Tropics “Home & Consonance”  Home & Consonance EP (out April 22 on Five Easy Pieces) Southampton native Tropics (né Chris Ward) looks set to drop a moody follow-up to 2012’s sunkissed, Balearic-leaning Popup Cinema. On its title track, Ward weaves a nostalgic, homesick stunner that feels like driving to the airport after spending a weekend in your hometown. Over a delicate, twinkling Rhodes-line, Ward examines that emotion we all know so well — melancholy about leaving and wishing he could take all his … →

Valentina “Wolves” Wolves EP (out 4.15 on Greco-Roman) I’ve been crushing on this British siren since she dropped one of the best dance songs of last year : her scintillating collaboration with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, “Gabriel.” Now the Anglo-Italian is set for her close-up, and judging from this swirling, moody ballad, it might be a special one. “Wolves” opens with the Londoner’s warm voice dancing over the top of spare, icy piano chords — a far cry from the blissed-out “Gabriel” — … →

Young Dreams “First Days of Something” Between Places (out 03.01 on Modular) Norwegian dream-pop collective, Young Dreams, are rapidly becoming known for their affecting storytelling through both videos and music (who can forget their troubling “Fog of War” clip?). Just a day before their hotly-anticipated debut LP is set to drop, they have released this powerful, disconnected slice-of-life clip for, “First Dreams of Something,” a bleary-eyed number that is bristling with anticipation and hopefulness. Some have called them the second … →