I’m always somewhat baffled by the output of Song, by Toad Records – some of it like Meursault I absolutely fall in love with, whilst others are just so very lo-fi that I simply struggle with the noise – have a listen to their 2012 Sampler to hear what I’m talking about. Lucky for me Yusaf Azak keeps is one of those that writes rich acoustic pop songs, with lush strings, and a voice that manages to both soothing and emotive.
I’m a good few months behind with Prizefighter EP though, mostly because it wasn’t actually released by Matthew and his band of merry men – and I probably wouldn’t have spotted it at all had Yusaf not got in touch last month – and I’m so pleased he did. The EP is lovely as a whole, but Swim is one of the prettiest piano-led songs I’ve heard in months. It feels as though it should be the soundtrack to an old black-and-white movie being shot in the rain. It’s introspective, downbeat, but utterly beautiful.
You can download Yusuf Azak’s Prizefighter EP for free from his Bandcamp with his second LP coming out in Autumn on Song by Toad Records