Best New Tracks Of The Week: November 12th, 2023
This was just one of those week. Sometimes good releases pile on top of each other and there are at LEAST 10 songs I could have included. But for my own sanity here are the five best new songs I heard this week.
5. Luna - Stillblue
Another inexplicably blissful new single from Stillblue. While it will certainly remind you of the band's other new singles from this year, they're starting to prove exactly why this is their sound. This track features an expansive second half that might be among the grandest things the group has done yet and it pays off all the poignant patience deployed up to that point perfectly.
4. My Room - Ty Segall
Ty Segall showing up and dropping a song that sounds more like Radiohead in the 90s than Radiohead themselves did in the 90s was not on my 2023 bingo card. But honestly, I'll take it I love the sour wining guitar leads and as much as Ty can conjure with his voice at its loudest he manages to makes quite a bit of a reserved performance on this song and I like it.
3. rare animal - Glass Beach
Two-for-two on the beloved emo band's comeback so far. While this track may not have as dynamic of a composition as the lead single it makes up for it with some much more immediate features. That comes through with the memorable vocal refrains, roaring guitars on the bridge, and explosive transitions between passages throughout the track.
2. Houdini - Dua Lipa
After months of information leaks and teasing Dua Lipa's new era is officially under way. She kicked things off with a banger new single that features writing and production from Tame Impala's Kevin Parker and PC Music's Danny L Harle. The results are exactly as vibrant, colorful, and blissful as you'd expect. But Dua herself doesn't get lost in that glittery haze and the song still has an infectious hook that grabbed me right away.
1. Sun Girl - Julia Holter
Julia Holter is like a cheat code for topping this list. That's because her blissful dichotomy still leaves me absolutely spellbound. Her intimate vocals are some of the most touching in all of music heightened by both her recording format and performance style. But what she surrounds them with is some of the most purely whimsical music you'll ever hear. This song is no different with a glistening chorus sporting some absolutely beautiful backing vocals and a deeply compelling array of perfectly placed instrumentation. Once again, Julia stuns.
