The Big Indie Playlist: The best new releases of the week
Another week, another huge mass of new music demanding your attention. It would be absolutely impossible to keep up with hundreds of thousands of new songs storming onto streaming platforms each week. But to ensure no gold slips between the cracks, the Big Indie Playlist gathers all the must-hear tracks into one place.
This was a big week for the up-and-comers. Erin LeCount proved herself a star that is surely set to rise to the very top with a staggeringly beautiful self-produced track. Meanwhile, ELLiS-D and San Vito Ryder both delivered hyper-cinematic rock offerings, and AK Patterson kept the folk fans happy. Sombr finally shared their ear-worm track ‘Undressed’, which will no doubt be playing on a loop in indie fans’ ears all weekend, while The Pill put in another audition to be the new Wet Leg.
In the world of more established acts too, all bases were covered. Matt Maltese delivered another crooning love song, Kate Nash and Soft Play teamed up for something punky while Marika Hackman enlisted another indie legend for something truly beautiful.
If it’s a new favourite album you’re looking for, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart, where all the best LPs are gathered. But right here, our business delivers a quick fix of the best new hits all in one place, so you simply have to hit play.
The best new releases of the week
Track of the week
Erin LeCount – ‘Marble Arch’: One listen to ‘Marble Arch’, and you’d imagine that a song of this calibre was made in a looming studio with a big team, an orchestra and an army of hands to help out. But no, it was made by Erin LeCount, solo, in her shed.
That fact alone is staggering as LeCount proves herself within seconds of this song to be a true master of production as she layers up this song so incredibly and so effectively. It’s an audio experience, and that’s before you’ve even dove into the lyrical power of the track, the catchiness of the chorus or the beauty of her vocals. “I’m scared if I learn to be happy, I’ll forget how to write the songs,” she sings like an angel before diving into the chorus that only grows in power as it repeats. Ending on a siren song as if LeCount is calling fans towards her, no doubt they’ll be coming crawling. [5/5]
Instant Classics – The biggest releases of the week
Billie Marten – ‘Feeling’: Billie Marten announced a new album this week, and everybody cheered. One of those voices that could sing a shopping list and still get people to stop and listen, Marten never rests on her laurels, though, as this new track is one of her warmest instrumentals yet. [4/5]
Kae Tempest – ‘Statue In The Square’: Always a storyteller, Kae Tempest’s comeback track grabs you and drags you into the world of the song and into their anthem for self-confidence and showing up for yourself. [3.5/5]
Soft Play and Kate Nash – ‘Slushy’: Need a track to blow the cobwebs of the week away? Here you go. Soft Play and Kate Nash team up for something high-octane, thrilling and re-energising. [4/5]
Matt Maltese – ‘Pined For You My Whole Life’: “I should get a PhD in yearning all the time,” Maltese croons on this new track, and as he prepares to release his new record, Hers, this fact is becoming clearer with each new, gorgeous love song. [4/5]
Marika Hackman and Laura Marling – ‘Skin’: The coming together of true real indie powerhouses, Laura Marling and Marika Hackman team up for a haunting new rendition of ‘Skin’ to celebrate its 10-year anniversary as a stand-out track from Hackman’s debut. [4/5]
Must-Hear – New releases to note this week
Eliza Niemi – ‘Mary’s’: Week after week, I come here and say the same thing: go and listen to Eliza Niemi. Having now released her new album, Progress Bakery, there has never been a better time to follow that advice. [4/5]
Flyte – ‘Emily and Me’: Flyte are another act who could seemingly sing anything, and it would be beautiful, but as always, their lyrics are stunning. Written in a period of strange flux somewhere between touring, the song perfectly captures that untethered energy. [4/5]
Peace – ‘Polly With The Perfect Hair’: If you’re looking for Peace to sound like how they did in the 2010s, you will not like this. But if you can accept the band’s evolution, it’s something gorgeous with more of a stripped-back, even folkish influence. [3.5/5]
Men I Trust – ‘I Come With Mud’: A kind of musical opus that spans genres and influences before finding grounding with Emmanuelle Proulx’s gorgeous vocals. Having just released the first of a duo of albums, the entirely of Equus Asinus. [3.5/5]
ELLiS-D – ‘Homecoming Queen’: Like guitar music? Like cinematic rock chaos? The new ELLiS-D EP has to be on your must-hear list this week. The Brighton-based artist has been a one-to-watch for a while, and Spill brings it all to fruition. [3.5/5]
Witch Post – ‘The Wolf’: Emerging in a flash, Wolf Post are the newest buzzy band demanding your attention. But with each new track, they’re proving why that’s deserved and ‘The Wolf’ is another golden offering. [3.5/5]
Sombr – ‘Undressed’: Don’t listen to this unless you want it stuck in your head for a good while. “I don’t want to get undressed for a new person all over again,” Sombr sings in the endlessly catchy chorus of their new slice of pure, undiluted indie greatness. [4.5/5]
Polly Money – ‘30 Minutes’: Another EP that needs to be on your to-hear list for this week should be Poilly Money’s T-shirt, Nothing Else. As a musician chosen to tour as part of The 1975’s backing band, there is no doubt of her skill. But in her solo project, her silky smooth vocals get to be front and centre, as they deserve. [3.5/5]
The Pill – ‘Problem’: Wet Leg are busy teasing their return, but unfortunately, they’ve already been replaced. The Pill could be their brattier stand in with ‘Problem’ being their latest audition track. [3/5]
San Vito Ryder – ‘Wishing Well’: Strong week for EPs, it seems, as San Vito Ryder also offered up his own, Tapping Ten Trinkets. Though a great start-to-finish listen, there’s something special about its finale as ‘Wishing Well’ is a song to slow dance to at the end of the gothic movie he presents. [3.5/5]
AK Patterson – ‘Jailbird’: Folk fans, this one’s for you. AK Patterson’s new release is another gorgeous project to pay attention to this week, and all it takes is one listen to this opening track to hook you in. [4/5]
Independent Spirit – The best unsigned release of the week
Keo – ‘I Lied, Amber’: This is technically Keo’s debut single, but it is also very, very much not. The band have been around for a good while but has been doing it differently. Only releasing through SoundCloud and instead being busy playing shows and building up a strong live following, the release of ‘I Lied, Amber’ on all platforms is a statement that the band are ready for bigger things as well as a statement that you don’t need big backing to get it. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest
Annie and the Caldwells – Can’t Lose My Soul: Soul music might have dominated the charts back in the 1960s, but its appeal has never really gone away, as this Mississippi outfit can attest to. Taken from their newly released album of the same name, this track is a sprawling ten-minute epic awash with all the lush brilliance of soul, R&B, and gospel. What is there not to love? [4.5/5]
Synod – ‘Places To Do’: Perfect Toy Records unearth apiece of previously unreleased garage rock goodness from Snoyd, a cult psych-garage outfit that originally formed at Chicago Concordia University all the way back in 1971. This song, released with the blessing of the band members, might have you questioning that fact because their unique blend of garage, psych, and R&B still sounds fresh and compelling in the 21st century. [4/5]
El Michels Affair – ‘Mr. Brew’: Brooklyn-based label Big Crown Records have been on a tremendous run of great releases as of late, and this new slice of menacing R&B goodness certainly continues the trend. An instrumental track featuring gentle guitars and a cinematic tension, ‘Mr. Brew’ is a triumph for the Leon Michels-led ensemble. [3.5/5]
