The Big Indie Playlist: The best new releases of the week
Wait, have we made it? Can you hear that? Is it summer knocking on the door? Dare we even begin to mutter the word or even enjoy the blissful weather, even momentarily? Whether it’s a false friend or the start of the sunny season, the music world is here with a new back of tracks to soundtrack a weekend of hopeful good weather. So grab a portable speaker, head to a green space and hit play on the Big Indie Playlist.
This was a huge week for comebacks and surprises. Lana Del Rey surprised fans with the first track from her upcoming country record, The Right Person Will Stay. Offering up ‘Henry, Come On’ with no warning, her followers woke up to a very happy Friday. On Thursday, though, Pulp made theirs absolutely overjoyed by announcing their first album in 24 years and releasing ‘Spike Island’, the first taste of that new music.
In the world of up and comers, there were delivery from all sides. Katie Gregson-MacLeod delivered a truly beautiful folk love song while DBA! and University were on hand to offer up something loud and rowdy. Plenty of new names are vying for your attention this week, fighting for that ‘one to watch’ badge as names like Cliffords and Pyncher release evidence for why they’re worth it.
If it’s a new favourite album you’re after for a more thorough weekend listen, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart, where all the best LPs are gathered. Here, our business is delivering a quick fix of the best new hits. Across indie, rock, punk, folk and far beyond, these are the songs you need to hear this week.
The best new music of the week
Track of the week
Katie Gregson-MacLeod – ‘Mosh Pit’: At the start of this stunning folk love song, Katie Gregson-MacLeod watches the object of her affection wander off into a mass of bodies, throwing themselves around a mosh pit at a gig. It’s such a gorgeous juxtaposition: the chaos of the scene and the soft tenderness she describes it with.
That’s what’s had me hooked on this track for months and months now. After first hearing it live at Truck Festival, I have been waiting so patiently for its release with only that opening image in my mind. Now out in the world, the rest of the song more than lives up as each line gets better and better. [4.5/5]
Instant Classics – The biggest releases of the week
Pulp – ‘Spike Island’: 24 years on from their last album, Pulp are back. But ‘Spike Island’ isn’t just a classic lazy comeback song. Instead, the Sheffield idols return with an anthem as that can rival any of their old hits. [5/5]
Lana Del Rey – ‘Henry, Come On’: Delivering the first taste of her new chapter and the first sound of what her upcoming country album will be like, ‘Henry, Come On’ perfectly balances her signature Del Rey-isms with a new inspiration. [4.5/5]
Alexandra Savior – ‘The Mothership’: As she announces her long-awaited third album, Alexandra Savior shares the second single from it. After the angsty and fury of ‘Unforgivable’, this wistful indie track is equally as strong. [4/5]
Loyle Carner – ‘All I Need’: Talking about these two new singles, Carner said that they’re the result of a career worth of courage to pivot into a different zone. Inspired more by indie and alternative sounds, it’s a switch-up in style but one he pulls off. [4/5]
Alice Phoebe Lou – ‘You And I’: The sun is shining, couples are out holding hands and lazing about the park together while Alice Phoebe Lou provides a perfect soundtrack for that bliss. [4/5]
Must-Hear – New releases to note this week
Sunday (1994) – ‘Rain’: Sunday (1994) return with more of their signature hyper-cinematic, southern gothic-inspired indie, and ‘Rain’ is as hypnotic as the rest of it, dropping you right into a movie scene. [3.5/5]
Joni – ‘Strawberry Lane’: Heartbreak has been written about over and over, but on her new album, Joni finds new vantage points. On this standout track, the painful hope of loving someone and knowing you can’t anymore is explored in devastating detail. [4/5]
Pyncher – ‘Space Rocket Simulator’: Need a good old-fashioned rowdy indie tune to spark up your weekend? Here you go. Pyncher more than provide that here with a meandering melody that picks you up, throws you up into orbit and brings you back down safely. [3.5/5]
Eades – ‘Did You Read The News?’: One of Leeds’ finest offerings and favourite acts announced a new album this week, and the opening track immediately sets excitement high as the band truly never miss. [4/5]
DBA! – ‘D.P.A’: Each week, we like to provide a song to blow the cobwebs away, and here it is. Rumbling verses break into chaos, so turn it up loud but prepare your ear drums for a jump. [4/5]
Cliffords – ‘Bittersweet’: Coming out of Cork, Cliffords are one to put on your radar and do it quickly. Backed by the same people who discovered The Last Dinner Party in a pub in London, if their talent for spotting something special is right, Cliffords are bound for greatness, and this track suggests it’s coming. [3.5/5]
University – ‘Curwen’: If you call an album McCartney, It’ll Be Alright, you’re probably going to get our attention, and if you release a punk song as chaotic as this one, you definitely will. University have us caught, captured and intrigued. [3.5/5]
Yeule – ‘Evangelic Girl Is A Gun’: Following their work on the I Saw The TV Glow Soundtrack, Yeule have had us hooked. Now, with a song title as strong as this and a sound as textured and interesting, they’ve done it again. [3.5/5]
Man/Woman/Chainsaw – ‘Adam & Steve’: If there’s one thing the team at Far Out HQ love, it’s a vocal being passed between singers. Man/Woman/Chainsaw do it perfectly here, paired with witty lyrics and a driving instrumental. [3.5/5]
Independent Spirit – The best unsigned track of the week
Trip Westerns – ‘Showdown Shadow’: Get your cowboy boots on. There is only one appropriate uniform for a Trip Westerns release and this new track demands you polish them up. We’re constantly saying how strong the Brighton scene is, but week after week, the city’s independent music crowd show their power. This week is no different as Trip Western’s country-twanged tune with a surf-rock, psychedelic edge and blues undertone provides the perfect sunny weather soundtrack. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest
Penza Penza – ‘Hang Loose!’: Misha Panfilov’s captivating psychedelic outfit returned this week with the storming LP Hang Loose! I Got Dem Ol’ Surfer Bloos…, and the record’s opening track is adept at reflecting the inherent appeal of the Estonian innovator. Blending old-school surf and garage rock with influences of psychedelic rock and even jazz, the resulting sound is as impressive as it is groovy – I would defy anyone not to tap their foot in time with the beat. [4.5/5]
AMMAR 808 – ‘Douri Douri’: One of the most exciting bits of news from this week is that Tunisian electronic master AMMAR 808 is due to return with a new record, Club Tounsi, in May. Alongside the announcement came the first single, ‘Douri Douri’, which reaffirms his unique ability to create driving, compelling rhythms using modern electronic influences, and the traditions of his North African identity. [4.5/5]
Leroi Conroy – ‘No Return’: Colemine Records continues their run of excellent 45 releases with this new single from Leroi Conroy, the artist’s first since back in 2017. With the aid of flautist Michael Sarason, who you may recognise from Say She She, and harpist Rachel Miller, the performer creates an infectious, ethereal beat that harks back to the golden age of disco and funk while retaining Conroy’s typical coolness. [4/5]
Naissoo Freeform Quintet – ‘Blue LIVE’: Perfectly capturing the improvisational, innovative nature of the Estonian quintet, this newly released live recording of ‘Blue’ is a sprawling, 20-minute odyssey which takes listeners on a journey through the band’s mastery of psychedelic, experimental, and electronic jazz. [3.5/5]
Kip Carmen & The New Frontier – ‘That’s Enough For Me’: Although new music is the name of the game when it comes to the Big Indie Playlist, some reissues are worth shining a light on too, particularly if they are as long-awaited as ‘That’s Enough For Me’. Originally issued back in 1973, this impossible rare garage rock-influenced soul stomper is finally getting its day in the sun courtesy of LA independent label Continued Sound. [4.5/5]
