I’ve always found February one of the more depressing months of the year - the skies are grey, Christmas is a distant memory and the summer seems an age away, and it seems that this month’s new releases are determined to reflect my sombre mood rather than uplift it.

First on the pile today is EMA, aka Erika M. Anderson, and her debut single The Grey Ship a subtly strummed, low-key affair that might have been rendered unremarkable were it not for the delicate beauty of her gently echoing vocal, adding a touching, soulful, human element to the cold backing.  Clocking in at comfortably over seven minutes, there are enough twists and turns to keep us interested as the strings and guitars slowly build to their climax before letting us down gently with a half whispered vocal.
cameouttanowhere.com / Listen

Similarly ethereal and wintry is A Hundred And One, the new single by French for Cartridge, whose album Liquorice enthralled us last month.  Sparse keyboards drop like snowflakes while a digital swirl blows gently behind singer Catherine Kontz’s fragile snippets of vocal and drums trudge like footsteps in a snowdrift. Lovely and even better, free to download from the band’s website.
www.frenchforcartridge.com / Watch

Things take an even chillier turn with the practically Antarctic blast of Rayographs’ Space of the Halls echoing around my head, its icy tendrils of reverberating guitar wrapping themselves around my brain.  It’s a hypnotic experience from the off, particularly when listening through headphones as a helicoptering crackle flits from ear to ear before the shards of frosty vocals and rumbling bass kick in to further enhance the otherworldy feel.  This one’s also up for grabs free of charge, so head over to their website for your copy now.
www.myspace.com/therayographs / Download

Model Society finally take us out of the cold, but their debut single Follow Your Dreams, despite its uplifting message, the downbeat musical backing sounds more like a drizzly grey afternoon with its leisurely bass rumble, occasional drops of shimmering keys and vocals delivered with just the hint of a snarl.  It’s not quite the finished article yet, but there’s enough promise in the snaking guitar lines and drum breaks to keep up interested in hearing more.
www.myspace.com/modelsocietyband / Watch

Continuing to shepherd us through the gloom, South Londoners The Palpitations’ new single Milk It is driven along by a sinister rattling bassline, punctured by broken glass splinters of juddering guitar and puts us very much in mind of sadly departed New Cross heroes and Joyzine vol.1 faves The Violets in its sumptuous darkness.  B-side Love Is True (That’s Why It Hurts) is also well worth making the effort for, with hammering guitars and crashing cymbals taking centre stage.
www.thepalpitations.co.uk / Listen

Inhabiting a similarly claustrophobic space are art-rock four piece Hold Kiss Kill made the rather unusual decision to release their debut single Our Last Waltz as a hand made fanzine containing a flexi-disc.  Rumours that the follow up will be available only on wax cylinder are yet to be confirmed, but we appreciate their willfull rejection of 21st century norms almost as much as we love the reverb and sustain of Our Last Waltz’s lead riff and sweet female vocals.  It impressed us enough to ask them to perform at our recent Bands for Brazil gig, and we’re sure you’ll love it too.
www.holdkisskill.com / Listen

Right, that’s it, I’m heading in to warm up by the fire with a nice mug of hot chocolate - see you next month.

Words by Paul Maps