The Big Indie Playlist: The best new releases of the week
Don’t let the name fool you. The Big Indie Playlist is nonexclusive. We’re musically nonmonogamous, and no genre is safe from our affection. Rock, alt-pop, folk, Milanese disco-funk? It’s all here; all you have to do is hit play.
It was a big week of variety, with countless amazing artists of all scales, sounds, and backgrounds delivering newness. Baxter Dury returned with the announcement of a new record, while CMAT continued getting the world excited for the one she has coming up. Audrey Hobert released her very first single, while Matt Berninger and Fiona Apple added to their long-running legacies. From the big timers to brand new artists, everyone was busy.
That works for us. While the never-ending noise of the music industry can be overwhelming at times, with hundreds of thousands of new tracks entering the world each and every week, the volume means there is something for absolutely everyone. This week, like every other, there is the potential for a new favourite song to be found, and Luvcat shared a great contender for that.
However, if it’s a new favourite album you’re looking for, head to our weekly Alternative Album Chart. Right here, we’re focused on the singles, delivering a quick fix of new hits.
The best new music of the week
Track of the week
Luvcat – ‘Lipstick’: I know, I know, it’s getting predictable. Luvcat releases a single, and it lands right here as track of the week. But each and every time, it’s golden. Each time it’s something new and thrilling, each time the quality is golden, and each time it will be on repeat, obsessively, until the next one lands.
‘Lipstick’ perfectly levels up the artist’s cinematic world, just as each of the other tracks has. Beginning as a deliciously seductive ballad, it stops into darkness as she croons, “I want to be your favourite, I’ll kill all the rest / take their long blonde plaits and tie them round their necks,” as the guitars get sharp and stabbing. It’s exactly the kind of detail and marrying of lyricism and instrumental that makes something great and makes it clear how tight her vision is. And for that, we can’t resist. So here we go once again; Luvcat, track of the week, perfect score. [5/5]
Instant classics – The biggest new tracks of the week
CMAT – ‘Take A Sexy Picture Of Me’: An absolute opus on ageing and beauty, inspired by CMAT’s experience of bodyshaming in the public eye. It’s heavy stuff, but when sung with the singer’s signature wit, it still somehow becomes a hoot. [4.5/5]
The Dare – ‘I Can’t Escape Myself’: Wait, are we seeing The Dare do a rockstar pivot? While this track still has plenty of sweaty club energy, it’s the guitars that grip you here as he seems to honour a different side of his NYC influences. [4/5]
Baxter Dury – ‘Allbarone’: Baxter Dury returns with the announcement of a new album and a hooking single to get you invested instantly. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the artist: witty poetry over a strong beat. [4/5]
Matt Berninger – ‘Inland Ocean’: You’re getting exactly what you’d expect here too as The National’s Matt Berninger delivers more downtrodden yet poignant poetry. [4/5]
Fiona Apple – ‘Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)’: Given how political this protest song is, it almost feels wrong to rate. So instead, I’ll just implore you to go listen to it. [4/5]
Moses Sumney and Hayley Williams – ‘I Like It I Like It’: This is SEXY. A perfect collaboration between two artists, perhaps no one would have thought to put together, the seduction of this song makes me shy, even with my headphones on. [4/5]
Must-Hear – New releases to note this week
Sunday (1994) – ‘Silver Ford’: Everything Sunday (1994) release is so cinematic and intoxicating, but this new track might just have set a new gold standard as it feels like a whole movie in only four minutes. [4/5]
Royel Otis – ‘Moody’: Royel Otis are usually a band to reach for on joyous days, but this new track proves they can do angst just as well. Still delivering on the foolproof indie sound, hit play if you’re grumpy. [3.5/5]
Spacey Jane – ‘Whateverrr’: Following a similar vibe, Spacey Jane also shared a more downtrodden and angsty track this week with a cinematic indie edge, perfect to soundtrack moments of emotional tumolt in the weekend’s nice weather. [3.5/5]
Men I Trust – ‘Carried Away’: Sharing the sister album to the one they delivered back in March, the second half of the two-parter is just as beautiful. ‘Carried Away’ is a true standout. [3.5/5]
Audrey Hobert – ‘Sue Me’: Audrey Hobert could always be trusted to deliver a great indie-pop song given her track record of writing them with Gracie Abrams. Now turning to her solo career, ‘Sue Me’ is perfectly fun and a total earworm. [3/5]
Nourished By Time – ‘Max Potential’: Nourished By Time is a true ‘if you know, you know’ artist that you should be getting to know. A totally captivating live performer with music made from such a unique mix of influences its almost impossible to describe. ‘Max Potential’ does the explaining for me. [3.5/5]
Adam Hopper – ‘Remember To Have Fun’: The type of song that every single person should set as their alarm so each morning they can wake up with this essential reminder to live a little. [4/5]
Independent spirit – The best unsigned release of the week
Yasmin Coe – ‘Blink Twice’: Following up her 2024 EP, Yasmin Coe has somehow managed to get even better since then. ‘Blink Twice’ beautifully expands her dreamy pop, shoegaze-infused musical world into something so richly cinematic that it somehow feels utterly timeless. Packed with deeply powerful and essential lyrics on consent and misogyny, it’s a track that deserves and demands to be heard. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest
Son Bayou – ‘Flor Campestre’: Brooklyn label Names You Can Trust certainly lives up to its title on this record, treating audiences to one of the greatest modern cumbia releases in recent memory. Driven by the accordion of Ramiro Rodriguez, the Texan outfit pay faithful homage to their roots in Colombia while also adding new layers of modernity and universal appeal to those age-old grooves. [4.5/5]
Delu Kanam – ‘Mafaro’: Village Live Records continues its run of releasing cutting-edge Afro-disco triumphs with ‘Mafaro’, the debut release by London-based collective Delu Kanam. Built around producer Matt Davies, the single acts as a perfect introduction to the timeless groove of the Afrodisco style, providing the perfect accompaniment to a soak in the sunshine or a late-night dance shack. [4/5]
Luchito – ‘Siente Mi Ritmo’: Gorgeous, retro-centric Latin funk from London’s Original Gravity label, ‘Siente Mi Ritmo’ sounds as though it could have been pulled from a lost vault of 1960s Brazilian jazz and bossa nova. What’s more, the compelling horns and commanding groove are adept at dragging the listener along on this time-travel trip through the sun-soaked history of Latin rhythms. [4/5]
Calibro 35 – ‘Discomania‘: Milanese disco-funk masters Calibro 35 continue their intimate exploration of disco grooves with this storming interpretation of the ethereal cosmic disco classic ‘Discomania’, originally recorded by Piero Umiliani. Released on seven-inch vinyl by Record Kicks, the same label set to release Calibro 35’s upcoming record, Exploration, the B-side is equally as infectious, too. [3.5/5]
