Best New Tracks Of The Week: 9/24/2023-10/1/23
Because I moved last week I just combined the two weeks into one, enjoy <3
10. It Won't Be Like This Forever - Neck Deep
Don't make fun of me. I've been waiting for neck Deep to return to their catchy meets angsty brand of pop-punk bliss since 2015 and this is among the better tracks they've released in the past 8 years. In no way is this rewriting the book on any element of their sound or style but come on, it's catchy and explosive and fun.
9. Murder At The 18th St. Garage - The Mountain Goats
You have to respect the hustle of The Mountain Goats. Dropping a new album pretty much every year the band doesn't have the most stylistic versatility to them but they play to their strengths occasionally. On this track they absolutely nail their dorky and occasionally over-written style with a simple energetic instrumental and some lyrics fans will love pouring over.
8. SHAQ & KOBE - Meek Mill & Rick Ross
Am I crazy or is Meek sounding hungrier on this song than he has in YEARS. While Rick Ross' same shortcomings still crop up all over the place I'm incredibly impressed by the ferocity of Meek's performance here. If he comes through this hard on any of the seventeen projects he's announced recently than it could be a certified comeback.
7. Got Me Started - Troye Sivan
After the absolute bomb that was Troye's lead single Rush he came back with a follow-up that samples Shooting Stars of all things and it doesn't quite have the same punch. From some iffy vocal pitching throughout to a lack of real strong refrains to be found the results are mixed. It's nice to hear Troye continue to return to his vision of lowkey nocturnal intimacy, but this is far from his best.
6. Icon - Cicatrice
The newest Cicatrice shows an even deeper worship of Justin Broadrick at his absolute most Godflesh. It's got the blistering walls of noise the project is accustomed to deploying but with a spare clocking electronic beat laced underneath which makes the song feel like it stays at a methodical creeping intensity no matter how bombastic the vocals become. It's another moment of haunting intensity highlighted by what's beyond the noise.
5. Dusk - Chelsea Wolfe
Though Chelsea Wolfe just switched from Sacred Bones to Loma Vista for her label, the change doesn't particularly manifest sonically. Her new music still creeps along eerily with a darkness only illuminated by her stark vocal performance. Eventually, after building and building it all reaches a monumental climax whose brash, swinging intensity grew on me every time I heard it.
4. Winnipesaukee - Model/Actriz
After hearing the band play this tune live recently I think the studio version is solid. The creeping haunting combination of metallic smashing and haunted house keys sound great together but the payoff and really much of the song at large feels weirdly unfocused. I'm guessing live improvisations took this track on quite a journey and the combination of immediacy with lack of strong direction shows, though I do still quite enjoy the results.
3. The Flowers - The Drums
This new era of The Drums career has been marked by Johnny appearing once every few weeks with yet another song that is the catchiest thing I've ever heard. His craft refrains continue to absolutely blow me away and they fit perfectly into the sun-kissed indie bliss of the band's sound. The Drums have released more great singles this year than most bands do in a decade.
2. I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS - Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
If the first single from Kristin's post-Lingua Ignota era was a bit too fire & brimstone narrative gospel for you this might be something that splits her two stylistic factions more closely down the middle. The will no doubt come off a familiar compositionally to those who love the last Lingua Ignota album, which is obviously no complaint. But it's in the stories and the mesmerizingly haunting vocal performance that once again prove Kristin is in a universe entirely her own.
1. Census Designated - Jane Remover
This might be the best piece of songwriting in Jane Remover's entire discography and I do not say that lightly. The continued exploration into vulnerable and confessional lyrics leave the songs feeling anchignly authentic which pairs perfectly with the rushes of distorted noise. It's yet another meditation on transness that feels hyperreal for how effectively it translates emotion through music.
