry Malts is an indie garage rock band from San Francisco, California. This track is taken from their album Killing Time which was released by Slumberland Records in 2012. At times the band sound like The Ramones fronted by Morrissey, at other moments like the Beach Boys running on high octane jet fuel. This track rocks around the clock with a cheery retro vibe and crooner vocals played at high speed with ultra fuzzy guitars. Singer Phil Benson doesn't tackle the big subjects here, this is a straight ahead love song with fairly repetitive lyrics ("I just wanna be with you") but there's just too much raw energy racing along in this track for that to be considered a drawback. These guys are at their best when they keep the chords and words stripped back to the minimum and let the heavily distorted guitars do the talking. All hail the fuzz.

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.

Ty Segall - The Drag 8.3/10

Ty Segall is a lo-fi garage rock performer based in San Francisco, California. This track is taken from his self-titled album which was released by Castle Face Records in 2008. The track takes a 1960's surfer vibe and then smothers it in heavy distortion and layers of feedback. Segall's from-the-bottom-of-a-well vocals coax listeners to get up and hit the dance floor to do 'The Drag'; you could almost dance to it but you would probably hurt yourself trying. The song has undeniable drive and energy, suggesting Segall is enjoying performing it in the studio as much as he does during his stellar live performances. For those who love heavy guitar distortion (I count myself as a member) this comes highly recommended, and is best played loud once the party is really getting underway.

Reading Rainbow - White Noise 7.9/10

Reading Rainbow is a psychedelic pop band from Philadelphia, USA. They have recently changed their name to Bleeding Rainbow. This track is taken from their album Prism Eyes which was released by Hozac Records in 2010. Crunchy guitars and pounding drums are the order of the day from this boy/girl duo, who both share vocal duties as well. The main riff is fuzzed-out bliss, but the real draw card is the vocal harmony they produce singing the verses together in unison. This is sugary goodness reminiscent of twee bands from the 1990's like Rocketship and Tiger Trap, but for most listeners the main comparison will be to late 1980's Scottish band The Vaselines who utilized similar boy/girl harmonies with clever lyrics. This excellent track from Reading Rainbow matches up well in such illustrious company.

Neo-Safari - Coastal Cruise 8.7/10

Neo-Safari is an indie electronic project by Dan Rogers from Dallas, Texas. This track is taken from an EP which is simply titled 'EP' which was self-released in 2012. The mood is light and buoyant on this excellent glitch-heavy track. The chopped beats and synths create a sensation of moving forwards at high speed, making this a great song to put on in the car. The patterns of glitches and bass keep evolving in unexpected ways as it unfolds, leading to the payoff at 3:25 when the track kicks into top gear. The few vocals are impossible to make out, but the bubbly, playful atmosphere Rogers creates will put you in a great mood in just four and a half minutes. I recommend playing this while commuting on the way to work or school, you'll definitely arrive feeling refreshed.