In these turbulent and uncertain times, it's nice to have a constant in your life. Something you can always rely on to be there for you, through the good times and the bad, through peace and through unrest, through sunshine and rain.
That's what Now Playing is for! This month's edition, like those which preceded it, is an excuse to bury your head in the musical sand and discover, or simply enjoy, some tasty test tunes.
We're not getting any less eclectic as time goes on. Wolf Alice, A$AP Rocky, Muse and Alice Cooper all on the same bill? You'd have to go to Glastonbury if you wanted to see such a diverse array of talent all in one place.
- Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal
Didn't Know Why by Tunng
Tunng's signature 'folktronica' sound is on full display in this track from their latest album, Love You All Over Again, 20 years after the band's studio debut.
Blending soft, textured English folklore tones with crisp electronica noises, Didn't Know Why is full of shape-shifting sonic surprises. The initial few seconds of crunchy, taut electronic noises that flit across the soundscape are gorgeous – heard on speakers that are particularly open, detailed and clear, these are sounds and textures put together in a way I haven't heard before. It is delightful and unexpected.
This gives way to a beautifully warm and melodic acoustic guitar, with nursery rhyme-like soft singing that tells a darkly pagan story – all further enhanced by the lush textures of the vocals. It may sound fairly simple at first, but the repeated refrain of "Wake up in the morning / Everybody eat your lungs and heart" needs a system with excellent rhythmic ability to maintain the momentum without ever losing interest.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
Bloom Baby, Bloom by Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice have returned with a punchy, edgier new sound that trades their sweet and nostalgic indie ballads for a rockier and shoutier direction, and I, for one, think it's a magnificent shift in tone.
As sceptical as I initially was, lead singer Ellie Rowsell commands this track with growling, snarling vocals, underpinned with a funky bassline and crashing drums, making for a raucously good time. The angsty verses give way to a harmonic, crooning chorus that juxtaposes beautifully, resulting in a technical showcase of Roswell’s superb vocal capabilities.
I have been using this track to test a range of soundbars recently, as it requires a clear, dynamic and punchy sound to truly capture its potent energy. A product needs enough low-end weight to capture the thunderous drums throughout, while a capable handling of dynamics is required for the pre-chorus transition into Roswell’s rapturous “I’m so sick and tired of trying to play it hard” motif.
Bloom, Baby Bloom is also a permanent fixture on my summer playlist. It's the perfect track to blast out of a Bluetooth speaker at a social gathering. It’s got soul and catharsis at its heart – just try not to sing your heart out after a couple of listens.
Words by Lewis Empson
Am I Dreaming by Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, Roisee
Most of the time when the lights go up at the end of a film in the cinema, I am one of the first out the door. During the end credits for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, however, I was seated until the very end.
This was down to an excellently animated sequence playing alongside Am I Dreaming, which recaps the plot of the whole film. I won’t spoil it if you have somehow not seen this movie, but the trippy visuals combined with the toe-tapping track are quite a treat.
After I had seen the movie multiple times in the cinema, the song slowly became a regular test track for me.
Starting with a solo violin accompanied by Roisee’s distorted vocals, the song eases you in with a slow and mellow pace, before Metro Boomin’s entrance shatters that illusion with a fast-paced rap verse.
Because of this mish-mash of styles and personalities, it’s a great test of dynamics for any sound set-up.
Words by Robyn Quick
More Than Enough by Universal Togetherness Band
If you’re thinking that the music video looks like it was shot 30 years earlier than this track’s 2014 release date, that’s because it was. Universal Togetherness Band originally recorded this in 1983, but it sat unreleased in the vaults until 2014, when independent record label Numero Group dug it out, dusted it off and dumbfounded everyone as to why they had never heard of this band.
Want to get up to speed? This great 8-minute documentary tells the story pretty well.
And if you’re thinking it sounds familiar, it was sampled by Hot Chip for Down in 2022. You can see why – it’s quite a hook, especially coupled with that infectious drum beat. Your system will need the full suite of skills to do it justice, from a solid low end for the bass to crisp mids and highs for the vocals.
But we can’t leave without a word on that music video. Talk about vintage charm – from the fuzzy VHS visuals to the literal acting out of the lyrics to the song, it would be raw and amateurish were the track not up to scratch. As it is, it makes the perfect accompaniment, especially 30 years on.
Words by Joe Svetlik
In the House - In a Heartbeat by John Murphy
With 28 Years Later out, I took the opportunity to revisit the iconic original, 28 Days Later. And while the film hasn’t aged terribly well, thanks to the poor quality of the digital recording and camera technology used, its original soundtrack has stood the test of time remarkably well.
Composed by John Murphy, the instrumental track is an absolute banger start to finish. As well as accurately portraying the slow, increasingly desperate tone of the film, it’s a great example how decent composition can truly instil a sense of dread in its listener.
Starting with a minimalist riff in D-minor, the track creeps into your psyche before blasting you with distorted guitars and a growling bass that gets your heart pumping and the hairs on the back of your neck standing to full attention.
Which is why this month, after revisiting director Danny Boyle’s dark, zombie-filled film universe, I haven’t been able to stop listening to the track
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Yellow Mellow by Ocean Alley
One of the leading lights of Australia's indie scene in the past decade, Ocean Alley revels in funkadelic rock, blending psych with reggae, mellow melodic hooks with '70s-inspired noodling instrumentals.
Their breakthrough song, Yellow Mellow, from their eponymous EP is a doozy of a test track, leading with a bluesy cymbal- and keyboard-led jam before breaking into a groove that's impossible not to bop along to, with frontman Baden Donegal's soulful vocal belting out lyrics just as playful ("She put too much sugar on her cereal this morning, just to get her out of bed").
A revealing system will convey the track's poignant pace change and the energy of the funk-infused rhythm, while keeping the unrelenting cymbals in check and the soundscape organised as the guitar riffs come in.
Words by Becky Roberts
Unravelling by Muse
Typical Muse, doing about four songs in one. Everyone’s favourite genre-warpers are back with a brand-new single, Unravelling, their first proper release since the debut of 2022’s generally rather decent Will of the People.
It’s tricky to know what to expect whenever a new Muse track lands, though this one seems to have fallen on the right side of the barmy spectrum. Synthy staccato choruses build to a typically operatic climax as Matt Bellamy wails about “a hymn for our love with no God and no throne” (no idea), but it’s the crunchy, wall-of-sound metal breakdown before the chorus hits that will have your heart thumping and your head banging.
We don’t know when Muse’s next full-length record is scheduled to drop or even what it will be called, but we are tentatively hoping the band cuts free from the leash and lets those metal impulses run wild and free.
Words by Harry McKerrell
MORE:
Read last month's edition: 8 tracks we have been using to test in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month
These are the best audiophile headphones for getting the most out of your music
Check out our ultimate test tracks collection
