Here are the best new songs we’ve heard in the past week, tried, tested and ready for your ears.
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1.
Stormzy
Vossi Bop
London’s finest Grime MC Stormzy made his long-awaited comeback, following the release of the superb Gang Signs & Prayer in 2017. ‘Vossi Bop’ heads the right direction from the get-go. While we loved the emotional maturity and open-mindedness of Stormzy’s last LP, to hear the MC come back full of aggression and braggadocio on ‘Vossi Bop’ is so very welcome. Production is absolutely ace too, put some good headphones on and check out the low end on this one.
2.
FKA Twigs
Cellophane
FKA Twigs returns with a hauntingly beautiful track, accompanied with an equally stunning music video. The video is particularly personal for the artist after recovering from laparoscopic surgery to remove 6 fibroid tumours from her uterus. She posted on Instagram saying that dancing played a huge part to her recovery. The video showcases an emotional dance performance by the singer. The track has a soft piano playing throughout which perfectly compliments FKA Twigs airy and trembling vocals. A steady drumbeat builds in the song making this number very hypnotising.
– Donal
3.
Better Oblivion Community Center
Little Trouble
Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers’ collaboration under the Better Oblivion Community Center name continues to bear fruit with the affable ‘Little Trouble’. The pair’s shared chemistry, especially on vocal duties, and their poetic diction continues to tie the material together and provide ample individual personality to the music.
4.
Soak
Maybe
Derry dream pop artist Soak is back with her new album Grim Townand she is going from strength to strength. Soak’s first album, Before We Forget How to Dream, excellently depicted the troubles of a teenager. Now her new album shows the maturing that she and her music has undergone. ’Maybe’ is the fifth track on the album and it’s a showcase of her talent in songwriting. The song features flowing vocals and a guitar riff that will have you in the mood for summer festivals. We’ve been waiting four years for this comeback and judging by this track it’s definitely worth the wait.
– Donal
5.
Kevin Morby
OMG Rock n Roll
f you’re in need of a modern day Bob Dylan fix or want A Velvet Underground throwback home, look no further than Kevin Morby’s new album, Oh My God. The 31-year-old American is back with his fifth album and it’s both a breath of fresh air. ‘OMG Rock n Roll’ features as the fourth track on the album. There is a beautiful graininess to his voice and a distorted sound to the track that gives it a vintage feel. It’s an old school rock n’ roll tune that is sure to turn your dreary commute home into a scene from Easy Rider.
6.
Azmari
Dolmus
Brussels three piece Azmari are bringing all the Middle Eastern modal flavour on ‘Dolmus’. The band spent ten nights performing in Istanbul and cite the experience as a real catalyst in the writing process for their upcoming EP Ekera, which is due out on May 26th. Equal parts psychedelic, jazzy, exotic and funky ‘Dolmus’ is an absolute jam.
7.
Le Boom X Æ Mak
Dancing Bug
Two artists at the very forefront of Ireland’s electronic/pop scene came together to make ‘Dancing Bug’ and the end result is as glorious as you might expect. Both Le Boom and Æ Mak bring their fine china on this one, motivated enough to fall into the realm of dance and more than catchy enough to be considered pop. Plenty of good dance moves and even better fruit in the video too, know your nutrition!
8.
Aldous Harding
Zoo Eyes
Yeah, we’ve fallen in love with Aldous Harding’s new LP. Designer plays like a collection of long, free, sunny summer days. All mellowed out folk-rock and perfect vocal harmonies. We’ve highlighted ‘Zoo Eyes’ here, an early standout track. You should start here and then jump straight into the rest of the LP.
9.
Nick Murphy
Harry Takes Drugs On The Weekend
With his transformation from Chet Faker to Nick Murphy finally cemented, thanks to the release of Run Fast Sleep Naked, there’s a lot of mixed feelings about. On the one hand, tracks like ‘Harry Takes Drugs On The Weekend’ make Murphy’s prospective new musical direction an exciting prospect. This one fools you into believing it’s gonna be gloomy, then kicks into a bedroom pop jam. On the other hand, it’s not the freshest sound out there and the album is too inconsistent to be very memorable. We also don’t condone Harry’s life choices either.
10.
The Rhythm Method
Sex & The Suburbs
I stumbled across London duo The Rhythm Method by pure chance about a year ago, their ‘Party Politics’ single blew me away as a sort of musical oddity. After all, house music and spoken word doesn’t sound all that appetising. On ‘Sex & The Suburbs’, the group prove their sound has got legs to run. There’s a debut LP in the works too, get in.
