TRACK OF THE WEEK
Hare Squead
Pure
A new generation of R&B and rap acts from Dublin are overwriting the ceilidh-dancing, Guinness-belching archetype the rest of the world imagines when the words “Irish music” are referenced. Leading this are your new fave boyband Hare Squead: a trio of men who are as chiselled as they are talented. Pure is the sort of hyper-modern slow jam that’ll have Drake quivering in his Timberland boots. Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl should be ashamed of itself.
Arcade Fire
Everything Now
Produced by Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, this begins with a spooky-synth scape and descends into Abba-levels of disco pomp. It’s written about the overwhelm of the internet era and cultural greed; the need to ingest entire box sets in 24 hours and still want more. If you’re into Gee and Triffid, or whatever their names are, giving you an earnest telling-off while dressed like preachers trapped on a nuclear power plant, then by all means flagellate yourself silly with this.
Lorde
Perfect Places
Contrary to Arcade Fire’s prophecy, young people aren’t doomed to an existence of exclusively binge-watching Gossip Girl. Here the Kiwi pop star paints a picture of a lost twentysomething fumbling, groping and dry retching her way through the night. Relatively unremarkable, it’s reassuring to know the precocious pop star is a relatable little grotbag.
Smerz
You See?
This sophisticated producer duo via Norway and Denmark weave elements of eerie witch-house and stuttering witch-absent house. It’s a sonic style some in the industry are dubbing “feminine footwork” except that sounds like a category on a naughty nude site, so let’s reject such labels and just say this is a top song that elegantly undulates like bubbles under the sea.
Major Lazer ft Travi$ Scott, Camila Cabello and Quavo
Know No Better
Major Lazer live to collaborate, such is their fondness for hijacking fanbases and cherry-picking cultural signposts. I mean, who isn’t on this track? Even my mum got asked (she was tied up with DJ Khaled, so politely declined). With its Spotify algorithm-friendly, soca-tinged turbo pop blast, this one’s sure to follow you round all summer, like the sharp stench of mosquito repellent.
