dean blunt releases a fresh single 'death drive freestyle' following on from his EP Freestyles (SS22) and the single 'grandiosee', which came out earlier this year on Rough Trade. Steady acoustic guitar strums bring both a sense of warmth and melancholia to 'death drive freestyle', creating a sound reminiscent of 90s alt-rock band Mazzy Star's song 'Fade into You'. However, dean blunt's dead-pan British accent bears a pleasant familiarity closer to home: 'Leaning on me, let everyone see that I've always been here, I can't believe that their company is better than me, it's all been deceit, left to the sea'. At only 1 minute and 8 seconds, lyrically the song is a short and concise expression of rejection and isolation, whilst the chord progression does leave a trace hope and optimism for the listener. Check it out here. -Ellie Rose-Davies