Best New Tracks Of The Week: 9/22/24
Some major announcements this week didn't dissuade from a few surprising names landing on the list. Enjoy <3
5. Nail In A Wooden Trunk - Tapir!
Earlier this year Tapir! dropped one of my favorite debut albums of 2024 so far and though I wasn't crazy abotu their first follow-up single, this song reminds me of EXACTLY why I like them so much. From its subtle instrumental versatility to its rustic sound palette to an understated but still truly bizarre vocal performance that's been stuck in my head all week. This is another hit from Tapir.
4. No Comma - Slayyyter
A classic Slayyyter banger for 2024. After an album that felt like a bit of an experiment wandering away from her pummeling pop swagger she's back with a song that feels like it could have slipped into her early mixtape. This song is even better when you realize it's a slight subversion of the kind of expectations Slayyyter often faces. She manages to even make being less slutty than her reputation would imply sound sexy and confident, another Slayyyter banger.
3. S P E Y S I D E - Bon Iver
For some indie fans Bon Iver have wandered too far away from their principles, but in my opinion the second decade of Bon Iver has been much better than the first one. That's why I was excited to hear what the project was up to next, even as it was branded as a return to the gentle indie stylings of their early days. Despite the shift back in sound the creaking composition that always seems to be teetering on the edge of a collapse into empty space that defined so much great music on the past two records remains. All I can hope for now is the band to deliver more than just a brief EP soon.
2. Worm Grew A Spine - Elias Ronnenfelt
Iceage frontman Elias Ronnenfelt has been teasing a solo album for a few months now and in my opinion this is the best thing he's delivered yet. It's a track that reminds me exactly why I love the fiery post-punk band he first emerged with delivering a moody jangle heightened by his sloppy slurring delivery and just more catchy refrains than I can even keep track of. This track alone is good enough to put his forthcoming solo on anybody's radar.
1. Screamland - Father John Misty
I'm already primed to love Father John Misty's music because I've loved so much of Tillman's output under the moniker so far. That's why I wasn't surprised to enjoy this track right out of the gate quite a bit. And then it erupted into the first bombastic chorus and I was hooked in a way that only his very best songs to date have hooked me. The full context of the songwriting here probably won't be clear until the full album is here but the amount of sonic and lyrical fasciation delivered here is rare even for FJM.
