London-based musical duo Femcels, comprising Rowan Miles and Gabriella Turton, have captivated audiences with their debut album I Have to Get Hotter, a freaky and sharply observed exploration of young womanhood in 2020s London. Their sound, a high-tempo electroclash-indie-pop fusion, draws inspiration from iconic acts like Heavenly and Tiger Trap, delivering a unique blend that is both euphoric and depressive.
A Modern Take on Feminine Themes
The Femcels' music delves into contemporary issues with unapologetic femininity, touching on topics such as catastrophic body image, coding, clout, and disconnection in the digital age. Their lyrics, often sung or spoken, are slicked with irony yet reveal darkly funny truths, like Miles' anecdote about DMing a rock star who prioritises his children's spring break over personal connections.
Musical Influences and Production
Aesthetically, the duo draws from 2000s and early 2010s electroclash and indie-pop, creating a fizzy, ahistorical genre-mash. Produced by Bassvictim's Ike Clateman and Leo Fincham, known as Worldpeace DMT, the album features influences from bands like CSS, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Vampire Weekend, and Grouplove. It even includes a cover of Shelley Duval's He Needs Me in the style of the one-album-wonders the Teenagers, adding to its eclectic charm.
The sheer excitement radiating from the Femcels' music makes their exploration of bad taste compelling and unquestionable. I Have to Get Hotter stands as a perfectly unholy mix for today's times, blending wired, unvarnished vocals with a genre-defying sound that resonates deeply with listeners.
This Week's Best New Tracks
In other music news, several artists have released standout tracks this week. Kelsey Lu returns with Running to Pain, a giant synthpop ballad about masochistically finding life-force in a callous lover, showcasing massive ambition matched by quality and intention.
My New Band Believe, led by former Black Midi member Cameron Picton, offers Love Story, a deeply moving declaration of love set against the backdrop of cooking dinner, cutting the tempo from his previous giddy single Numerology.
British girl band Flo doubles down on sexual confidence with Leak It, featuring a beat reminiscent of Nelly Furtado's Promiscuous and a chorus full of girls-night euphoria. Vermont songwriter Lily Seabird is on the verge of a breakout with Demon in Me, an acoustic waltz that spills into gloriously unruly feedback, teaching a lesson in self-actualisation.
Cola's Tim Darcy reflects on existential sorrow in Conflagration Mindset, prompted by losing his house in LA wildfires, while Priori teams up with Gavsborg for Nesting Chamber, an outrageously sensual splicing of dub techno and funky house. LA band Slippers rounds out the list with Wants for Everyone, a jangle-pop track with a trace of 60s girl groups in its carefree yet melancholy chorus.
