The Big Indie Playlist: the best new music this week
Like a musical advent calendar, this December is delivering no end of great new tracks. As more and more artists prepare for early 2024 album releases or put in a last-minute song-of-the-year bid, 2023 might be wrapping up, but the musical quality isn’t.
This week saw new albums from heavy trio Health, the icon that is Neil Young and Deadletter’s frontman Zac Lawrence. For all the best of the long plays, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart to find your new favourite album.
In the world of singles, it was a jam-packed week. Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker made her long-awaited return to her solo efforts with the devastating track ‘Ruined’. Elsewhere, up-and-comer Ellie Bleach and folk favourite David Keenan both got in the festive spirit with Christmas singles. The alt world buzzed with new releases from The 1975, Arlo Parks, and Idles, to name just a few.
Boiling down all the noise of new music Friday and sharing the must-hear songs of the week, dive into our weekly Big Indie Playlist. Delivering the best new music across indie, folk and alt, here are the tracks that deserve attention this week.
The best new indie songs:
Ellie Bleach – ‘Merry Christmas, Do You Ever Think Of Me?’ – Ellie Bleach established herself as a key one to watch with her incredible 2022 EP, No Elegant Way To Sell Out. But is a Christmas single considered a sell-out? Not when it’s this good. With her signature humour-dipped lyricism and specific imagery, ‘Merry Christmas, Do You Ever Think Of Me?’ is a charming, crooning festival track that actually deserves a spot on the Christmas playlist. (4/5)
Love Fame Tragedy – ‘Don’t You Want To Sleep With Someone Normal’ – The Wombats singer Matthew Murphy’s solo project has all the indie energy and wit that captured the world’s love on early Wombats releases. Working towards the release of a solo album in early 2024, ‘Don’t You Want To Sleep With Someone Normal’ brims with a toe-tapping, hip-shaking promise. (3/5)
Bby – ‘U Come Near’ – Within only a couple of months, Bby have swiftly become one of the hottest hype acts in the world of indie. Merging major slacker rock energy with infectious indie licks, ‘U Come Near’ is an earworm of a tune that sounds sure to go off during their live set. (3.5/5)
Medium Build – ‘In My Room’ – Medium Build has built himself a cult following off the back of his confessional songwriting on the queer experience. On ‘In My Room’, he considers the world of his childhood, coming to terms with his sexuality and embracing safety. Singing, “In my room, I am sacred, I am safe,” Medium Build draws a nostalgic image of home. (3.5/5)
Abby Roberts – ‘Volatile’ – It’s easy to doubt TikTok stars, but Abby Roberts keeps proving her musical worth. Following up the endlessly catchy ‘Imposter Syndrome’, ‘Volatile’ is a hooking take on toxic friendships. From her 2022 EP Ashes to now, Roberts seems to have really found her voice, sitting somewhere between Lana Del Rey and Hayley Williams. (4/5)
The best new folk songs:
Kyra Cannon – ‘Hope Is A Rock!’ – Sometimes we stumble across a debut release that’s so special, it’s hard to believe it is a first release. Kyra Cannon’s debut EP, Dog Stories, feels like that. Capturing everything that’s great about folk, with rich guitars, tender lyrics and a beautiful vocal lead, the whole EP is worthy of a listen, but the simplicity of ‘Hope Is A Rock!’ pierces right through to the heart in an instant. (5/5)
Cat Power + Iggy Pop – ‘Working Class Hero’ – Released as part of a new compilation celebrating the life and work of Marianne Faithful, Cat Power has followed up her recent Dylan album with another dark folk take. Paired up with Iggy Pop, the duo pulls the grit out of this John Lennon classic for a gruff take. (2.5/5)
David Keenan + Evanne Kilgallon – ‘Christmas’ll Ruin Me’ – Handpicked to perform at Shane MacGowan’s wake, David Keenan is one of Ireland’s brightest stars. Teaming up with actor, writer and musician Evanne Kilgallon, the couple share this beautifully intimate approach to a Christmas number. Raising money for Dublin Simon Community, a charity helping people exit homelessness, the track is a sweet take on day-to-day love and gratitude. (4.5/5)
Leith Ross – ‘Monogamy’ – If you’re quick, you’ll get to hear something special. Despite sharing online that the release of this track had been messed up, a vocals-only version of Ross’ 2021 track ‘Monogamy’ has been released as part of a deluxe version of their album To Learn. Highlighting just how beautiful their voice is – and letting the listener focus totally on the lyricism – I hope they keep this version up. (4/5)
Adrianne Lenker – ‘Ruined’ – Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker made her return to her solo efforts with ‘Ruined’, a devastating ballad that sees the musician take to the piano for the first time. Announcing a new album to come in 2024, Lenker continues her reign as one of the most poignant songwriters around. (4/5)
The best new alt songs:
Arlo Parks ft. Lous and The Yazuka – ‘I’m Sorry’ – Arlo Parks is wrapping up a busy year with this tender new track. Grappling with trauma, disassociation, and trying to navigate life after an impactful event, ‘I’m Sorry’ merges Parks’ signature angelic vocals with a gripping backbeat. (3.5/5)
Idles – ‘Grace’ – Something softer than Idles have done before, ‘Grace’ lets Joe Talbot’s singing voice shine. A surprisingly optimistic cut from the punks, the band look at the world with hope, letting love triumph over nihilism and calling for society to change for the better and the happier. (3.5/5)
Palace – ‘Nightmares & Ice Cream’ – Palace are still mastering the atmospheric alt world. Merging tender folk lyricism with wide-ranging sounds, there are elements of lo-fi, shoegaze, grunge and more all mixed in here. Embracing a darker and more clunky sound than their earlier releases, ‘Nightmares & Ice Cream’ will get the angst going. (3/5)
Big Special – ‘Trees’ – Fresh off the back of a tour with Sleaford Mods, Big Special are demanding attention as a promising name in the punk world. Merging all the genre mainstays with an overarching sense of soul and poetry, ‘Trees’ is a super engaging introduction to their world for new fans. (3/5)
The 1975 – ‘I Like America & America Likes Me (Live From Real World Studios)’ – Initially released on YouTube last year, The 1975 have shared two new live versions. While ‘All I Want To Hear’ is a plain and simple ballad, their stripped-back take on the clunky, visceral track ‘‘I Like America & America Likes Me’ is genuinely gripping. Taken back to not much more than the angry, frustrated lyricism, the track was reworked in only 15 minutes and sung out at the end of the day. With Matty Healy’s voice hoarse and the band desperately trying to follow his lead, the song sounds better than ever somehow. (4.5/5)
