Today is New Music Friday, which means there’s loads of new songs in the world.
Here are the 10 single songs released today I loved the most.
See the New Music section for all the of tracks and albums featured this week.
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1.
Young Fathers
Drum
Scottish trio Young Fathers released Heavy Heavy, their first album in five years and it’s an album that doesn’t deviate from their raucous soul gospel hip-hop sound – not that it needed to.
‘Drum’ is a non-single standout, a reach for the anthemic, in a sea full of them.
Young Fathers play 3Olympia Theatre on 1st March 1st.
2.
Caroline Polachek
Blood And Butter
As we approach the release of Caroline Polachek’s upcoming Desire, I Want To Turn Into You on February 14th, we’ve been given the Spanish-guitar-featuring ‘Sunset’, the spacious electronic choral of ‘Billions’ the morphing ‘weird’ 80s pop of ‘Welcome To My Island’.
Here’s ‘Blood and Butter’, a song which sounds like a Peter Gabriel tune that was co-produced with Danny L. Harle, and features a bagpipes solo from Scottish folk artist Brìghde Chaimbeul.
Polachek is adept at side-stepping expectation, the only thing that remains a constant is that honeyed layered voice.
Grimes and Dido feature on a track on the album together, and breakout ‘Bunny Is A Rider’ is also included.
3.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Layla
Unknown Mortal Orchestra announced a double album V is to be released on March 17th via Jagjaguwar. The Hawaiian-New Zealand musician Ruban Nielson’s new one is said to be inspired by “West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music,” along with dealing with a family illness that meant a lot of the family relocated to Hawaii from Portland and New Zealand.
‘Layla’ is a hazy UMO vibe, with some sunniness baked in or as the band prefer it “blue skies, beachside cocktail bars, hotel pools and the darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces”.
Last year, the band shared ‘I Killed Captain Cook’.
4.
Melts
Outlier (Gabe Gurnsey remix)
Crunchy synths and big percussion is the order of the day on Gabe Gurnsey’s remix of Dublin band Melts‘ ‘Outlier’.
“We have been big fans of Gabe’s work for some time now and when the idea arose of a remix Gabe was the first person to come to mind. We weren’t pushy towards what track we wanted remixed so after contacting Gabe we just let him pick whatever track he wanted to work with and that’s what led to Outlier. Gabe has given the track an up-beat club style remix but still encompassing the visceral space rock sounds of the original recording.”
Melts’ Robbie Brady
Melts also announced a show at The Workmans Club on May 5th.
5.
Whitney
For A While
A new song from Chicago band Whitney after last year’s Spark album,
The lyrics of ‘“’For A While’” were inspired by a time Max and I [Julien Ehrlich] drove past a burning car on the side of the highway in Northern Illinois. From what we could see everyone made it out safely, but in that moment we were both struck by the ubiquity of anonymous tragedy. Over the course of writing “For A While” that experience evolved into a feeling of gratitude and love for all the people who aren’t able to be with us today. We’ve been working on this song for a few years and a few different phases of our lives. It’s seen some people come and go. We love you all.
Whitney play Dublin’s Academy on February 27th.
6.
BoNS
EVAC
Irish electronic producer Glenn Keating aka BoNS has put out the second of his two-track release series Upside/Downside today for Bandcamp Friday, and I really dig ‘Evac’ the woozy instrumental that serves as the A-side.
Says Glen:
“The 2nd in a series of 2-Track releases, the UPSIDE/DOWNSIDE series will be a collection of one archival track and one new track. The archival UPSIDE track is an attempt to put some music into the world that is beat driven and held an important place in my heart along the way, I relished the challenge of revisiting these tracks and rekindling the original emotion behind them.
DOWNSIDE tracks are another story – a way to tap into a creative flow to try to express my current state of mind. Often introspective and using the process of composing in real time as a form of meditation and therapy as I navigate my way through Cancer. Throughout my treatment, I have turned to music and like to think of these as a document of mindsets. Its been a lifeline through some tough times, but creating something is healing and helps heal.”
7.
Simon Mós
Galaxy
Previously featured here back in 2020 with kaleidoscopic 8-minute synth workout ‘Yesterdays Revolution’, the London producer Simon Mós, has shared the A-side from a new release on his label SAOK Label (Small Acts of Kindness). ‘Galaxy’, the teaser of the two before full release on March 3rd leans into a modular synth and voice sample percussive workout.
“For ‘Galaxy,’ I really wanted to push the boundaries and create a futuristic, otherworldly soundscape. The result is a driving and energetic track that takes the listener on a journey through the cosmos. The use of modular synthesis allows for a level of customisation and experimentation that is unparalleled in traditional digital production methods, giving “Galaxy” a truly one-of-a-kind
Simon Mòs
sound.”
8.
1000 Beasts, Laura Elizabeth Hughes
Burning Flower
Cork producer Cian Sweeney aka 1000 Beasts drops a fresh track after last year’s debut album Naruda, a collaboration with Laura Elizabeth Hughes providing spoken and sung vocals on a track that uses low-end and highlife prismatic guitar to nice effect.
It’s from a collab-heavy second album to come later this year.
“Burning Flower was the first track I produced for this new project. In many ways, it’s the bridge between the Naruda album and this next project. Throughout the summer we performed the track live as an instrumental and people just loved it. I knew I wanted it to be the next single I released but I always felt it needed a vocal. I tried so many different ideas before getting Laura Elizabeth to put some verses on it and instantly I knew it was the right fit. Her delicate vocals contrasted the energy from the instrumental perfectly.”
1000 Beasts
“We explored different lyrical themes initially but settled on creating the persona of an empowered protagonist who is focused completely on the moment. Nothing can take from her or distract her. She doesn’t care and it’s wonderful.”
Laura Elizabeth Hughes
9.
Jam City
Redd St. Turbulence
London producer Jam City returns after last week’s released featured production with Lil Yachty album, with a a clubby track which features vocals from Julian Cashwan Pratt of US hardcore band Show Me The Body. ‘Redd St. Turbulence’ is a trance-inducing song that reminds me of Belfast producer The Cyclist.
10.
Five to Two
Talk Soon
Following their ‘Song 50,000’ collab with JarJarJr, ‘Talk Soon’ is an instrumental from the band’s forthcoming second album due February 17th, on Soft Boy Records,
Five to Two are Matthew Breen (piano), Jonah Byrne (double bass) and Finn Mac Anna (drums) and a launch gig happens at Bello Bar, Dublin on February 18th.
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist
Nialler9 New Music Playlist
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, hit up the Irish section for individual track features
For this and more Irish songs, follow the Nialler9 New Irish Spotify playlist.
