Beth Ray Writes

The countdown to Record Store Day is approaching and I have started to work on some very exciting articles that I can’t wait to share with you all!

In the meantime let’s talk about what music i’ve been listening to this week.

On Wednesday (3rd April) Jo Whiley had the band English Teacher perform some songs in anticipation of their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’ which will be released on 12th April on her show. It’s worth a listen and you can play it on BBC Sounds here. They perform the song ‘Albert Road’ where lead singer Lily sings the lyrics:

“But don’t take their prejudice to heart/
They hate everyone/
The world around them never showed/
How loving can be fun“

Her voice is powerful and the song conveys a strong meaning about growing up with prejudice. After listening to a few tracks from the band it’s clear they are great lyricists. The band are from Leeds and there is a lot of hype around them, so it’s proving difficult to get any tour tickets at the moment. Luckily they are releasing some more tickets for their tour in November so keep a lookout on their socials for when they are released. The song i’m posting below is ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ because it really reminds me of Wolf Alice in the chorus with the dreamy vocals that melt into your headphones. Also the verses are so fun and catchy you will find yourself either singing “I am the world’s biggest paving slab/ so watch your fucking feet” or humming the guitar riff. Give them a watch because these are going to be hanging around for a long time.

The next artist i’ve been listening to is Shakira who released her album ‘Las mujeres ya no lloran’ (which translates into English as ‘Women no longer cry’) over a fortnight ago. I’ve been watching her interview with Zane Lowe here and I love how much she puts into her music and performances. Her music is catchy, powerful and her new album has shown how she can create amazing hits even after a seven year hiatus. To promote the album she performed inside a billboard in Times Square in New York and if you have 15 minutes to spare, i’d recommend giving it a watch, she knows how to deliver a killer performance onstage with her dancing and live vocals. Follow the link here.
So the song i’m listening to this week (& have been for a looooong time now) is the ‘BZRP Music Sessions #53’. I believe this is the most honest and sassiest breakup song I have ever heard. If you put the English captions on Youtube you will be able to see why, she plays a lot on the Spanish language with using her ex-husbands new girlfriends name:

“Tiene nombre de persona buena/
Claramente no es como suena“

It translates to “She has a name of a good person / clearly this isn’t true” Her ex-husband is now dating a woman called Clara, so it’s a very coincidental play on the word claramente.
Shakira also has a lot more to say but my favourite line is when she sings :
“Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan”
(Women no longer cry, women make money)

Anyway the video was a massive hit and has over 700 million views. Enjoy watching below:

My last track is another old one. I wanted to become Marina & the Diamonds when she first came on the scene. Her songs are fun, catchy and at a time when Lily Allen and Kate Nash were also coming into the limelight.
I’ll definitely be delving deeper on another blog post about Marina but for now you can enjoy her debut single because it’s just SO GOD DAMN GOOD.

Comment below what songs you’re listening to!
Have a great week,
Beth x