I spent the last couple of weeks in South Asia on my first long-distance trip since COVID. And wouldn’t you know it, I brought back what appears to be the Omicron BA 2 XE variant. Yay, 10-day quarantine. But because the symptoms are super-mild (for me, anyway) and I can work at home, I have plenty of time to sort through reams of music. Here are five tracks that deserve your attention this week.
1. Superorganism, It’s Raining
World Wide Pop (Domino)
RIYL: Glitchy fun
Insanely catchy with its glitchiness and hip-hop influences, this new track from the London pop collective features a contribution from Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus. As the band says, this song sounds “almost broken” (you’ll hear it immediately). The album is due July 15.
2. Yungblud, The Funeral
Single (Geffen)
RIYL: The idea of people dancing at your funeral
The first thing I thought when this song began was “Hang on, that reminds me of Billy Idol’s Dancing with Myself!” That lasts until we get to the chorus when it heads into a big alt-pop chorus about dancing with tears in your eye. Wait—that’s Ultravox. This is the second standalone single from the last few months, so it’s possible we’ll see a full album soon.
3. Windser, Memory
Single (Independent)
RIYL: I hear bits of Peter, Bjorn & John
Winder is actually Jordan Topf of Santa Cruz, California. As far as I can tell, he’s totally independent (at least so far) yet has managed to create some buzz across the continent. He’s even got his own NFT deal already with a Canadian gaming company. How the industry has changed…
4. Cancer Bats, Psychic Jailbreak
Psychic Jailbreak (Bat Skill Records/New Damage Records)
RIYL: The feeling when your head explodes
And now, a little hardcore and coffee from Cancer Bats. This is a single from their seventh album (out now) and also the name of their new brand of coffee made from 75% Guatemalan and 25% Brazilian beans. “The smooth and full-bodied cup has notes of rich chocolatey-cocoa and roasted nuts that is great on its own but also pairs beautifully with a bit of cream.”
5. Liam Gallagher, C’mon You Know
C’mon You Know (Warner)
Recommend If You Like: It’s Our Kid, innit mate?
This is the second single is from Liam’s upcoming third solo album, which is due on May 27. The title track is described by Our Kid as “the sound of the summer.” He’s certainly trying to build hype for his big headlining summer tour, which will include a two-night stand at Knebworth. A good stomper, this.