The Big Indie Playlist: The best new releases of the week
I can taste summer coming, and it’s telling me to be patient. This week, it feels like the music world stepped in to help, offering a teaser of good times to come, but with a big dose of softer, folkish tracks to keep us all waiting. Gathering all the best in one place, welcome to the Big Indie Playlist.
Folk was the flavour of the week, it seemed. Quinnie made her comeback with a truly stunning track, although anything would be truly stunning with a voice like that. Elsewhere, Brogeal continues its mission to merge traditional Celtic folk with indie rock, while Leith Ross reminds us again that they could bring a tear to the eye with a single beautiful note.
But indie also ruled supreme with the release of Blondshell’s awaited sophomore album, a Nilufer Yanya return and a second tasting of Glastonbury’s emerging talent competition winners, Westwide Cowboy. From acts of all sizes, all genres, all scales and all cities, golden newness was laid on the table. So rest assured, whatever you like and whatever you need, there’s something to be found.
Suppose you’re looking for an album, though, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart, where all the best LPs are gathered. Here, we’re all about delivering a quick fix of the best new hits, placing all the standout tracks of the week into one place so all you have to do is hit play.
The best new music of the week
Track of the week
Quinnie – ‘Baja Bird’: Plenty of people would remember Quinnie from her brush with TikTok fame with ‘Touch Tank’, but anyone who has dived deeper is likely still swimming in the rich waters of her intoxicating artistry. The entirety of her album Flounder was poignant and beautiful, and now, seemingly opening up a next chapter, ‘Baja Bird’ is just the same.
Quinnie has one of those voices that could sing anything and be stunning, but when matched with her poetic lyricism that dances between folkish imagery and an instrumentation that waltzes between energies, it’s all elevated into something truly gorgeous. [4.5/5]
Instant classics – The biggest releases of the week
Nilufer Yanya – ‘Cold Heart’: One of the UK’s most dynamic and interesting players, Nilufer Yanya proves how much she deserves that label with each and every chapter and release. ‘Cold Heart’ is next in line as her genre-blending style is harder to pin down than ever, but it is more intriguing that way. [4/5]
Suki Waterhouse – ‘On This Love’: I’ll say this repeatedly until I’m blue in the face, but if you’re still brushing Suki Waterhouse off as a model/actress/whatever, you’re missing out. ‘On This Love’ is the most cinematic she’s ever been, and it’s a whole production. [4/5]
Blondshell – ‘Event Of A Fire’: Blondshell’s sophomore album is finally out and as great as expected. As always, the artist is at her best with sombre storytelling lyricism. ‘Event Of A Fire’ is a sharp offering and a standout jewel in the crown of a record. [4/5]
Turnstile – ‘SEEIN STARS’: Turnstile return for the first time since 2023, declaring this summer theirs. It’s a powerful return that instantly has us hooked for more. [4/5]
Must Hear – New releases to note this week
Leith Ross – ‘Grieving’: Gorgeous folkish goodness from one of the prettiest voices around who has never shied away from lyrics that dig into darkness even amongst the lightest, loveliest song. [3.5/5]
Erin LeCount – ‘Godspeed’: OK, this came out last week, but I need to make sure you’ve heard this staggering piece of pop production from LeCount amongst her absolute knockout of a new EP. Hit play, ASAP. [4.5/5]
NewDad – ‘Entertainer’: Galway’s finest and one of the best offerings Ireland has given the world in recent years, NewDad returned with a new EP to follow up their incredible 2024 debut, Madra. With some time away to play live and do some solo projects, the return of the group sees them better than ever. [4/5]
Szou – ‘Rose-Tinted’: The story of ‘Rose-Tinted’ is one of patience. Initially released years and years ago when Szou was an electro-pop solo project, singer Zoe Kent didn’t want to leave it behind when the artist name evolved into an indie band. Redone and remade, it’s proof that Szou is golden in this form. [3.5/5]
Westside Cowboy – ‘Shells’: You can catch Westside Cowboy at Glastonbury as they won and took home the prize for the festival’s emerging talent competition as the ultimate bid of confidence in their work. Following up their high-energy debut track with this softer sophomore, seeing the other side of the group has us convinced by them just like that jury was. [4/5]
INJI – ‘U WON’T’: Reminiscent of Uffie or Princess Superstar and those sparkling days of 2000s electro-pop when brattiness was sequined pink rather than lime green, INJI brings that energy to this gobby and infectious tune that deserves to be played loud at this weekend’s parties. [3.5/5]
Brogeal – ‘Friday On My Mind’: Merging indie rock and classic Celtic folk, Brogeal are another act bringing traditional sounds into today. They’re a band you really need to see live to fully fall in love with, but this new track goes some way to capturing that energy on tape. [3.5/5]
Milkweed – ‘How Conchobor Was Begotten’: When you see that Broadside Hacks label mark, you know you’re about to hit play on something interesting. Milkweed is our newest obsession over there, and the entirety of their new album demands your attention, but especially this haunting and literary track. [4/5]
Big Long Sun – ‘Fast Like I Like My Money’: The time has gone for the routine cobweb remover of a track, and this is a different kind. Less loud and high octane, but exactly the kind of song that will make you want to dust yourself off and leave your house, as the charging beat merged with the spiralling melody will make you want to seek out weird and wonderful times. [4/5]
Independent Spirit – Unsigned track of the week
Charlie Vaughan – ‘Another Day’: Welcome back, Lennon-McCartney. The duo are alive and well in Charlie Vaughan’s 1960s revival sound, but he delivers it with just the right amount of freshness to ensure it doesn’t feel like a tribute act or a tired nostalgia trip. A perfect balance was achieved, sent into high gear with the psychedelic breakdown, and then polished with a sunshining energy to finish. [4/5]
Off the beaten track – left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest
AMMAR 808 – ‘Ah Yallila’: Ahead of the release of his sophomore record, Club Tounsi, later this month, Tunisian producer and electronic master AMMAR 808 (Sofyann Ben Youssef) has treated listeners to an endlessly diverse, driving, and infectious journey through the dance music scene of North Africa, complete with guest vocals from Tunisian vocalists Mariem Bettouhami and Mahmoud Lahbib. [4.5/5]
Jambonne – ‘Jambonne, Jam On’: Arriving just in time for the sunshine is this self-titled song from Jambonne, a side-project of Rotterdam’s disco-boogie titans Another Taste. One of two compelling dancefloor-dominating cuts included on a new 7” release from Sour Grapes Records, the largely instrumental effort is an endearing amalgamation of influences, ranging from the synth sounds of William Onyeabor to the golden age of American disco. [4/5]
Bisou – ‘More More More’: Killer instrumental disco excellence from French producer Bisou, who imbues the track with a commanding jazz-funk atmosphere which is sure to dominate any dancefloor. At only four minutes in length, though, ‘More More More’ is ripe for an extended version to keep that dancefloor moving all night long. [4/5]
Mádé Kuti – ‘I Won’t Run Away’: Nothing gets the soul singing quite like some horn-heavy Afrobeat, and this latest effort from Mádé Kuti is a triumph. Not that this should come as a surprise, given his credentials as a third-generation Afrobeat icon, being the son of Femi Kuti and the grandson of the genre’s progenitor, Fela Kuti. Still, ‘I Won’t Run Away’ firmly establishes Mádé Kuti as a unique voice for Afrobeat in his own right. [4/5]
Brenda – ‘Where Did I Go Wrong?’: Lush leftfield soul from Hudson Whitlock’s new solo project Brenda, which bridges a gap between the mid-tempo soul sound of the 1960s with modern indie pop sensibilities. This is Whitlock’s first solo release on College Of Knowledge Records, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. [3.5/5]
Orbital Ensemble – ‘Daydreams’: Providing a preview of their upcoming record Orbital, Toronto’s latest jazz masters unveil ‘Daydreams’, a gentle, melodic offering soaked in the sweet sounds of Brazilian jazz and soul, with occasional hints of psychedelia, too. [3.5/5]
