Various Artists - Hen Hoose EP 2 (Hen Hoose) 
Release Date: Out Now
Rejoice, one and all, for the Hen Hoose collective is back and they are on fine form. For the uninitiated, Hen Hoose is a Glasgow based collective that puts out new music from female/non-binary artists and this is the second EP featuring collaborations between some of the most creative artists around. Starting with Karine Polwart and the Anchoress' tune 'Wake Up', we are eased into proceedings on a soft cloud of melody that harnesses the power of a storm but delivers it with compassion and empathy - the kind of song that Swifties would go nuts for if it was performed by Taylor herself. The collaboration between Kathryn Williams and MALKA has an unmistakable stamp of the latter on the melody but 'Islands' is a beautifully tropical sounding melody that lets you float away on a dream of sunnier shores and swaying palm trees.
Susan Bear and Jill Lorean team up for the grunge-pop of 'Catchfall' with a hooky guitar line and urgent energy that feels like a brilliant combination of Sleater Kinney, the Breeders and the Sundays. 'Like Thunder' is a three-way collaboration between Djana Gabrielle, AMUNDA and Elijah Kashmir but they are performing as one to create a track full of 80s synth melodies, upliftingly club-ready energy and the kind of vibe that will see this one picked up by radio stations and sync agencies alike. Carla J Easton and Lucy Parnell have created the woozy brilliance of 'Too Far Gone' which feels like that weird moment of clarity on the dance floor where your mind is aware that you're dancing and your body is doing the dancing but, somehow, the two things aren't connected.
We finish this rich and lush EP with the offering from Nightwave and Shears, 'Dance With U'. This one starts off as a semi-ambient piece before the glitchy, stuttering chorus kicks in and the accompanying beat gets straight into your hips. As always, Hen Hoose delivers a mix of talents, styles and the same general sense of wonder you get from trying free samples in a posh chocolate shop. The trouble is, now you've tasted the best, you'll never go back to a Freddo.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/Henhoose
Live Dates:
14th December - CCA, Glasgow