iAm1 - Watching

Since meeting at Westminster Uni in 2008, the enigmatic duo that is iAm1 has set about a delicately artful fusion of urban tropes with a more subtle folk melodiousness. It's an intriguing combo of genres and influences, but on current single Watching, the merits are self-evident. Sure, there's flavours of Ed Sheeran and Maverick Sabre in the wise man of the streets sort of thing going on, but Watching strikes far closer, and keener to the heart.

Accompanied by a deeply arresting hand-drawn animated video, Watching slips nicely alongside the current raft of urban contemporaries taking the UK by storm right now, but with a real tenderness not yet cornered by any of them yet. There's an artistic ethos that goes beyond mere genre categories and while Watching feels at heart like it could easily become a big 'radio' track, there's a stirring sentimentality to its string-washed closing moments that marks it out as something more.

UK rap has been missing a good touch of sentimentality of late, and iAm1 do much to redress that balance.

The Watching EP is released on the 19th March.

The Pierces - Me And Him

I can't heap enough praise on The Pierces. I fell utterly in love with their Love You More EP last year and I think the same is most definitely happening with their new You'll Be Mine EP too. Aside from the title track being a quality slice of chilled out pop bliss, there's a real treasure of a ballad on there too in the form of Me And Him.

The song is bewitchingly haunting in its sheer beauty. It's almost nursery rhyme-like in its melody, all innocence and sweetness. Delicate guitar strums away, conjuring up images of campfires on starry country nights. This is music to strike straight at the heartstrings. I defy anyone not to feel even just a little moved by this song. It's just simply wonderful.

Pre-order the You'll Be Mine EP here.

The Pierces - You'll Be Mine

The Pierces’ Love You More EP was one of my favourite collections of tracks from last year so I approached their new single with a little trepidation, not sure if they’d ever be able to live up to their previous glories. Thankfully though, their new single You’ll Be Mine allays all fears. It’s stunning. Again, love provides the theme for the girls’ folksy, poppy hybrid sound.

There’s a beautiful sun-kissed Balearic feel to the song; it speaks of long blazing days in the Mediterranean sun, and even longer nights relaxing on the beach as the waves rush into the shore. There’s touches of New Order’s classic Republic album here and more than a dash of Empire of the Sun’s We Are The People. Driven by a tuneful acoustic strum and delightful music-box-esque sparkle, the melodies are spot on, with a charming little refrain that will stick right in your head. As with the Love You More, this is utterly bewitching, demanding constant repeat listens.

You’ll Be Mine is released on 7^th March.

Kilto Take

Kilto Take are one of those new artists that have you hooked from the off, the skill and musicianship of this three-piece evident right away as you dive into the dark, glossy immaculateness of their music. Tracks like the brilliant Retrogress see them at their best; high-tempo, frenetic guitars, a brilliant chorus and an atmospheric production gloss that immediately impresses.

Imagine a perfect blend of early 80s post-punk with the modern innovation of its successors like White Lies and Interpol. It’s intelligent music for an audience bored of the endless cheap Libertines clones of a few years ago. And Kilto Take’s killer edge? They deliver every time. Ava is another brilliant slice of the band’s sound, razor sharp guitar solos painting pictures of grim, urban landscapes on a cinematic scale.

Lead singer Jon Crosby’s vocals ring clear and true above the immaculate guitar lines. Bringing to mind touches of Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley and Muse’s Matt Bellamy, they capture that same awe-inspiring theatrical edge, adding an epic quality to the band’s tracks. There’s a luxurious power to these songs that simply isn’t present in so many up and coming rock bands. Kilto Take are a band for who wear their ambition clearly on their sleeve, and the music is all the stronger for it.

Check out the band's music on their MySpace page here.

You can download their debut EP on iTunes here.