Page 50 - 366091 LP246228 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) September 2022
P. 50
NEW SINGLE BY
KATE BOND
‘WE JUST WANT TO BE LOVED’
NE VOLUME RATING
Inspired by a powerful political edge, infused with a love of hip-hop, you might be forgiven for finding comparisons between the works of Kate Bond and Lily Allen. And certainly, Bond’s work is catching the right ears, with the artist less than a year into her career and already making a mark on the North East scene. The self-described founder of ‘F-You Soul’, there’s no denying the intent is for cutting narrative and delivery. Originally from Bradford, Bond is a graduate of Newcastle University, making the region her new home, with her latest single, ‘We Just Want To Be Loved’, about impunity in cases of violence against women. With an international spotlight shone on the recent ‘Depp vs. Heard’ - a case which is unlikely to be removed from the court of public opinion anytime soon - the world is, unfortunately, ripe for inspiration and retort. Bond dedicates the song to any woman who has been the victim of unwanted advances, hoping the song will turn a lot of pain into something beautiful. Elaborating further on this piece via social media, Bond remarks: “This song is really important for me and is probably the most personal song I’ve ever written. It came from a place of anger but has turned into something really beautiful and special to me. Hopefully, my message will resonate and hopefully spark even the smallest change in people’s attitudes towards women’s issues.” And certainly, whilst we await her album with bated breath, one can easily see the positivity already. With an authenticity that’s impossible to fabricate, the funk-laced single provides soul tendencies and a very poignant sound. With added synth and reverb, the track marries a lot of genres together and forces its own identity. And live, no doubt it will bring people together, wherever they are - just as the artist intended.Kate provides a faultless delivery, a beat which acts as her canvas, and demands an audience to listen - and you would be recommended to oblige. Bond recently performed a headline show in the Cluny to much acclaim and is planning to take her music further across the country in the coming months. You can listen to ‘We Just Want to be Loved’ now on all major streaming platforms. WAYNE MADDEN
EW
A DAY IN HELSINKI
‘SAFE AT HOME’ SINGLE
NE VOLUME RATING
Newcastle-based alt-rockers A Day in Helsinki’s latest single, ‘Safe at Home’, features all of their usual hallmarks, including beautifully distorted guitars, complex drum grooves and heartfelt lyrics sung with heavy vibrato in falsetto range. Since forming in 2016, the quartet have released an EP as well as three other singles before this one, with the most recent, ‘Candlelit’, in May
2022. Sadly, the main issue with this track is the production. The songwriting is superb, with good use of dynamics that make the choruses feel impactful, both on an instrumental as well
as lyrical level; however, some of this is undone by the lyrics production sounding heavily compressed, possibly to boost the volume as they also feel somewhat drowned out by the bass in the verses. Overall, I’d say this song would be fantastic live with the atmosphere of a live show; however, this recording does not do the songwriting justice. You can listen to ‘Safe at Home’ on all major streaming platforms. ADAM BRACCHI
NE VOLUME RATINGS EXPLAINED
THIS IS AMAZING! WORTH A LISTEN!
SO, SO. GOOD EFFORT. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT... NOT FOR ME, THANKS...
50 \\ NE VOLUME MAGAZINE \\ ALBUM REVIEWS
