Summer's almost over, or at least, it is if you live in the UK. The nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning brown (rather prematurely, it has to be said), and we're all preparing to hunker down for the long slog that is the British winter. See you in eight months, sun!
While that's bad for our tans and probably not much better for our mental wellbeing, it does mean that we'll be spending a lot more time inside, glued to our hi-fi or welded to our favourite headphones. That, inevitably, means lots and lots of listening (and lots of fodder for next months' edition of Now Playing).
Not that August's generally lovely weather stopped us from discovering lots of new test tracks, mind. You can't keep us away from a sound system, with the tunes below giving our test gear a good going over in the warmup to winter. Don't pull a muscle!
- Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal
Euro-Country by Cmat
“I think we’re gonna' diе trying, I wish we weren’t this way”.
You might think this lyric seems like something right out of a break-up song, but you would be mistaken. Instead, Euro-Country acts as a yearning to feel connected to one’s homeland and a struggle with identity.
It begins with lyrics in the Irish language, and Cmat has crafted a song that’s part love-letter, part political anthem. It’s hard to pin the genre down as well, with aspects of country, folk and pop emerging as it goes on.
Her wailing vocal performance is incredibly moving, with emotion and rage seeping through every note. As the drums reach their crescendo, for example, Cmat matches this energy with a furious cry that ends with “It was normal building houses that stay empty even now".
Cmat’s full Euro-Country album has just been released, so I’ll be strapping in for some (hopefully) excellent tunes.
Words by Robyn Quick
Won't Be A Thing To Become by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld
This is a test track that we have used numerous times over the years, but I still can’t quite get a handle on it.
It’s a two-hander between saxophonist Colin Stetson and violinist Sarah Neufeld. The way each instrument’s distinct tone, timbre and textures remain clear and insightful while also dovetailing into each other when it comes to the rhythmic structure of the piece is something that is very difficult to get right, even with very capable hi-fi equipment.
What is important is to feel the deep, rich tones of the opening notes and layered subtleties of the strings, and to lose yourself in the otherworldly and slightly unsettling, moody composition.
The instruments should be delivered with a physical and visceral feel through the very best hi-fi, while also having a controlled, agile and dynamically expressive hold over the ebb and flow of the track. It’s a mesmerising tune, and definitely worth repeated plays.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
The Rope by Wunderhorse
Indie rock band Wunderhorse has been serving up grungy bangers for a few years now, but I’m ashamed to say that they have snuck under the radar for me until recently.
Formed in 2020, the band saw success with its 2022 album Cub, which contains the visceral track Teal – also worth a listen. Since then, they have supported some of my favourite artists, including Sam Fender and Fontaines D.C.
The group's latest offering, The Rope, leans into the edgy sound that they have established for themselves, though it's balanced out with a catchy guitar riff that cuts through the heavy track to superb effect.
It’s exciting and moves at a decent pace, with lead vocalist Jacob Slater’s lyrics piercing through with a raw and emotive quality that ties this record together perfectly.
Lyrically, The Rope feels fairly heavy. It is introspective and desperate, with the chorus hinging on Slater frantically pleading “don’t let go of the rope”, though that is swiftly followed by a reassuring and almost uplifting sentiment of “and if you’re rolling easy, go steady / You gotta' do what you do to get along”.
That's in keeping with the rest of Wunderhorse’s discography, which can be thematically weighty at times, but I think it solidifies their raw and pragmatic sound.
Play this track through a pair of earbuds or headphones that can balance the roughness without sounding abrasive or unkempt, and you’ll find plenty to like.
Words by Lewis Empson
My Mind Is A Mountain by Deftones
Has it really been five years since Deftones released their last album? It sure has. Not only was the recording of Ohms completed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released when the infamous ‘Rule of Six’ restrictions were in place in the UK. Crikey, what a strange time that was.
Their 10th album, Private Music, has just been released, marking the longest that the band has ever taken between albums. Perhaps that’s why it sounds so polished – and why it feels like the quintessential Deftones record.
There’s nothing envelope-pushing, genre-bending or style-mutating here. Private Music suggests that the band has done its evolving and has settled on what Deftones is. This is Deftones at their most Deftones-y, and it’s excellent.
This is typified, as you would hope, by album opener My Mind Is A Mountain. Sudden, brutal heaviness; chugging guitar riffs; propulsive percussion; soft, sweeping singing and contrasting, emotionally strained shouting – it’s everything you want from Deftones distilled into a three-minute track, and it sounds lush and dramatic through proper hi-fi.
Words by Tom Parsons
In A Silent Way by Joe Zawinul
The jazz enthusiasts among you may be looking at the artist listed here and getting confused.
Though pianist and keyboardist Joe Zawinul is the original composer of In a Silent Way, it was taken by Miles Davis, who is generally considered more famous in mainstream music, and used as the titular track of his 1969 album of the same name.
The catch? Davis thought Zawinul’s original work was a little too complex and chose to simplify the composition and cut entire sections – a move that led Zawinul to re-record the piece with a different band and his original composition a year later.
That’s the version we have here. This gives it a more haunting feeling in my mind, with the beautiful, slow-burning track alternating between modal and diatonic passages built on the E major or A major scale leaving an intentional sense of ambiguity.
On top of this, with a beautifully played soprano sax lead, that is masterfully backed up with a complex keyboard section that intertwines rumbling low and sparkling high parts, it’s a masterclass in composition that demands a decent hi-fi setup to do it true justice.
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Lonely Night in the Park by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen has been on something of a streak recently, releasing a wealth of music he recorded but, for whatever reason, chose not to release, over his long and storied career.
I’ve always had a soft spot for The Boss, and found a sea of hidden gems in the releases, including Rain in the River, about which I wrote a separate feature.
But his most recent lost track release, Lonely Night Park, is by far my favourite. The wonderfully composed track was released on the 25th of August to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of his iconic Born to Run album.
According to Springsteen the track was “heavily considered” to be included on the album, but for undisclosed reasons didn’t quite make the cut. Listening to the newly released 1975 studio outtake from Springsteen’s Born to Run Record Plant sessions, I honestly can’t understand why it was cut.
Featuring an upbeat, booming backing track expertly delivered by the E Street Band along with Springsteen’s energetic, narrative-led vocals it’s a powerhouse demonstration of everything that made me fall in love with The Boss as a teenager and continue to listen to him over 30 years on.
Whether you're an existing Springsteen fan or newcomer to his work, this track is well worth a listen.
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Jealous Type by Doja Cat
The complete antithesis to my rocking recommendation above, I have also been listening non-stop to the latest single from pop star/rapper Doja Cat. Jealous Type is a synth-laden dance-pop banger dripping in glittery ’80s disco influence, which appears to be the theme Doja’s upcoming album, Vie.
The funk-inspired bass riff that underpins this track is my favourite part, and it demands a pair of headphones or earbuds that can deliver taut and precise bass to make it truly shine. That strong bassline requires a system that doesn’t stumble where timing is concerned, as the song can easily lose its lustre if your audio gear isn’t striking the beat with precision.
Doja Cat’s sparkling layered vocals glide effortlessly over the densely packed melody, which contrasts said bassline rather nicely. An early section of the track that layers Doja’s lyrics over producer Jack Antonoff’s vocals is a standout, and it sounds particularly good on a pair of headphones that sonically lean on the richer side.
Spatial separation is also a must with this track, as it can otherwise sound ill-defined on a less-talented set of headphones or a middling Bluetooth speaker, ultimately resulting in its slick production being lost within a jumble of digital effects.
Done right, however, this track shines as a modern pop anthem.
Words by Lewis Empson
Mirrors by Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake might not be the hottest property in music any more – he has rarely been what you might call a 'credible' pop artist (not that kind of pop artist) in the same vein as an Elton John, say, or a Prince Rogers Nelson.
You might think NSYNC were just another generic boyband, or that Timberlake's earlier work was soft R&B fluff watered down for a mainstream audience. You may even think that 2011's Friends with Benefits was a bad movie (you'd be dead wrong on that one, you fool).
Think all of those things if you will, but don't tell me that Mirrors is anything short of a pop masterpiece. The penultimate salvo from 2013's The 20/20 Experience is outrageously well crafted, and when you've got a proper system to give it its due, the track's bold, brassy synths knock you for six before switching to snappy, Jackson-esque verses leading into that anthemic falsetto chorus.
Pop tunes can often be throwaway or breezy affairs, but Mirrors demonstrates that there's nothing wrong with genuinely orchestral bombast amid the more lightweight fluff.
Turn it up loud on a capable setup and the results are utterly breathtaking.
Words by Harry McKerrell
MORE:
Read last month's edition: 6 test tracks we've been playing 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
