Gossip – ‘Real Power’
Dance punk meets at the intersection of Beth Ditto’s riot grrrl lyrics which were inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests, and dynamic electronic beats and a disco bass line. “I want real power / Give me something real”, comes the impassioned hook in the chorus, and its almost as though Gossip are trying to conjure a path to freedom through the strife, in the best way that they know how – the euphoria of a dancefloor.
Rachel Chinouriri – ‘Never Need Me’
Indie-pop darling Rachel Chinouriri – on of our Future Five for 2024 – has always had a knack for turning a lyrically sad song into an upbeat anthem, and ‘Never Need Me’ is no different. Filled with empowerment after realising that she was being dragged down along with the person she was trying to lift up, the track speaks to finding your own feet and not feeling bad about it.
Cassyette – ‘Ipecac’
Oscillating and eruptive basslines are an assault on the ears as Cassyette seethes with rage at someone who did her wrong in the past; plotting her revenge as she longs for a way to force the memory of them out of her system. ‘Ipecac’ is volatile, between its instrumentals and Cassyette switching back and forth between her signature screaming vocals and a softer sung melody in which you can still feel the disgust in her voice.
English Teacher – ‘Albert Road’
Coinciding with the announcement of their debut album, English Teacher share their latest single, ‘Albert Road’ which is more akin to the mellow, synthesised cocoon that previous single, ‘Mastermind Specialism’ enveloped the listener in, as opposed to the frenetic guitar-based world of previous releases ‘World’s Biggest Paving Slab’, and ‘R&B’. The dichotomy of the band’s sound is paralleled in Lily Fontaine’s lyrics in which she sings about being mixed race and growing up around Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Nia Archives – ‘Crowded Roomz’
Another sad banger, Nia Archives wrote the song after last year’s festival season, reflecting on the loneliness of life on tour, and not feeling like she could be herself in a room full of people. From the offset, she summarises social anxiety, and not feeling comfortable around strangers: “I feel so lonely / especially in crowded rooms / It’s a façade, my persona is my costume / No one to turn to, they don’t understand my blues.”
Listen to these and more of the week’s new releases on our BRAND NEW playlist
