Month In Review: August 2014

Festival season all but destroys new music releases, but never-the-less it's time for the best of August...

Being that August is notoriously one of the quietest months in the music calendar, along with staff list December, we've decided to keep August's review to a minimum, so here goes...

Track of The Month

It was a bit of a toss up this month between two tracks at completely opposite ends of the spectrum really. First off we had DELS' return with "RGB" which was everything we'd already come to expect from him and more a truly great return but us being us, Hookworms' surprise return with "The Impasse" took the biscuit. "The Impasse" just like "RGB" is everything we've come to expect from Hookworms only with a more trim and refined sound which in turn makes the listening experience a whole lot easier for more of a passing listener - this being said, they're never going to be anything but cult and we're sure they are hoping for that, but at least they're showing progression.

Album of The Month

Oh how we truly wish this section was to feature Childhood's long awaited (for us) debut LP, Lacuna, but it's not to be and instead we find - there was never any doubt - Merchandise' debut on 4AD, After The End. 

Best Newcomer

Swim Mountain stand out among the crowd as the best newcomers of August and even though the competition was fairly thin on the ground, the bands take on Tame Impala-esque psychedelia is worthy of a hat tip at the very least. Their track, "Yesterday", to self-quote is, "so damn earwormy, just plain ridiculous" - yeah, we're pretty much pros at this game now...

Other Notable Happenings

Some of our favourite "under the radar" acts returned, including Whistlejacket, Sea Pinks and FEWS. Kindness also returned with (Adam Baindridge) his first new material for. The Drums proved they're not actually as bad as everyone was starting to think on "I Can't Pretend" and last but not least Jamie T dropped his, interesting, video for "Zombie".

Listen: August Playlist