NME Radio Roundup 17 May 2021: India Jordan, Flight Facilities, Little Simz and Iceage

Taken from India Jordan’s EP of the same name, ‘Watch Out!’ is a kinetic joyride that revels in old-school energy. Boasting an appropriately emphatic title, it fuses chopped vocals, looping sirens and synth swells, all anchored by a layer of deconstructed break rhythms, and it’s brilliant. – JX Soo

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Flight Facilities’ latest is a house-flavoured treat. Its slinky, groove-laden production is bolstered by guest Channel Tres’ smooth, assured verses. “Let’s make moves outside this club / Let’s get out of here / Bout to make moves get back to the hub / I gotta go back home,” he sings on the ethereal chorus. – Isaac Chiew

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“Naija women, got the melanin drippin’/ L-O-N-D-O-N, city girl livin’,” Little Simz opens on ‘Woman’. The latest single from her anticipated upcoming album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ is a compelling celebration of female strength. Over loosely shuffling drums and effortless grooves, Simz powerfully pays tribute to the women who inspire her, in another stunning offering from the London artist. – JXS

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‘High & Hurt’ is an anthemic cut from Iceage’s latest album ‘Seek Shelter’. “Will the circle be unbroken / By and by, lord, by and by / There’s another home awaiting / In the sky, lord, in the sky,” sings vocalist Elias Bender Rønnenfelt on the track’s earnest hymn-like refrain, fusing the powerful vocals with jangly guitar riffs and cantering percussion. – IC

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Saweetie’s ‘Fast (Motion)’ is a club anthem stuffed full of energetic hooks and assertive attitude. Inspired by Miami’s dance culture, the dance-rap belter sees Saweetie rapping over infectiously bumping beats, in the killer latest taste of her upcoming debut album ‘Pretty Bitch Music’. – IC

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An ode against all those who seek to undermine her, ‘Dark Skinned’ sees Ray BLK proud and defiant, as she asserts: “My Mamma told me from me born / Ray a star / That’s my calling yeah / I’m even glowing in the dark / It’s from my heart / Not because I’m dark skin”. Explaining the meaning behind ‘Dark Skinned’ on Twitter, Ray BLK said: “This song is for the underrepresented, the over plagiarised and uncredited. This song is for those the world keeps saying no to. Never stop saying YES to yourself!” This statement is echoed in the powerful final seconds of the song, as the Londoner ends the song with notes from an intimate phone call: “Don’t be talked out of it / Pursue it with everything.” – JXS

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A funked-out affair with unstoppable grooves, ‘Wait, I Lied’ is one of Alfie Templeman’s catchiest songs yet. “I kept us moving at the beat of my heart / Your voice was soothing, how did we fall apart?” the Bedfordshire crooner inquires, his charisma flavouring the track’s thumping beats and elastic basslines. One listen is enough to make you want to dive into his mesmerising mini-album, ‘Forever Isn’t Long Enough’ – and you won’t be disappointed. – JXS

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Oozing nostalgic indie-rock charm, Inhaler’s ‘Who’s Your Money On?’ is a synth-laden winner from the Irish quartet. “Oh, we could go around to a friend’s house and get stoned / I want to tell you some things I could never really tell you before,” vocalist Elijah Hewson sings on the track’s confessional chorus, with the song’s revealing lyricism further elevated by the band’s energetic disposition. – IC

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“People always getting ready for tomorrow / It doesn’t matter what you do,” Babe Rainbow vocalist Cameron Reeds sings honestly on new single ‘Ready For Tomorrow’. The Aussie band’s latest is a disco-laced psychedelic track that possesses an almost timeless quality. A delicious amalgam of shimmering cowbell licks, swooning synths and understated vocals, it’s a total belter. – IC

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