Anna of the North
Leaning on Myself
Henceforth to be known as The Awoo Song, Leaning on Myself is a very welcome, wooze-pop epic that wouldn’t sound out of place on a SoundCloud rapper’s timeline. The glacial chill of Anna of the North’s native Norway glistens on it, even as she sings about taking her broken heart to holiday in the sun. If the lyrics are true, Anna’s an absolute mess right now – and, boy oh boy, does it suit her.
Peter Doherty and the Puta Madres
Who’s Been Having You Over
Singing like he’s got a mouthful of marbles at the tail-end of an all-nighter, Pete “Peter” Doherty has taken a break from his busy breakfast-eating schedule to release this song, which, I’m not ashamed to tell you, has left me bamboozled. On first listen, it is a bad song, a plodding indie-landfill number that could have been a “The”-band B-side 20 years ago. But after a solid half-hour on repeat, you find yourself wondering: is this actually a work of genius? Is it so bad that it is, in fact, good? And then you realise: no. It’s just awful.
The Chemical Brothers
Got to Keep On
It’s funny how the Chemical Brothers can at once be a cultural force to be reckoned with and an act you can go years at a time without ever thinking about. Dads who still enjoy the occasional pinger will be pleased to hear that they have not lost their knack for classic, thumping disco-house numbers built around a single idea that start small, steadily grow, stomp along for a bit and get home in time for Question Time.
Astrid S
Someone New
Originally co-written by, and slated to be performed by, Charli XCX, Someone New is a kind of post-tropical What Not to Do list for when you break up with someone, minutely observed to hit home. The line “I still wear your T-shirt in my bed” may or may not inspire you to Marie Kondo your pyjama drawer, but at least you’ll have a good soundtrack to listen to while you do it.
Galantis ft One Republic
Bones
There’s a certain kind of song – you know the one – that involves a man wielding an acoustic guitar and melisma-ing about how some nondescript object or circumstance stands as a signifier for an emotion. Records indicate that it began with 2005’s JCB Song, was refined via Ed Sheeran’s mawkish folk-pop, and has now been crystallised into its poppiest form by Galantis. Also really good to know that we keep our souls in our bones? I think that’s what they’re getting at?
