After The Noise
Everything Is Equal
Friday 26 June 2026
Charli XCX – Wink Wink
I made the executive decision to drag myself away from the World Cup and subject my ears to some new releases on this fine Friday morning in Manchester.
The heat has reached 30°C.
But what of the tunes?
Unbelievable.
Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist runs to almost six hours and, once again, Ms XCX appears almost immediately.
The algorithm clearly thinks I’m a fan.
I’m not.
I do find her interesting, though.
This is another track showcasing her rockier direction. She swears, naturally, and the driving guitars work rather well.
How her fanbase reacts to the change remains to be seen.
History tells us that when pop stars go rock, record sales often go in the opposite direction.
The chorus is genuinely infectious.
Given that I’m currently listening to an unhealthy amount of ZZ Top, this gets the official Listening Log seal of approval.
Am I becoming a closet Charli XCX fan?
The jury remains out.
Ros T – Electro Disco
I assumed Ros T was a woman.
My apologies.
According to Spotify he’s an “incredible young DJ”.
Marketing departments really do earn their money.
This, however, is excellent.
Perfect heatwave music.
There’s loads happening. Beats flying everywhere, female vocals weaving in and out, and production values turned all the way up to eleven.
Best of all, you never quite know what’s coming next.
That’s surprisingly rare.
I definitely want to hear more from this talented producer from the Isle of Skye.
We’re doing remarkably well this week.
My only complaint?
It’s over far too quickly.
Dusky & Rromarin – Next Life
I knew it was going too well.
“Maybe in the next life.”
Suede were writing lyrics like that more than thirty years ago.
And then there’s the names.
I checked the spelling of Rromarin three times.
Despite all that, this is another strong track.
Whether it’s the heat or simply escaping from the World Cup for half an hour, I’m enjoying these beats far more than expected.
I know a good tune when it wanders over and gives me a dry slap.
The Spotify biography is another masterpiece.
Apparently Dusky have “further cultivated their sound and artistic sensibilities.”
Or, in plain English, they’ve started their own record label.
One question continues to haunt me.
Does anybody under the age of thirty actually read these biographies?
Or are they written purely for daft old farts like me to take the mickey out of?
Catch, Young Adz – Target
Back into silly-name territory.
And silly-biography territory.
This is decent enough.
Heavy bass, crisp drums and lyrics covering the usual subjects.
Guns.
Crack.
Gangsters.
I initially assumed Catch was a band.
Turns out he’s a rapper.
Stormzy and Skepta probably aren’t losing too much sleep just yet.
Still, those basslines deserve a mention.
Yard Act – New Beginnings
Finally.
Yard Act.
I bloody love Yard Act.
This is from album number three.
They also hold the distinction of being the last band I ever got drunk watching.
I’ve since decided I no longer enjoy getting drunk at gigs.
From what I remember, it was a fantastic night.
My wife remembers it rather differently.
This isn’t breaking new ground, but it doesn’t need to.
Like most Yard Act songs, it’ll grow with every listen.
Their debut remains one of the very few recent albums that genuinely blew me away.
This may not reach those heights.
It’s still brilliant.
Because it’s Yard Act.
Faith in humanity restored.
Future – Radio
Finally…
The vocoder returns.
Just when I thought we’d escaped.
Much like Catch, we’re back in familiar territory lyrically.
The heavy vocal effects continue to baffle me.
What is modern music’s obsession with the vocoder?
This never really gets going.
A disappointing way to end what has actually been a surprisingly enjoyable week of new music.
Right.
Back to the World Cup.
END OF LISTENING LOG
The Listening Log 