Best New Songs Of The Week: January 30th, 2022
This was definitely one of the best weeks of the year so far and there was some competition for the top 5. Between the new Weather Station single, Tove Lo's surprisingly great Euphoria song and a Charli/Rina collab there were a lot of new songs worth hearing, but these were the best of the best over the last 7 days.
5. The Smoke - The Smile
Round two of new music from the Radiohead meets Sons Of Kemet super group is a much more reserved track than the lead off single but just as satisfying. Thom Yorke proves he is still the master of extracting feeling out of gentle falsetto vocal harmonies and the steady instrumental palette behind him works in impressively quiet but high impact form. Another hit from The Smile.
4. Walkin - Denzel Curry
Denzel Curry's highly anticipated return wasn't quite the pure banger that some fans were expecting but that's nothing to hold against he song. Walkin is an incredibly slick two part spacey rap tune with a constant stream of focused and cutthroat lyricism from Curry. His intense vocal style pairs perfectly with the gentle vocal samples and simple drum pattern to make for catchy refrains and impressive bars throughout.
3. NEW TRICKS: ART, AETSHETICS, MONEY - Kilo Kish (feat. Vince Staples)
The long running series of collaborations between Kilo and Vince have spawned a number of classic tracks and this may be one of the best. The electronic stuttering beat is an insanely hard hitter and Kilo Kish is singing her refrains with more confidence and a sharper delivery than ever before. The track has a strong hook, impressive momentum and just a generally exciting level of execution. This will be in the rotation for a while.
2. Champion - Warpaint
First things first, this track will absolutely not be for everyone particularly classic Warpaint fans. With a stark drum beat that sounds like something Nicolas Jaar would build and Against All Logic song around and chilly reverbed vocal harmonies this does not sound like the bands previous material. But in this starkness I think they hit on something really really intoxicating and met with numerous incredibly memorable refrains. Once I got past the initial surprising change of sound I found myself warming up to this song in a hurry.
1. Postman - Toro Y Moi
I had no idea what to make of this song the first time I heard it. The funny mail themes lyrics, the thick ass Thundercat sounding bassline and Chaz's weird and random vocalizations it was all fascinating but I didn't know how well it actually came together in a song. Then I saw the music video. It all clicked with me that he was leaning into the most unique, charming and hilarious elements of the Toro Y Moi project and since then I haven't been able to stop listening to this weird little gem. I suspect I will have to be explaining this track and why I like it to people a lot this year and it starts here, this thing is just great.
