The Big Indie Playlist: the best new music of the week
The Big Indie Playlist is back and better than ever for 2024. It seems the music industry has woken up fresh and ready for the new year, as this week brought a storming new wave of singles, albums and announcements.
Clearly excited and eager to go, this week brought about so many long-awaited announcements from some of the biggest and best up-and-comers around. English Teacher finally shared the news of their debut album, This Could Be Texas, coming in April. Leeds shoegazers Van Houten also announced their debut, as did North East folk artist Amelia Coburn.
Some of the finest rising stars around shared their first singles of the year, including the likes of Nell Mescal, Lime Garden and Hutch. Even the big names came out to play as Bleachers and Adrianne Lenker dropped instant classics.
If you’re in the market for long plays, head to our alternative album chart to see which we crowned our album of the week. But for a quick fix of the best new folk, indie and rock, stay right here.
The best new music of the week:
Track of the week:
Van Houten – ‘Never Did Come Back’: Great things come about when a band pay their dues and slowly build up and up. That’s what Van Houten have been doing for years in the Leeds music scene, and now with the announcement of their debut album, they’re at their best. ‘Never Did Come Back’ balances drama and dreaminess in equal measure.
Defying any belief that shoegaze has to be soft and dull, this is a powerful track with an instrumental to match. We’re already excited for the full record, coming in March. [5/5]
Instant Classics – Our top releases of the week
Bleachers – ‘Tiny Moves’: Of course, Jack Antonoff, the dictator of modern indie and pop, makes incredible music for himself, too. But as his band Bleachers return and work towards the release of their fourth album, the tunes are even better than expected. ‘Tiny Moves’ is an earworm track with the energy of Talking Heads meeting Bruce Springsteen. Endlessly fun without being overdone. In a word, it’s perfection. [4.5/5]
Adrianne Lenker – ‘Sadness As A Gift’: Another big name making a return for 2024 is Adrianne Lenker as she announces a new solo album. Gracing the cover art in a cowboy hat, the sound matches. ‘Sadness As A Gift’ is a sweet little country folk ballad set on reframing grief and heartache. Lyrically beautiful as ever, she never misses. [4/5]
Nell Mescal – ‘Killing Time’: Nell Mescal has been one to watch for a while. Earlier tracks ‘Homesick’ and ‘Teeth’ showed real promise, but on ‘Killing Time’ it comes to fruition. A Taylor Swift scale track with gloriously confessional lyrics and intimate scenes of family homes and inner thoughts, the instrument soars to new heights for the artist. Place her as potentially the next big thing in the ballad world; she has the style and substance to make it. [4/5]
English Teacher – ‘Albert Road’: FINALLY, English Teacher have announced their debut album, and it couldn’t come at a better time as the band reach new levels of artistry. ‘Albert Road’ is a masterpiece of their matured sound, rolling around thoughtful lyrics with a future-thinking instrumental. It’s fresh without being exhaustive and carefully crafted without trying too hard. As it crescendos, you’ll have goosebumps from head to toe. [4/5]
Porij – ‘My Only Love’: Another one to watch and another long awaited debut album, Porij are also putting an early bid in for 2024’s album of the year. ‘My Only Love’ feels set to be a club classic, remixed and replayed forever. It has a timeless quality that is rare to come about, and as they make dance music that could translate from headphones to sound systems, it’s a true skill and talent. [4/5]
On The Rise – The best new music from ones to watch
Lime Garden – ‘Mother’: Lime Garden never miss as they release great tune after great tune. ‘Mother’ is no exception but offers something a little more sincere and introspective. With the same expertly layered instrumentals, we wouldn’t expect anything less from the band. [4/5]
Hutch – ‘Ice On The Lake’: There must be something in the water in the Brighton scene as it creates great band after great band. Hutch maintains the nostalgic heart of psychedelic music with this Beach Boys inspired, swirling piece that takes you on a trip. [3/5]
Short Porch – ‘86th’: Good old-fashioned rock music is coming out of Brooklyn, thanks to Short Porch. Hyper American with a Springsteen working man’s energy, it’s the kind of song to sip a beer and sway to. [3/5]
Walt Disco – ‘Pearl’: Imagine Scott Walker meets Roxy Music meets Caroline Polachek meets The Beatles; then you’ve got Walt Disco on this new track. Their weird vocal stylings are paired with a sweeping and beautifully classic instrumental for a delicious contradiction. [3/5]
Astrel K – ‘Darkness At Noon’: The frontman of the cultish Ulrika Spacek is letting loose in this solo project. Rich with horns and classic rhythms, there is a timelessness here. A simple song done incredibly well, isn’t that what it’s all about? [3.5/5]
Flat Party – ‘Not Changing’: I think Flat Party fancy themselves to be London’s next Suede. Rebelling against the one-shade-of-beige post-punk scene that has gripped the city for too long, they’re making rock lively again on their self-titled debut EP. ‘Not Changing’ stands out as a song that you’ll want to hear live. [3.5/5]
Amelia Coburn – ‘When The Tide Rolls In’: The North-East’s answer to Kate Bush, Amelia Coburn’s voice has the same hypnotically acrobatic quality. Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones, the pair have expanded her sound from acoustic folk simplicity into something cinematic ready for her debut album. [3/5]
First looks – The best debut singles this week
David Pettersson Eklundh – ‘Say You Love Me’: It is incredible that ‘Say You Love Me’ is Eklundh’s debut. With a voice like that and a sound this crystallised, he should be a seasoned artist with a huge audience. It’s quickly racking up streams, suggesting he’ll swiftly be one to watch. [4/5]
Matt Felix – ‘Leave, Just To Stay’: It’s all very melodramatic on Matt-Felix’ debut release. Wasting no time in diving into the deep end with an all-singing, all-dancing rock opera of a track, his classic rock voice contrasts the instrumental nicely. While lacking a freshness amidst the high-production luxuriousness of the track, it’s a promising start. [2.5/5]
Off The Beaten Track – The best global tracks this week
Yin Yin – ‘Takahashi Timing’: Playing out of Holland, Yin Yin merge west-coast psychedelia with south-asian details. Exactly the type of track you want playing at pre-drinks to get the energy high, add it to your party playlist. [4/5]
La Femme – ‘Télégraph’: French Psyche legends La Femme return with another energetic cut. Effortlessly cool and utterly captivating as ever. [4/5]
