
Top 10 New Tracks
The clocks have gone back and the weather’s cooled down. It’s the perfect time to wrap up warm, put in your headphones, and zone out to some new tunes. Read about our favourite releases from the last week below.
Valeria Stoica – Empty Air
‘Empty Air’ is the latest release from Moldovan singer-songwriter Valeria Stoica. It has a really nice indie, bedroom pop vibe to it; it is quite simple but it works; her voice lends itself to a stripped-back aesthetic. It has definitely grown on me — on first listen, I just brushed it off as a Clairo copy — but with a couple more listens, the frustratingly catchy chorus had me hooked. I definitely could see myself sat chilling with some friends to this song; I’ve stolen it for my playlists. — Francesca Warren
Dan Deacon — Sat By A Tree
‘Sat by a Tree’ is the lead single from Dan Deacon’s upcoming album Mystic Familiar. It’s an upbeat psychedelic pop song, with a speed that feels as if you are chasing to keep up with it the whole time. The composition itself is also really interesting — the song opens with a chord played 8 times on the beat; the drums then burst onto the track with a fast tom pattern. It almost feels like the initial idea was written by Dan messing about with synths and a looper — but I like it! It feels intentionally messy; the production is brilliant in this joyful incoherency.
In short, it is definitely a song I’m going to be listening on my way into uni in the morning — upbeat, funky and fun. — Francesca Warren
Dua Lipa — Don’t Start Now
Dua Lipa pairs classic house piano chords with squelchy synth funk in this decent banger. The drums are satisfyingly crisp and the chorus is infectious right from the brief glimpse we get of it at the start of the song. The disco strings remind me a little of the mii channel but are still a nice touch, as are the guitars and cowbells that fill out the climax. The ending starts to feel a little more generic and the lyrics aren’t that captivating during the verses and pre-chorus; they don’t really cut through. Overall though, if I heard this song coming out of speakers other than my own, I would not attempt to turn it off. I might even enjoy it. — Joe Waters
Lola Young — 6 Feet Under
I went into this one sceptical given how many millennial pop hallmarks it packed into its dembow-lite first few lines. I have to say, though, as the track went on, I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere and textures are pretty nice and there is some interesting sampling in the breakdowns. The dryness of the vocals really does add a sense of genuine vulnerability and, despite the unpromising start, I grew to enjoy the lyrics quite a bit. Being uncertain about a relationship is not exactly a new emotion but the way the verses move so casually from hackneyed descriptions of drinking to forget into genuine anxiety about the end of the world feels very 2019. The contrast is not melodramatic, it’s the reality that, as young people in the midst of the climate crisis, we all live in. — Joe Waters
Trunky Juno — It’s a Trip
Following from last week’s ‘Easy Life’, we have another lo-fi poppy indie single, now from Trunky Juno on the Silent Kid Records label. Built on a synth covered backing, Juno builds the song with dancing basslines, varying production styles (notice the shift in the pre-chorus; it’s as if you walked out of the room then right back in) and the ingenious use of samples, very much akin to Flaming Lips(think of the Soft Bulletin album). Juno takes inspiration from a variety of indie artists, like Tame Impala’s production styles or Father John Misty’s grand songwriting, but he does separate himself with his distinctive Bowie-like voice. This is definitely a musician to look out for if you’re an indie-head or just appreciate a well-written pop song. — Saul Devlin
Tate McRea — all my friends are fake
Sometimes influence is undeniable, so to save time: yes, Tate McRea and especially ‘all my friends’ sounds quite like Billie Eilish and the niche dark pop that Eilish has cornered. However, this shouldn’t take much else away from the song itself, being lyrically evocative and relevant to a modern era and everyone’s obsession of having connected social lives whilst not really being genuine. A little on-the-nose with its message, McRea’s lyrics are very much straight to the point, even melodramatic without giving many answers, but sometimes flagging up an issue is all you need. I would ask for some more substance, some more movement of ideas. Musically the song isn’t breaking many barriers, a brooding minor-key synth vamp with a drum machine that grows and dissipates gradually throughout. Even so, it’s a good place for an artist so young in their career and definitely packs a punch. — Saul Devlin
Pure Milk — Expectations
Australian indie-rock collective Pure Milk released their new album Self-Improvement, which includes ‘Expectations’. The track is reminiscent of The Kooks, or even early releases from The Wombats and The Black Keys. The whole album focuses on the themes of social anxiety, consumerism, confidence and looking out for one another. These themes are underlined by a garage-rock, post-punk influenced sound. In general, the album and especially this song is definitely worth a listen if you are a fan of indie and garage sounds. — Sophie Schulze
RVBY — Glow
Ruby Donadel, aka RVBY is a singer-songwriter from Bristol. Signed to the record label Funnel Music, RVBY just released the new single ‘Glow’. Her approach to writing music is all about drawing inspiration from real life; in the case of her new single, RVBY focusses on all the people who brought her down, including herself. It is an electro-pop tune about jealousy and the feeling of not being supported. One of her inspirations is the singer Sigrid, who this song greatly reminds me of. It is very upbeat and in a sense a generic feel-good song that you can blast out at full volume when you are feeling down. — Sophie Schulze
Tame Impala — It Might Be Time
It’s Tame Impala.
I could just end the review there because if you know Tame Impala, you know what you’re getting here, and you’ll probably like it. The second single from their new album The Slow Rush (slated for an early 2020 release), is another low-fi psychedelic earworm from Kevin Parker and co. that hits all the right beats to get stuck in your head. In the lyrics, there’s a twist. Parker seems to be reflecting on where he is in life: “it ain’t as fun as it used to be”; “nothing lasts forever”. He seems to be looking at his career and wondering if his time is nearly up. There’s a hint of this near-sombre tone in the music, but it only comes through on repeat listens.
It’s Tame Impala. They’re just the same as before. But I don’t think it’s time for them to move on yet. — Alex Towells
Toni Sauna — Trippin
Toni Sauna, the artist formerly known as Wildcookie and formerly known as Anthony Mills is back with a new track and yet another moniker. This time he’s delivered a laid-back hip hop tune, with a bassy backing track underpinning some interesting lyrics, which reflect on the state of UK rap. Sauna calls his style “Anti-testosterone”, referring to the way in which he delivers his lines more softly than most UK rappers, and that works well here. The backing track is a pretty regular hip-hop tune bookended by some short jazz-influenced sections that I love. It would’ve been nice to see more of this jazz influence woven into the beat which he raps over as the beat can get a bit repetitive, especially on repeat listens. However, this doesn’t detract too much from what is a pretty solid track overall. — Alex Towells
Are you an artist who wants a break? A promoter who wants to plug some great bands? Your music could make it here in our Top 10 New Tracks. If you’re interested, simply email your music to music@ury.org.uk and we’ll have a listen!
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