The Big Indie Playlist: the best new music of the week
T’was the weeks before Christmas, and all through the music industry, the party was still going! There’s no winding down for the holidays here, as artists keep delivering more and more tracks to round up the year.
In this week alone, we’ve seen artists return from hiatus. Fat White Family reared their head again after four whole years away. Wildes returned with more indie pop greatness, and Dinosaur Jr’s very own J Mascis came back with a new solo track.
This week also saw the release of three delicious covers of songs by ABBA, Jeff Buckley and Elvis Presley. All done to perfection, they prove a good song is timeless. Across folk, indie and rock, new singles keep on coming, even at the latest point of the year.
If you’re looking for the best of the long plays, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart to find your new favourite record. Right here, we’re cutting through the New Music Friday noise to deliver the best new tracks. Here are the songs you need to hear this week.
The week’s best new music:
The best new indie songs:
Bob Junior + Alfie Templeman – ‘No One Does It Better Than You’– Two up and comers joining together to dominate, Alfie Templeman is the latest vocalist to step up for a collaboration with Bob Junior. ‘No One Does It Better Than You’ feels like indie meets hyperpop, taking the best of the genre and making it frantic. (3.5/5)
Cigarettes After Sex – ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ – The moody king of indie, Cigarettes After Sex, return with another atmospheric track. Sure, it sounds just like all their other songs. But for those on the hunt for seductive yet gloomy lo-fi sounds, no one does it better than them and ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ is another cut to prove it. (4/5)
Courting – ‘Emily G’ – Following up their acclaimed 2022 album Guitar Music, Courting’s sophomore album arrives in January. Made in collaboration with The Cribs, their impact is heard through the streak of feel-good indie that runs through ‘Emily G’, an energetic track that feels tailor-made for a live set. (4/5)
Holly Macve + Laura-Mary Carter – ‘Blue Moon’ – Fresh off the back of a collaboration with Lana Del Rey, Holly Macve has now teamed up with Blood Red Shoes’ Laura-Mary Carter. Perfectly timed for the release of Coppola’s Priscilla, this stunning rendition of the Elvis Presley classic drips with glamour and cinematic energy. (5/5)
WILDES – ‘Heartbreak Is Silent’ – The best indie pop song of the week, Wildes grapples with the tricky feelings that come after a big breakup. As the sparse verses burst open into an atmospheric, layered climax, the singer’s voice is hauntingly beautiful. (3.5/5)
The best new folk songs:
Declan McKenna – ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’ – Almost a year after a clip ‘went viral’ on TikTok, the internet has finally convinced Declan McKenna to release his full ABBA cover. The indie kid is stripped back to folk simplicity on this moving and tender cover, making the Mamma Mia! soundtrack sound like a Bob Dylan song. (4/5)
FIZZ – ‘Close One (Acoustic)’ – FIZZ burst in 2023 like a ball of energy as the supergroup of Orla Gartland, Dodie, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown. The four friends combined made something incredibly special with their debut album, The Secret To Life. This Gartland-led track always stood out, but now, stripped back to a beautifully rich acoustic number, it’s somehow even better. The four singers harmonise like heaven, letting their voices and their sharp lyricism shine. (5/5)
Elmiene – ‘Lover You Should’ve Come Over’ – Jeff Buckley is a notoriously hard artist to cover. Plenty have tried, but few have achieved greatness. Elmiene, however, manages it. Sitting somewhere in between folk, soul and R&B, the simple acoustic guitar of the original track is contrasted beautifully by his rich, velvety vocals and choral harmonies. (4.5/5)
Asgeir + Arny Margret – ‘Part Of Me’ – As one of Iceland’s most successful exports, Asgeir pushes the boundaries of his home country’s classic folk into bigger and bolder sounds. On this duet with another one of Iceland’s folk favourites, the pair prove why they’re leading the genre in the modern age, thanks to their stunning harmonies and interesting instrumentation. (3.5/5)
Hermanos Gutiérrez – ‘Blood Moon Milk’ – Sometimes instrumental tracks get boring, but that can’t be said for Hermanos Gutiérrez. The Swiss-Latin band combine folk and blues with classic Latin styles. Custom-made to soundtrack a cowboy film, they’re doing western-twanged folk of a whole different cinematic style. (4/5)
The best new rock/alternative songs:
J Mascis – ‘Set Me Down’ – J Mascis returned this week with the new track ‘Set Me Down’. While his solo sound usually leans more towards the soft and acoustic, ‘Set Me Down’ and the upcoming album sees him expand into a full band sound. Bringing some of the glory of his ’90s alt-rock days into his modern work, J Mascis still has it. (4/5)
Fat White Family – ‘Religion For One’ – After four years, Fat White Family are back. The love-or-hate band deal with “abject narcissism” on this new track. Sounding like late-period Leonard Cohen or one of Nick Cave’s early Murder Ballads, it’s a gothic ode for the ages. (4/5)
VLURE – ‘This Is Not The End’ – Prepare your eardrums because they’re about to get absolutely battered. The new EP from Glasgow’s Vlure delivers “rave-laced punk”. ‘This Is Not The End’ is a chaotic, raging anthem that could very well soundtrack the apocalypse or some kind of revolution. The sort of song that would get an entire crowd riled up and throwing punches; this is why Vlure are one of the most exciting names in new punk. (4/5)
Softcult – ‘Heaven’ – On the softer side of the spectrum, twin sibling duo Softcult get shoegazey on their new track ‘Heaven’. Something more tender than their usual Riot Grrrl sounds, ‘Heaven’ maintains the stadium scale feel while stripping it all back enough to let their angelic vocals soar. (4.5/5)
