Weagle – More Noise EP

By Jordan Moussavi

Sheffield’s burgeoning crop of talent is becoming difficult to ignore, a fact that is no more true than in the case of NUKG upstart, Weagle, dropping his latest on acclaimed label Southpoint.

“More Noise” is a busy two-tracker with a bright, sunny feel that arrives ahead of summer rather opportunely. Much of the ancillary work on the first track of the record, “Lucky”,  is performed by the dizzying arrangement of instruments and samples, with syncopated keys playing off chopped vocals and clavinet and saxophone-like sounds serving as accompaniments throughout. These tuneful flickers are complemented by the liberal use of sidechaining and the track’s 4×4 drums, which manage to maintain a lively pace throughout.

The brightest spot on the record, however, definitely belongs to “Stormin”. An altogether more terse affair, the release’s second cut is a more concentrated representation of the sounds that initially enamored many to Weagle; the tasteful creation of space around the drums is supported by excellent stereo work, which is used to fire off vocals and key licks across the left-right spectrum. A subtle, detuned progression adds background color, helping complete a dynamic and, at times, hyperactive groove, which leans into the stylings most prominently exhibited on “With the Ruff N’ the Smooth”, a NUKG pressing that became a personal favorite of 2020.

More Noise is an effort constituted of two halves—both entries are impressively solid, with Stormin representing the more incisive distillation of Weagle’s distinctive sound.

Posted on June 9, 2021