The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
From where we’re sitting, it has basically rained all week. Summer is well and truly gone as we turn our gaze towards Halloween, cosier nights, and a hectic third quarter of album releases, single drops and gigs to catch. The music world never slows, no matter what the season, so the Big Indie Playlist is here to keep you up to date.
But it’s not just indie we’re engaged with. This weekly playlist includes folk, rock, pop, punk, funk and even classical music. It also features artists of all scales and sizes, from huge names to acts releasing their debut single.
This week saw the comeback of two historic acts. Stevie Nicks and The Cure both returned with their first new music in a long time and proved that they’ve still got it. Lady Gaga also dropped her long-awaited new album, while Laura Marling and Amyl and the Sniffers continue to tease their upcoming releases with some great new singles.
In the world of new music, the likes of Divorce, The Murder Capital, Biig Piig and Bash! released some incredible new tracks, continuing their reign as key ones to watch. Meanwhile, Katie Gavin’s solo project is still the gift that keeps on giving as her new track ‘Inconsolable’ is keeping the world excited for her forthcoming record.
If it’s albums you’re after, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart for the best of the long-plays. But right here, these are the best new singles of the week.
The best new music of the week:
Track of the week
Katie Gavin – ‘Inconsolable’: Any Muna fans will already be well-versed in Katie Gavin’s lyrical power. Even in part of the indie-pop unit, her penmanship was sharp and vivid, able to meld huge, tricky feelings into catchy hooks. But now, in her solo project, with the instrumentation stripped back to a cosy, folkish feel, her words have space to shine.
Inspired by a history of true singer-songwriters crafting poetic lyrics and singing them beautifully, Gavin places herself in the lineage of the likes of Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell and more. ‘Inconsolable’ is especially gorgeous. The tender introspection on an inability to accept honest love is paired with a beautiful country flair as violin licks soar and punctuate a stunning vocal performance of a moving track. [4.5/5]
Instant classics – The biggest releases this week
The Cure – ‘Alone’: After a 16-year hiatus, The Cure return with their first new music in a long time, and it doesn’t disappoint. As dark and captivating as ever, the track weaves an intriguing layer of mystique into the band’s signature sound, playing on notions of both enchantment and curiosity. [4/5]
Laura Marling – ‘Child of Mine’: With each newly revealed single, Laura Marling’s upcoming album is shaping up to be something really special. Out of all of them so far, ‘Child Of Mine’ is the most moving. [4/5]
Stevie Nicks – ‘The Lighthouse’: Written as an anthem for women in the United States following the overturning of Roe V. Wade, ‘The Lighthouse’ proves that Nicks still has a sharp creative streak as this new music is an adventurous and experimental sound for the singer. [3.5/5]
Lady Gaga – ‘Happy Mistake’: Ahead of the release of Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga released her long-awaited new album as a soundtrack for the film. As to be expected from the artist, it’s perfect pop sung by one of the genre’s best voices. [4/5]
Amyl and the Sniffers – ‘Big Dreams’: The most stripped back and honest the band have ever sounded, but also the most poignant. The Aussie pub rockers deliver an honest and anthemic ode to the graft of the artist and the struggles of an industry that underappreciates that. [4/5]
On the rise – New releases to note this week
Biig Piig – ‘4AM’: Biig Piig’s integration of club-ready beats and introspective indie has always been something special, and ‘4AM’ is a gorgeous display of that as a seductive and swelling tune. [4/5]
Divorce – ‘All My Freaks’: Along with the announcement of their hotly anticipated debut album, Divorce shared this new cut. There’s just something about Tiger Cohen-Towell’s voice that is so captivating, with just the right amount of theatricality to keep things interesting. [3/5]
Fionn Regan – ‘Farewell’: Hailing from Ireland, Regan found himself in Majorca writing his upcoming record. ‘Farewell’ seems to merge traditional Irish folk with traditional Spanish energy for a song that’s equally as beautiful and haunting as it is impassioned. [3.5/5]
The Murder Capital – ‘Can’t Pretend To Know’: Starting to tire of the Fontaines DC record? The Murder Captial delivered this new rager just in time as the Irish punk unit are set to soar as they’re currently on the road with Nick Cave. [3.5/5]
Searows – ‘Toothache’: With the kind of voice that could move you to tears and the sharp lyricism to turn the tears into wails, Searows’ music is always incredibly evocative and ‘Toothache’ is no different. [4/5]
Sprints – ‘Feast’: Continuing our weekly tradition of delivering one track to blow the cobwebs of the work week away, here you go. Play it loud and Sprints are sure to reinvigorate you with their punk spirit. [4/5]
Daisy The Great – ‘All The People’: Fleetwood Mac meets Jefferson Airplane meets any number of 1960s female folk artists in the form of Daisy The Great, who merges rock and roll with a trippy edge but a simple soul. ‘All The People’ is gorgeously nostalgic that way. [3.5/5]
Christian Lee Hutson – ‘Carousel Horses’: As an artist who works with so many other artists, Christian Lee Hutson steps into the spotlight himself on his new album, Paradise Pop 10. But even still, it’s a project populated with talent as this standout track is co-written with Maya Hawke and produced by Phoebe Bridgers. [4/5]
Gladboy – ‘Johnny Come Lately’: Deeming themselves ‘junkadelic misfits’, Gladboy have fostered a cultish following for their live sets but are taking their time to get recorded music out. Their second single, ‘Johnny Come Lately’, is an atmospheric, downtrodden track. [3/5]
Bash! – ‘Letting Go’: This is high praise, but Bash! are one of the best bands in London right now. Their indie-pop energy is utterly infectious and Amanda Bashmakova’s vocals deserve to be belting out from bigger stages. [4/5]
Big Warm Bed – ‘Mustard Stained Shirt’: The entirety of Big Warm Bed’s new EP Shores I’m Swimming In is worthy of a listen, standing as a stunning start-to-finish project, but this cut stands out with some gorgeous guitar tones. [4/5]
First spin – debut single of the week
Licklash – ‘Party Line’: We’re a little late on this one, but we’re glad we’re here. Continuing the glorious tradition of Australian pub rock, Licklash merges the energy of their Melbourne home with the DIY spirit of the old Riot Grrrl scene. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left field cuts
Vincent Price & The Young Spirits – ‘Sound From Graveyard’: Funky, horror-influenced rocksteady from Brooklyn. This track merges influence that shouldn’t work on paper, but on tape, they really, really do. [4/5]
Emma Bradley – ‘Emma’s Theme’: Emma Bradley so far has made a name for herself with lyrically beautiful tracks. But on ‘Emma’s Theme’ she proves that something there’s no need for words and the music can talk instead. What started out as an improvisation when Bradley sat down at her piano and essentially journaled her feelings through chords and notes turned into a cinematic piece that tells of hope during a period of uncertainty. [4.5/5]
