LeftLion's Latest Listens #50: Notts music we're currently spinning

Single: Di$mal - Still Not Happy

Notts rapper Di$mal's newest release digs into familiar territory – anxiety, self-doubt and the nagging feeling that contentment is always just out of reach. Di$mal has a knack for writing hooks that balance introspection with hazy, nostalgic production and hopeful lyrics; even when the subject matter is heavy, there's always the sense that he's looking for a way through rather than simply documenting the struggle. 

Still Not Happy builds on what Di$mal already does best: thoughtful alternative rap with memorable melodies and enough emotional weight to keep you coming back for another listen. Following the attention 5 a DaY and Keep IT ClosE have already generated, Still Not Happy feels less like a change of direction and more like another marker of an artist steadily refining his sound. @dismal____ (Ryan Benjamin)

Single: Wayne Banks - World We Share

Many Nottingham music lovers might not be familiar with Wayne Banks, but make no mistake, this local lad is about to make himself heard far beyond the boundaries of our fair city with this his debut solo single. Actually, Wayne has been around for quite some time, busily beavering away behind the scenes as a session musician for some of the industry’s biggest names.

Heavily influenced by his early life experiences of growing up on a council estate here in the city, World We Share is a truly anthemic number that will lay siege to the circles of your mind. This is a song that draws on various rock inspired strands that exude real energy with some spellbinding guitar work and driving rhythms that refuse to yield throughout.

Recorded at the Old School Recording Studios on the Wirral and mastered at the prestigious Abbey Road, this is a commanding song with real meaning contained in the powerful lyrics that encourage individual empowerment and unity in the scenarios contained in the class struggles of today. @banksy_therealone_official (Claire Spencer)

Single: Rainbow Frog Biscuits - Two Stones

Rainbow Frog Biscuit's shimmering, lilting new track is built around the compelling metaphor of lives united by being "two stones in the same river". Sparkling synth loops build a compelling atmosphere while a firm acoustic guitar enables a sense of determined strength. Perhaps inspired and encouraged by this solid musical base, Amber produces some of their best vocals here, and lyrically there's great use of repetition, too - the idea is deceptively simple and Amber runs with it, showing great judgement  - as always. RFB's music is typified by this kind of honest kind of approach: taking a personal moment or fleeting feeling and developing it into something many more people can share and enjoy.

In Two Stones, the result is a catchy and  ultimately irresistible song which flows and builds, showing off the best of this artist's creativity. @rainbowfrogbiscuits (Phil Taylor)

Single: ronnietoldus - Mash Up

The latest single from Nottingham-based electronic artist Aaron Price, AKA ronnietoldus, Mash Up is the perfect soundtrack to your Friday night. Taken from his I told ya so EP released earlier this year, the track is an addictive slice of blurry-eyed euphoria, inspired by chaotic nights-out in Nottingham. Built around thumping production and hypnotic chant-like vocals, the lyrics capture that hazy limbo at the end of the night between fighting dancefloor fatigue, but also too wired to go to bed.

This feeling is perfectly illustrated in the Nottingham-shot, DIY music video, which takes the viewer around iconic city centre establishments such as The Pit & Pendulum and Hurts Yard, following ronnietoldus on a wild night out in NG1. A brilliant self-aware anthem for anyone who’s ever stayed out too late! @ronnietoldus (Karl Blakesley)

Album: Laura Williams - Ready to be found

The 14 tracks of this debut album were produced by Dom Navarra with the songs written and recorded in a makeshift kitchen studio right here in Nottingham. Laura Williams is a local "primary school teacher and mum" and clearly has boundless energy and ambition. This collection of songs started life as a more personal writing project, but the decision to develop them and share them with the rest of the world was a great one. 

The album begins with its title track and a beautiful combination of finger picked guitar and violin. "The robin sings his song, as dusk collects the day..." is a highly evocative opening couplet, and sets the scene for a lovely motif which appears later and repeats generously and pleasingly. Ready to be found is an honest, human folk song, shining a light into shared experiences and the vulnerability of removing "the mask". From there, the record beds in and opens up through a series of skilfully written and illuminating songs - Wayfairing tree is a neat continuation of the first track, Coming home displays a different side to Williams' persona with a deeper and firmer approach, and Crooked smile offers an emotive piano-led conversation with a former self.

There's lots more to come, of course, in this ambitious first album, and plenty of gems to be uncovered (The other side is a particularly rich song playing on Americana influences, for example). Give it your time and you're sure to discover plenty to reward your investment.

@laura.williams_music (Phil Taylor)

Click here to read the previous editions of LeftLion's Latest Listens, all the way back to #1 from August 2024.