Musical Love Affair: Sorry, No - Boy/Girl Party

Manchester's Luke Bather has been making music under the Sorry, No umbrella since 2010 now. His melancholy brand of lo-fi sadcore has produced some exquisite parcels of DIY goodness, none better than 2013's charming 'Boy/Girl Party' released as part of Art Is Hard Records fabulous Postcard Club.

Sweet chimes join a gently strummed guitar as Bather's sweet vocals flutter in on the gentle breeze of sound. A distant fizzing synth murmurs as the young singer wistfully exclaims, "I got a little less excited, as the days rolled by". It's 'Boy/Girl Party's beautifully innocent and youthful lyrics that really make it memorable, Bather softly contemplates the excitement and gut-wrenching nerves that are synonymous to hosting a party.

As the song grows a fog of synth buzz bleeds into the mix of dancing drums and whispering guitars before everything but a gentle guitar and Bather's solitary vocals plunges away into the distance. Seconds later a cacophony of noise flitters back into action lead by the ever present electronic buzz. 

"You're all invited to the party" Bather sings moments before the music cuts leaving just a gentle glow of sound. If the party refereed to is the brilliant Postcard Club it's true, this delightful track and many more from the likes of Theo Verney and Trust Fund are available here for as much money as you feel is fair.

Musical Love Affair: Ides - Prisms

I've not done one of these for a while so it's probably about time I shared with you what I've been adoringly shovelling into my ears by the bucket load. Ides is perhaps best known because she is Alana McArdle, lead singer of Cardiff's noisiest indie-pop rabble - Joanna Gruesome.

On 'Prisms', in the absence of her four band mates, McArdle is almost unrecognisable. There is a vulnerability to the lonely partnership of young woman and guitar as she gently calls out "simple things, they make no sense to me". Perhaps ironically it is the songs beautiful simplicity that gives it a sweet and relatable charm. McArdle's heart-breaking sincerity, as she sings, "I hope that you're as happy as can be", seems to cover a deep frustration revealed as the song softly floats away on a gently flowing river of humming feedback.

Ides four minutes of tender bliss is available as part of Art Is Hard records' 2013 postcard club, where the download is accompanied by a beautiful postcard.