The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
Another week has passed and brought a huge mass of new releases along with it. To ensure no greatness gets lost amongst the noise, we’re boiling down the busyness of new music on Friday into one must-hear list of the best releases for the Big Indie Playlist.
But it goes far beyond indie. This week’s crop includes pure punk from Pixies, Amyl and the Sniffers and more, folkish tendencies from Laura Marling and Joanna Sternberg, and even country-twanged pop as the cowboy craze cannot be continued.
This week also saw the release of some hotly anticipated albums, but none more eagerly awaited than Fontaines D.C’s Romance. After a string of stunning singles, the record more than lived up to the hype, making us wish we could put each and every track here.
If it’s albums you’re looking for, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart to find the best of this week’s long plays. But right here, we’re providing a quick fix of the best new hits, putting all the best singles of the week into one handy place where all you have to do is hit play.
The best new music of the week:
Track of the week
Fontaines D.C – ‘Romance’: Fontaines D.C’s new record is a release so gripping and so eagerly anticipated that it feels like it could have Brat levels of cultural impact, giving the rocker a phenomenon to hook onto. With each golden single, hype was rightfully building and building. But on this album opener, it all comes to fruition.
Gothic and uncanny, utter seductive and grippingly teasing, ‘Romance’ the song boils all the themes and sounds of the record into one place. As Grian Chatten leads listeners in, walking them into this new world like they’re winding down a path of poetic lyricism, it immediately hooks you. “Maybe romance is a place”, the band ponder before huge booming drums bring the noise in and get you excited for what’s next. [4.5/5]
Instant classics – The biggest releases of the week
Pixies – ‘Oyster Bed’: Pixies dust the cobwebs off with this ode to getting your creative spark back. Transforming into the Sex Pistol for a raging punk moment, play it loud to shake yourself away for the weekend. [3/5]
Amyl And The Sniffers – ‘Chewing Gum’: As they announced their third album, the Aussie punks gifted us this new teaser of what’s to come. Imploring you to pick the wrong path and revel in your mistakes is another solid anthem from the band. [4/5]
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Slim Pickins’: Sabrina Carpenter goes fully Dolly Parton on this delicious slice of country-twanged pop. Full of the kind of beautifully stupid, humorous lyrics that have made her a star, the second verse is golden as she quips, “This boy doesn’t even know / The difference between there, their and they are.” [3.5/5]
Laura Marling – ‘No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Can’: Marling could sing anything, and it would be stunningly beautiful. Right here, that angelic voice gets all the spotlight for this stripped-back piano ballad. [4/5]
Katie Gavin – ‘Casual Drug Use’: MUNA’s Katie Gavin is going solo, but don’t worry, the band isn’t over. This is merely a side project, but it’s shaping up to be a great one. Gavin’s storytelling is tight and unique, showing off that indie pop prowess that made the group a sensation. [3.5/5]
On The Rise – New releases to note this week
Searows – ‘Martingale’: For fans of softly sung poetry, Searows should be on your radar. He has a voice that evokes so much emotion that it could bring a tear to the eye, and this new cut is no different. [4/5]
Haley Blais – ‘Sweet Surrender’: Haley Blais’ cover of the 1997 track from her fellow Canadian Sarah McLachlan is beautiful, shining a light on the timeless glory of a good ballad. [3/5]
Blondshell – ‘What’s Fair’: “I know there’s nothing less perfect to a girl than a mom” Blondshell sings on this complexly emotive rocker, capturing the sharp signature lyricism that made her a sensation. As she contemplates tricky mother/daughter relationships, her brand of indie makes it as catchy as ever. [3.5/5]
Dutch Criminal Record – ‘Texas Rains’: Brighton’s music scene is the gift that keeps on giving. Dutch Criminal Record are right at the heart of it, and this new track suggests that they’ll soon be blowing up far beyond their seaside town. [3.5/5]
Geordie Greep – ‘Holy, Holy’: The ex-Black Midi member wasted absolutely no time as Geordie Greep already launched his solo career with ‘Holy, Holy’. It’s a wild, off-kilter ride that some will love and some will absolutely hate. Pick a side. [3/5]
Good Neighbours – ‘Bloom’: Just a plain and simple, perfect indie track for the remaining weeks of the summer. This is exactly the kind of song you want playing out of a speaker while the sun shines down and a cold drink chills your hand. [3/5]
Mk.gee – ‘Lonely Fight’: Ask any musician who their favourite musician is right now, and they’ll probably say Mk.gee. Becoming a cult sensation for his unique guitar playing and stylistic production, this track is a good display of why. [4/5]
Du Blonde – ‘TV Star’: Melodramatic grunge-pop with a fun edge, Du Blonde gives a characterful delivery on this new one. Tackling the trials and drawbacks of fame, it’s an analytic look at the industry with a catchiness that makes it hooking. [3/5]
Joanna Sternberg – ‘A Country Dance’: This song feels like it could have been written decades ago thanks to its classic, timeless beauty. It’s simply made and simply sung, but beautiful that way. [4/5]
Enola Gay – ‘Cortana’: An expectedly blistering new track from the Belfast punk outfit, which deals with the troubling reality of modern adult life. The ambitious song acts as a mini-life story, tracking from childhood to old age. ‘Cortana’ shows a real maturing in the band’s sound. [3.5/5]
The Medium – ‘Sellout CIty’: This DIY outfit from Nashville are single-handedly proving that there is still space for upbeat, guitar-led indie rock within the modern music scene. The opening track from their third album speaks to a band at the top of their game, you would never guess it was recorded in somebody’s bedroom. [3.5/5]
The Gobs – ‘Adopt a baby (to get some chicks)’: Fuzzy, rough-and-ready DIY garage rock from the punk haven of Olympia, Washington. This track seems to utilise the bassline of The 5.6.7.8’a ‘Woo Hoo’, though it is buried beneath layers of distorted guitars and barely coherent lyricism – DIY punk at its finest. [3/5]
First Spin – Debut single of the week
Ugly Ozo – ‘Remains’: The Isle of Wight has gifted the world a new artist to get obsessed with. Ugly Ozo is launching into the world with ‘Remains’, a track that feels incredibly mature and polished for a debut, suggesting that big things are coming. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds
NGASA NGASA – ‘Safari’: An infectiously funky, horn-ridden track from the Italian collective, which aims to blend Mediterranean funk with folk poetry. This song, for instance, details the mass tourism industry of Naples and how the forces of government favour those tourists rather than the residents themselves. Danceable funk music with a political message to boot; what more could you ask for? [4/5]
S.H.I. – ‘Theme’: Blending black metal with hardcore punk and a healthy sprinkling of industrial influences, this Japanese collective has wasted no time in carving out a distinctly abrasive sound for themselves. This track, from their stunning debut album 死, is a particular highlight. [3.5/5]
