Words by Alex Payne
Art by Finn Cleverly

Last Friday, the Met Office announced that it was the third hottest day on record, confirming the suspicions of anyone who dared brave the blistering heat for more than a moment. Weather that good is rarely more than fleeting in the UK, so when it is, itÔÇÖs worth celebrating with a classic combination of beach, BBQ and booze. Luckily, KNALLERS, the funk-tinged indie brainchild of Stef Dale and Alasdair Jenkins, have blessed us with a couple of sun-dappled singles that will serve as the easy soundtrack that such a day deserves. 

Behind the gorgeous Roy Lichtenstein-esque album art (produced by Finn Cleverly), listeners are treated to Mirror Image and Waterval. Jo MhairiÔÇÖs silky vocals slink and glide over the glossy production on the former, weaving between the thick chords and bouncing bass lines that lend the track a bright, funk influence. Firmly innocuous lyrics add to the accessibility of the track, a quality that shows a firm understanding of the setting this release is best enjoyed in. Waterval shares many of the same laid-back qualities, but relies on hazy samples that ebb and flow as the track progresses, rather than MhairiÔÇÖs lush tones. The result is a neat lo-fi house track that oozes atmosphere and implores the listener to simply chill. Consistently strong mixing throughout the track complements the gentle use of well-chosen samples, and can best be described as seamless; it also shows progression from the duo’s debut single, Lucky Strike, which leaned on sampling in a much heavier manner. Fans of The Avalanches, Ross From Friends and Kaytranada would be doing themselves a disservice to miss this release.┬á┬á