Ruel – Not Thinkin’ Bout You
For fans of: Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Nathaniel
Ruel only just turned 16, and already he is producing the type of whip-cracking R&B that it took Justins Timberlake and Bieber years to deliver comfortably. The Sydneysider may be too young to legally drink, but Not Thinkin’ Bout You has the regret and rueful quality of a day-long hangover, with a voice that’s youthful but surprisingly emotive – a combination Bieber never quite nailed. (There’s also a hint of gravel in his delivery, which bodes well for the mid-career death metal record.) The track was helmed by M-Phazes, who has stealthily become Australia’s most prized producer over the past half-decade, steering hits from Kimbra, Guy Sebastian and Illy, as well as Amy Shark’s monster Adore and Demi Lovato’s Sober. He even scored a Grammy for work on Eminem’s 2013 album. Long story short: when this guy ties himself to a young talent, it’s time to pay attention.
For more: Ruel’s debut EP, Ready, is out now; he’s touring the UK through December.
Vera Blue – All The Pretty Girls
For fans of: Lorde, Sarah Blasko, Holy Holy
Celia Pavey first came to prominence when she placed third in season two of The Voice, a fact that will continue to fade into the footnotes of her biography as she keeps releasing perfectly pitched pop songs like this. All The Pretty Girls is a cautionary tale that Pavey herself seems destined to ignore, warning of a James Dean-style heartbreaker recast in 90s threads, with dangling earring, dangling cigarette – the type of boy who knows “what to say to get me naked”. The music is bathed in an updated 80s fluoro glow, the harmonies sparkle and the lyrical lesson is one you can only learn through experience: like all important things, good and bad, I suppose.
For more: Vera Blue is playing a heap of festivals in Australia through the summer.
Kwame – Clouds
For fans of: Future, Desiigner, Migos
It’s a testament to Kwame’s talent that he can reference Opal cards, Uber Eats and Kevin 07 and still deliver one of the best Australian hip-hop songs in years. The MC attacks like a guard dog, beating into submission any doubt about his relative greenness with spitfire rhymes and impressive dexterity. Zane Lowe premiered this song to his audience of millions, and Kwame was recently named triple j’s Unearthed artist of the year. Here’s a tip for all A&R and curious music lovers: pay attention to the sounds coming out of the western suburbs of Sydney – it’s a real scene.
For more: Kwame plays Festival Of The Sun in Port Macquarie this month, and will be touring nationally throughout February and March.
Birdz ft. Ecca Vandal – Place Of Dreams
For fans of: 2Pac, TLC, the Heartbreak High soundtrack
Isn’t it nice when you can judge a song’s sound from the title? Dreamy piano and smooth vocals lull the listener into a safe place and keep them there – although Birdz’s urgency threatens to steer this dream into the land of nightmares. Ecca Vandal has one of the most diverse and beautiful voices in the country, and it is showcased perfectly in this song, lending it a distinctive 90s commercial R&B flavour. Young NT-based rapper Birdz, meanwhile, is extremely talented in his own right but smart enough to stay mostly on the sidelines here. He doesn’t need to throw it in your face.
For more: Place Of Dreams is the first taste of Birdz’s forthcoming EP. His debut album, Train of Thought, is out now.
Kymie – Needs
For fans of: Chance The Rapper, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj
Dark, minimalist production that sounds like someone is fiddling on a Nokia while holding a cup to the wall of a nightclub has been popular since Drake was “25 sitting on 25 mil”. This style – which on Needs is perhaps not quite so simple – makes sense in the meritocracy of hip-hop: without lavish beats clouding things, the talent of an MC comes through and the cream rises to the top. Kymie – who, like Kwame, is also from western Sydney – can slide from an attitude-laden rap verse to a powerfully belted chorus and a subtle falsetto, and it’s all done tastefully on this top-quality track. An international sound from a world-beating talent.
For more: Needs is Kymie’s first single; the official video will be out later this month.
Washington – Claws
For fans of: Tears for Fears, Haim, 80s Madonna
It’s been two years since Washington released her stopgap single Saint Lo, and four since the release of her second album, There There. Claws continues the day-glo 80s pop sound of the latter, as she soundtracks yet another unmade John Hughes film. As with all of Washington’s sonic love stories, this one is hard-won and has edges. “It’s not romantic, it’s a street fight,” she warns – but falls anyway, despite herself. Real non-cartoon love is as much about the messy bits, the flaws, the claws, and Washington soundtracks it better than anyone. It’s good to have her back.
For more: Washington’s next album will be out next year.
Southeast Desert Metal – Break The Silence
For fans of: Karnivool, Kyuss, Metallica
Southeast Desert Metal call themselves the most isolated metal band in the world, living in a remote Aboriginal community some 80km south-east of Alice Springs. Fittingly, this music is an unforgiving as the dry Australian outback: brutal riffage, growling vocals and exceptional, tightly wound musicianship combine on this surprisingly melodic offering. As the song peels out of the chorus into the dreamy breakdown, the band recall Metallica at their pre-1991 peak. Unlike when a lot of metal bands traverse the usual tropes of suffering and pain, these guys clearly mean it. Southeast Desert Metal could become one of the biggest metal bands in the world. That’s not hyperbole; just listen to those guitars.
For more: Break The Silence is the title track of Southeast Desert Metal’s new album, which is out now; they play Mona Foma in Launceston in January.
Troye Sivan – Somebody To Love
For fans of: Drake, Imogen Heap, Frank Ocean
Queen are suddenly back in the spotlight, following a much-loved (and partially fictional) biopic, the obligatory soundtrack and a rush of television specials hoping to capitalise on it. Troye Sivan has stripped one of Freddie Mercury’s most rousing anthems down to a haunting hymn. All but the first two verses and the chant is discarded, the song relying solely upon Sivan’s sterling vocals, some minimal musical accompaniment and lashes of swirling space. There are many who will dislike this song out of principle, scolding Troye for daring to tamper with the holy book of Queen, while conveniently forgetting that weighty tome also contains a collaboration with boy band 5ive, a songs named Fat Bottomed Girls, and the theme to an 80s Flash Gordon movie … Put all preconceptions aside and listen to how masterfully Sivan captures the spirit of the song.
For more: Troye Sivan is on a world tour through 2019; his album Bloom is out now.
Sampa The Great ft Nadeem Din-Gabisi – Energy
For fans of: Portishead, MIA, Faithless
A song so slinky and soulful it sounds custom-made for those pre-dusk summer hours when the sun streams through windows and wine helps the day wind down faster. Zambian-born rapper Sampa The Great won the Australian Music Prize for her mixtape Birds and the BEE9 this year, and is one of the purest talents in the industry industry; and she deftly dances over the smooth jazz licks and swaying beat of this new track. London singer Nadeem Din-Gabisi’s understated male vocals balance her “feminine energy” – but this is the Sampa show. It’s remarkable that she’s yet to release a debut album.
For more: Sampa The Great has festival shows through December and February.
Presets ft DMA’s – Are You Here
For fans of: Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, Jagwar Ma
Take Australia’s premiere dance-music duo, the Presets, and add Sydney’s most Hacienda-friendly band, and you’ll end up with something that sounds like it belongs on Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. Remember when Noel Gallagher teamed up with the Chemical Brothers for a pair of psychotropic dance anthems? This is the Aussie equivalent and, as far as brain-bending collaborations go, it’s up there with Gallagher and co. A fresh coat of Pollock-splattered paint for both bands, and a welcome floor-filler just in time for the sweaty summer festival season.
For more: The Presets album Hi Viz is out now; DMA’s headline Grow Your Own in Tuncurry in January.
