Queers in the Club

Released on 9th September, Hideous Bastard is the debut solo album from Oliver Sim, who makes up one third of The xx. Coming in at just 34 minutes, the album is quiet yet deeply confessional, as Sim explores his own anxieties and shame - Hideous Bastard opens with the line: ‘I’m ugly’. Mapping elements of the queer experience, Sim discusses his HIV status, body image, performative masculinity and draws a lot of inspiration from queer horror films.In all, Hideous Bastard, is a simple yet effective and elegant debut project that highlight’s Oliver Sim’s beautiful voice and fluid writing style. Production from Jamie xx proves to be pared back, building out dreamy synth soundscapes with moody piano lines and vocal harmonies in a stylish mix. For a project that deals with some interesting ideas around shame and horror, the album does lack in sonically providing some of the substance to go with all the style, but Oliver Sim’s debut shows tons of potential for the future.

Hold On Baby is the second album from up-and-coming artist, King Princess, aka Mikaela Strauss. Strauss said that her previous work has focused more on the heartbreak done to her, however, she expressed that this record marked how she ‘finally reached a point where I had to turn the barrel on myself’. What that means then for Hold On Baby, is a turning inwards, a move towards self-reflection and occasionally self-critical. Incorporating, aspects of indie pop, indie rock and electropop, Strauss is at her best when she makes songs full of tension and release (like Change The Locks or Dotted Lines).

I actually wrote my dissertation on Mike Hadreas’ (aka Perfume Genius’) last two records, and it’s a shame that Ugly Season hadn’t been released, because it’s so rich and dense that I could pick it apart for days. On the album, Hadreas begins to expand into new, more abstract territory, navigating the pleasure of dark and light spaces. Ugly Season is highly textural, as Hadreas deploys his stunning falsetto over tracks composed of celeste, chimes and clarinet, of saxophone, strings and synths.Check out my dissertation! https://georgebaxterwrites.blogspot.com/2022/06/bodies-in-flux-dissertation.html

Since the release of her last record, 2020’s Whole New Mess, Angel Olsen has undergone several journeys. Mid-pandemic, she came out as queer and just three days later, her father died; soon after, she lost her mother too. Having found love and lost it so drastically, her latest project ‘Big Time’ serves to contemplate feelings that would be indescribable to most. Hurt and healing intertwine on this country-tinged project, highlighting Angel’s talent as a songwriter and co-producer.

Released back in April, I’ve been returning to the latest studio album by Kae Tempest (they/them). The Line Is A Curve is a highly meditative album experience, totalling 40 minutes of lyrical flows, set to moody electronica and hip-hop inspired beats. Kae tackles various issues within contemporary British society, and documents their own personal struggles. I found the record even more intriguing after reading Kae’s first non-fiction book ‘On Connection’, the perfect companion piece to reflect their talent as a poet and spoken word artist.

Last week’s episode was called Six Songs for Summer but with this album, I think I should replace it with these Sixteen Songs for Summer. On her latest seventh studio album ‘RENAISSANCE’, Beyoncé weaves a rich tapestry that celebrates queerness and blackness, collaborating and sampling from some of the most exciting underground artists of colour, including trans icons Honey Dijon, T.S. Madison and Big Freedia. The album is an ode to disco, dance and to the ballroom scene, with Beyoncé playing the role of emcee. Category: Queers in the Club.

I'm back! Just in time for the British heatwave, Queers in the Club is back as I run through what I've had on repeat during these hot days. Spanning different genres but all featuring a queer presence in some form, these songs are perfect playlist material.Songs Played:Big (feat. Big Freedia) by Tank and the BangasSpitting Off the Edge of the World (feat. Perfume Genius) by Yeah Yeah YeahsCouldn't Help Myself by ARXXEl Alma Que Te Trajo by Safety Trance & ArcaIdkwntht by TomberlinCardboard Box by FLO

For this April Pt.1 episode, I'm looking exclusively at the newest singles by queer artists, like Angel Olsen and ANOHNI amongst others. I’ll be saving my album reviews for separate uploads so subscribe for those (I’m very excited for the Kae Tempest one!). Meanwhile I talk about a track by Sufjan Stevens from 2017, and continue the gay icon segment with the ever-quotable Cher.Music Played:1. Running With The Angels by Brittany Howard & Tia P.2. Poisonous Storytelling (with ANOHNI) by Hercules & Love Affair3. Follow Me by Pablo Vittar & Rina Sawayama4. All The Good Times by Angel Olsen5. Strangers by Ethel Cain Taken from the Library:Tonya Harding by Sufjan StevensIt’s Time for a Gay Icon: CherGypsies, Tramps and ThievesBelieve

I was previously unaware of Josef Salvat until earlier this year, when I heard the song ‘Promiscuity’ on GAY TIMES’ Queer & Now playlist. I did some research and found that this was the lead single off his album Islands, released on February 18th. Salvat is an Australian singer-songwriter who, having previously been shackled to a major music label, is newly independent. The album Islands is relatively simple but effective pop music. It spans the colourful and the melancholic, as Salvat explores themes of his sexuality, regret and broken promises. Songs Reviewed:PromiscuitySunbeamsMy Score: 6.5/10

Duality is at the heart of Squeeze, the second album by queer indie rock artist SASAMI. Just take the slightly threatening album art, in which SASAMI appears as a snake with the head of a woman, a representation of a deity from Japanese folklore, who would offer a small bundle resembling a baby to potential victims: the story goes that the spirit would kill those who discarded the bundle, but spare those who held the bundle. The conflict between explosive nu-metal rage and maternal gentleness is highly evident in this new album Squeeze.Songs Reviewed:Say ItCall Me HomeMy Score: 7/10 (extra .5 for Call Me Home)