Best New Tracks Of The Week: 6/30/24
This week was stacked FULL of potential favorites and breaking down the best to just 5 wasn't easy, but here's what rose to the top
5. Getting No Sleep - Tinashe
Asking Tinashe to follow-up on Nasty, the freaky anthem of the summer, was always going to be a tall, if not impossible take. But honestly Getting No Sleep does a pretty admirable job with a rumbling R&B instrumental with drums that pop out of the mix. More importantly, the song is effortlessly sensual in Tinashe's hands with vocals and charm that is nearly unmatched.
4. Flipside - Melt-Banana
Melt-Banana have absolutely nothing to prove as the legendary Japanese rock outfit returns for their first new album in over a decade. That's why it's no surprise that their lead single is a fiery no-holds-barred slugfest of a song that pummels you for a rapid-fire two minutes and unceremoniously fades out. I fully expect it to be just one of many punches the band has in store.
3. Common Loon - Xiu Xiu
It takes this song about one second to not sound the way I expect Xiu Xiu to sound and then about 3 seconds to start sounding exactly like I expect Xiu Xiu to sound. It's a FAR brighter turn than their decisively dark and crushing Ignore Grief, in fact, the song has a lot more sonically in common with tracks from their 2017 effort FORGET with its blistering distortion and whispered vocals somehow still managing to form something sunny and sweet. The song is growing on me with every single listen.
2. She's Leaving You - MJ Lenderman
Just like with his band Wednesday, I've been accused of overlooking the talents of MJ Lenderman in the past. But as Wednesday impressed me in a way they never had before with their new album last year, I think this may be the best I've heard Lenderman to date. Leaning into his Pinegrovey blend of country, folk, anguished singer-songwriter, and whimpering boyishness is a huge strength and this is the best I've ever heard him do it.
1. Reason Why - SOPHIE (feat. Kim Petras & BC Kingdom)
There should be absolutely no surprise that this is here based on the fact that I'm one of the biggest SOPHIE fans around. But if that wasn't enough I expressed love for this exact song a few years ago when it was nothing but an unreleased live cut that had fans hoping for some kind of eventual release. It feels like the right move to kick off the highly-anticipated SOPHIE posthumous album that fans thought may never come. Kim Petras' vintage overwrought pop bliss still fits as perfectly with SOPHIE's textured flavor as it did years ago and the final version of the song features every essential piece it needs to soar.
