The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
What will be the song of the summer? As June is now underway, that’s the question on the lips of music fans as artists put in their bids with each passing week. With far too many tracks being added to streaming platforms each week to ever keep up with, the Big Indie Playlist is here to make sure you never miss a contender.
This week saw some promising entries from big names and ones to watch alike. Charli XCX is dominating the cultural conversation as her new album, Brat, finally enters the world. Similarly, Picture Parlour delivered a long-awaited new single along with the announcement of their debut EP, which will be with us by the time the next playlist instalment comes around. Elsewhere, names like Beabadoobee, Orlando Weeks, and even Johnny Cash offered up new music.
In the realm of the ones to watch, there were some incredible releases this week that demand attention. Fat Dog and Soft Play both put the punk aside for something more emotive, while Erica Manzoli wrote a love song with all the excitement and giddiness of the feeling.
Across indie, rock, folk and beyond, all tracks are considered here by artists of all sizes. If it’s long plays you’re after, head to our Alternative Album Chart to find your new favourite record. Right here, we’re focussing on the quick hits and sharing some of the best singles released this week.
The best new music of the week
Track of the week
Picture Parlour – ‘Face In The Picture’: From the moment their name began being whispered around the new music scene like the worst-kept secret of 2023, Picture Parlour have had the pressure of hype on their shoulders. Sure, ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘Judgement Day’ more than lived up to it, but on ‘Face In The Picture’, the title track of their upcoming debut EP, the band have arrived.
They haven’t even just arrived. The song feels like the Bond title sequence as they look right down the barrel and shoot, delivering a track so huge, so seductive, and so melodramatic that it could be the next theme tune. Ella Risi’s guitar riffs are anthemic enough to fill stadiums, while Katherine Parlour’s swaggering voice is bolstered better than ever in this nostalgia-dripped track. With the EP arriving next week, it’s clearly time for Picture Parlour to take their crown as the next big thing. [4.5/5]
Instant classics – The biggest releases of the week
Charli XCX – ‘So I’: While Brat seemed to promise to be an album full of club classics, it’s surprisingly emotive. On this tender track, Charli XCX pays tribute to her friend and producer icon, Sophie, with a moving look at their connection. [4/5]
Johnny Cash – ‘Spotlight’: Yeah, you read that right. This week saw the release of previously unheard Johnny Cash material, and an album of his unreleased work is set to come out. Refreshed with guitars by Dan Auerbach, it’s a worthy addition to the legend’s discography. [3.5/5]
Beabadoobee – ‘Coming Home’: With her vocals sounding as angelic as ever, Beabadoobee presents a tender take on domesticity with a lovely folk edge to it. [3.5/5]
Yannis + The Yaw – ‘Under The Strikes’: Foals’ Yannis Philippakis presents the second single from his collaboration with jazz drummer Tony Allen. It’s a beautiful way to honour the late legend, capturing his dynamic playing at its best. [4/5]
Orlando Weeks – ‘Please Hold’: Orlando Weeks bagged the album of the week crown, and ‘Please Hold’ was a major player in that decision. Undeniably the most heartbreaking track on the LP, the emotions are palpable. [4.5/5]
On The Rise – Releases to note this week
Erica Manzoli – ‘Bunny’: As soon as Manzoli whispers “Bunny”, the song bursts into full technicolour. Powered by pure love, this indie-pop take on the feeling is infectious. [3.5/5]
Alfie Templeman + Nile Rogers – ‘Just A Dance’: Nile Rogers is like a spirit that haunts festival season with millions of appearances. Now, as he teams up with indie up-and-comer Alfie Templeman, this groove-heavy hit makes sure his presence is felt on the smaller stages, too. [3/5]
Soft Play – ‘Everything and Nothing’: The duo display a different side on this new cut as classic indie acoustic guitars meet a gruff vocal. With more focus on the lyrics and the emotions they hold, it’s refreshingly vulnerable. [3.5/5]
Fat Dog – ‘I Am The King’: You’d never guess that this epic track was penned in a pub toilet, but after getting dumped, inspiration hit hard. Now produced into a track of the band’s signature massive scale, it’s less of a mosh pit maker and more a moment of arms in the air glory. [4/5]
Goat Girl – ‘Words Fell Out’: The lyrics of this song are so tender and so full of care it almost feels like an imposition to listen. But as Goat Girl present a tale of their own friendship and experience with addiction, it’s a beautiful track to bear witness to. [4/5]
Pem – ‘Gulls’: The opening track to Pem’s astonishing EP is like something out of a dream. With birdcall and the sound of waves acting as instruments, she tethers her emotive tale of grief and love to the world that holds her. [5/5]
Cardinals – ‘Twist and Turn’: Irish rockers Cardinals have delivered a stunning EP from start to finish, but this opening title track sums it all up perfectly with their swaggering, hooking indie rock. [4.5/5]
Clickbait – ‘Pumpkin Spice’: Building suspense for the release of debut album At Your Leisure, DIY outfit Clickbait have re-recorded one of their early demos, ‘Pumpkin Spice’. The astonishingly danceable no-wave-inspired track firmly establishes the Chicago punk act as one to watch because, if this single is anything to go by, the album is going to be pretty special. [4.5/5] [Words: Ben Forrest]
Autobahns – ‘Full of Dogs’: The first track to be released from the upcoming debut, fittingly entitled First LP!, this bass-heavy and endearingly lo-fi synthpunk from Swiss/German punk Autobahns seems to become more infectious with every listen. Its eclectic range of influences and sensibilities create a distinctive and original sound for the Leipzig group. [4/5] [Words: Ben Forrest]
Beings – ‘Flowers That Talk’: New York experimentalists Beings returned with a new album this week, encased with the captivating track ‘Flowers That Talk’. Blending psychedelia with free jazz improvisation and a healthy penchant for the world of avant-garde, this track speaks to the unwavering innovation of the group. [4/5] [Words: Ben Forrest]
First spin – debut singles of the week
Keo – ‘Fly’: This isn’t Keo’s first track. They’ve been kicking around for some time, but as they fully wiped their Spotify, it seems like they’re starting up a totally new era, untethered from the old stuff. But with ‘Fly’, they’re promising more anthemic indie glory to come. [4/5]
Ain’t – ‘Oar’: There’s a new name on the London scene in the form of Ain’t. Inspired by medieval imagery, ‘Oar’ takes the same 1990s nostalgic sound that dominates the city at the moment but gives it a more interesting edge. [3/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds
Bola De Cristal – ‘Telemática’: The Spanish punk and post-punk scene has gone underappreciated for far too long in the English-speaking world. Luckily, groups like Seville’s Bola De Cristal exist to remind the rest of us that captivating and inventive post-punk is still being made, with quite stunning results. [4/5] [Words: Ben Forrest]
The Holydrug Couple – ‘Bolero’: These summer months are an ideal time for self-reflection, and the newly unveiled single from Chilean songwriter Ives Sepulveda provides a pretty good soundtrack to that introspection. Mellow, acoustic and emotionally charged songwriting that blends neo-psychedelia with dream pop sensibilities. [3/5] [Words: Ben Forrest]
