Happy New Year, and welcome to another season of Wax and Stamp! Welcome also to all of our new subscribers for this year. We usually get a lot of new people on board over the holidays, as we are a popular gift for vinyl lovers. If you’re one of our new subs, we’re a small group of music enthusiasts that works hard each month to find you new, old and obscure music to challenge your palette and tastes. For more, check out www.waxandstamp.com, and if you have any questions you can reach us on:
[email protected].
Now, on to this month’s records. We had a great year in 2024 of overdelivering & getting you multiple months of two albums instead of an album and an EP, so it would be rude not to start the year in that way as well! Here’s a bit about your two new albums for January:
LP number one is by North London pop trio,
Girl Ray. Together since 2017, they have evolved from a raw early indie sound to progressively poppier to this, their third album;
“Prestige.” The release has a very disco and 80s-style synthpop sound that brings to mind 2000s acts such as Ladyhawke. The album shows the maturity of a group that has come a long way since the three young women who became best friends at secondary school in Muswell Hill started out. It helps that it was produced in Atlanta by Ben H Allen, who won a Grammy for his work with Gnarls Barkley. Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, Kylie and Lizzo are all cited as influences. This is a lovely coloured vinyl release that should help you through the January blues.
From London to LA: LP number 2 is another female-led release.
Madison Cunningham is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Rolling Stone described her music as "a new spin on West Coast folk-rock, with classical tendencies, electric guitars, jazz-school chord changes and alt-rock strut all living under the same roof". We tried to find a better way of describing her, but after an hour of throwing words around decided to just print that as it just sums her work up so well! This is a singer songwriter hitting a real stride on her second LP, exploring sonic landscapes, song structures, and time signatures that create feelings of tension and uncertainty, as well as lyrics of personal analysis and growth. One to sit down and listen to with a cup of your favourite hot beverage and some free time.
