Now Reading
The 10 best new songs we’ve heard this week

The 10 best new songs we’ve heard this week

Luke Sharkey

Here are the best new songs we’ve heard in the past week, tried, tested and ready for your ears.

We are an independent publication – become a member and support Nialler9

Follow the Nialler9 Weekly playlist for access to the freshest new music.

1.

Holy Fuck & Alexis Taylor

Luxe

Luxe

Toronto natives Holy Fuck return with their first new single in two years, the industrial ‘Luxe’ featuring vocals from Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor. This is dark, sombre electronica driven with a relentless four downbeat. Overdriven, often washed out synth palettes give the track an edge, a sense of tension. The drop in the latter half of the track hurls the listener into a grainy cacophony. Crafty stereo imaging helps keep the mix sharp.

– Luke Sharkey

2.

Alex Cameron

Stepdad

Alex Cameron - Stepdad (Official Audio)

Australian singer-songwriter Alex Cameron comes through with one of the most bizarre & witty albums of the year with Miami Memory. ‘Stepdad’ is the opener. Seemingly set around a stepfather explaining to his step son why he’s leaving. Lyrics are golden, equal parts sincere and facetious. The arrangement is like if Bruce Springsteen and Future Islands had a lovechild.

– Luke Sharkey

3.

Loraine James

London Ting/Dark As Fuck ft.Le3 Black

Loraine James, London Ting // Dark as F**k - feat Le3 bLACK

Ahead of her upcoming Hyperdub released album For You And I, London producer Loraine James has released an obnoxiously heavy single. ‘London Ting/Dark As Fuck’, featuring MC Le3 Black, is a raw form of aural claustrophobia as layers of industrial bass do battle with each other alongside glitching percussion. Grime rhythms are applied to obtuse club electronics to make for a grime track that been crushed through a blender and wrapped in tense anger. James has long been establishing herself as one of the UK’s most interesting upcoming club producers and if ‘London Ting/ Dark As Fuck’ is anything to go by, For You And I will consolidate that even further.

– Kelly Doherty

4.

Mind Enterprises

Monogamy

Mind Enterprises - Monogamy

Italo-disco artist Andrea Tirone, aka Mind Enterprises, returns with new single ‘Monogamy’. It’s a simple set up. A tight-bass groove repeated ad-naueseum beneath some earworm monoslyabblic verse vocals. It’s hard to resist just how well its done though.

– Luke Sharkey

5.

Sampa The Great

Mwana

Sampa The Great - Mwana (feat. Mwanje Tembo, Theresa Mutale Tembo, Sunburnt Soul Choir)

Sampa The Great’s debut LP The Return strikes a fine balance between spiritualism and bravado. Take opening track ‘Mwana’, which features some superb vocals from Sunburnt Soul Choir built upon an Afro-Soul groove. Sampa’s flows touch upon traditional trip-hop, reggaeton and straight-up boom-bap. Their delivery is self-assured, at times punchy. The switch between sung and rapped lines is golden.

– Luke Sharkey

6.

Jacques Greene

Do It Without You

Do It Without You

‘Do It Without You’, the latest track taken from Jacques Greene’s upcoming second album Dawn Chorus, takes the producer away from his house roots and towards a more restrained UK Garage direction. As with much of Greene’s work, ‘Do It Without You’ opts to dabble in forms of more melancholic club music as shuffling breakbeats push against eerie atmospheric ambience and a repeated vocal sample coming from the distance. Another exciting cut for anyone with a passion for crying in the club.

– Luke Sharkey

7.

Kindness

Raise Up

Kindness - Raise Up (Single Version)

‘Raise Up’, the fourth single from Kindness’ third studio album, is a fine slab of gospel joy. Melding house beats with gospel vocals, ‘Raise Up’ issues an uplifting instruction that can’t be ignored when delivered with so much soul. Infectious piano riffs and bouncing brass interjections make the song feel like a jam session between a group of extremely talented friends and it’s impossible to listen without cracking a smile.

– Kelly Doherty

8.

Twen

Make Hard

Twen - Make Hard (Official Audio)

Boston indie duo Twen’s ‘Make Hard’ is my favourite indie discovery of the week. Their debut LP Awestruck is a of that earworm kind, filled with memorable hooks and razor-sharp grooves. Start off with ‘Make Hard’, the pulsing lead single from the album.

– Luke Sharkey

9.

Mallrat

Drive Me Round

Mallrat - Drive Me Round (Audio)

Mallrat’s new EP, Driving Songs, sees the Australian artist diving into a dreamy world of heart on sleeve emotions and youthful expression. New single ‘Drive Me Round’ is a leading example of a simplistic but endearing approach to songwriting that rests heavily on building a mood. ‘Drive Me Round’ is the most streamlined Mallrat has sounded to date with subtly catchy melodies and naturally at ease vocals making for an electronic song with plenty of pop appeal.

– Kelly Doherty

10.

Sir Was

The Sun Will Shine

sir Was - The Sun Will Shine (Official Video)

Taken from Swedish indie artist Sir Was’ upcoming second album Holding On To A Dream, ‘The Sun Will Shine’ is a patient single offering glimpses of soulful funk all the while maintaining a chilled out, mellow sheen. Full of nods to trip-hop, the track sparingly uses organic instrumentation to build a hazy moment of blissful peace.

– Kelly Doherty


Hey, before you go...

Nialler9 has been covering new music, new artists and gigs for the last 19 years. If you like the article you just read, and want us to publish more just like it, please consider supporting us on Patreon.

What you get as thanks in return...

  • A weekly Spotify playlist only for patrons.
  • Access to our private Nialler9 Discord community.
  • Ad-free and bonus podcast episodes.
  • Guestlist & discounts to Nialler9 & Lumo Club events.
  • Themed playlists only for subscribers.

Your support enables us to continue to publish articles like this one, make podcasts and provide recommendations and news to our readers, and be a key part of the music community in Ireland and abroad.

Become a patron at Patreon!

Sign up to the Newsletter

Get music news, features and new music into your inbox twice a week.

Please wait...

Thank you for sign up!