Truth be told we hate writing intros for these kind of things. It's like explaining why you need to hear these songs, without mentioning them, in a shorter way than below but in a longer way than the title. If you're the kind of person who just reads the first three or four songs and then clicks out maybe save your time and just head go straight to reading and listing below. Who knows, you may make it to five?
Yeo- Secret Powers
Melbourne artist Yeo has been very firmly on our radar since the brilliant Kobe. The electro-pop brilliance of Kobe has set a high benchmark for Yeo but we reckon this one may just match it. It's a flickering, pop-ballad with dimly-lit verses and an explosive chorus. It also sees him swaps lines with Yule Post, working so well we are happy to crown them the Sonny and Cher of this generation.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/snackswithyeo/secretpowers[/soundcloud]
CHVRCHES- Get Away
Look, to be honest we haven't really got our heads around this wholde Drive soundtrack revamp but we have got our ears around this new CHVRCHES track this week. CHVRCHES' twilight electronica suits the aesthetic of Drive down to the ground and Get Away easily gives off that twinkling, mysterious vibe that songs like Nightcall did on the original soundtrack. This band is yet to put a foot wrong. We'd like it very much if they kept the momentum going and popped out a second album before we stop listening to the first. Thanks.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/chvrches/chvrches-get-away[/soundcloud]
DELS- Burning Beaches (Feat. Rosie Lowe)
British rapper DELS is about to release his second album Petals Have Fallen and he's picked an opportune time to release one of his best tracks. The down-beat, sizzler features the vocal prowess of the sultry Rosie Lowe, who delivers a stunning chorus. The match of these two makes this track smoulder, with DELS' tough verses perfectly complimenting Lowe's velvety chorus.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/bigdadasound/dels-burning-beaches-feat-rosie-lowe[/soundcloud]
Jerome LOL- All That I Am (Feat. Sara Z)
Jerome LOL has a knack to transporting you straight to 4am with a simple thud of bass. As half of DJ Dodger Stadium, he's delivered one of the best albums of the year and is now dropping a steady slew of solo singles proving that he's just as brilliant on his own. All That I Am is more accessible than anything by DJ Dodger, helped by a melodic vocal by Sara Z. It's soulful, bouncing and best of all, affecting. There's nothing quite like an emotional dance floor banger and we'd be happy to shed a tear to this while tearing up the floor.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/fofmusic/jerome-lol-all-that-i-am-ft-sara-z[/soundcloud]
La+ch- Hi-Life
We've been lapping up everything that's come from this enigmatic artist so far and the latest, Hi-Life is another perfect injection of sensual electro-RnB. The voice is in full falsetto mood for this one taking the chorus straight to the clouds. Meanwhile the dim, minimal synths that run below the song give it this hollow yet warm feeling. These are the kinds of songs that you're meant to sweat to while you're proving to your friends that you can hit dem notes. And for the record we can hit these notes.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/la-ch/hi-life[/soundcloud]
Sportsman- Begin Again
It may feel a little like Taylor Swift has been pushed down our throats recently, but she's probably the biggest pop star in the world right now so we'll give her, her moment while RiRi contemplates whether she's going to hurry the hell up and release that album. With so much Swizzle Dizzle around, it's nice to hear a completely different approach to it. Swedish artist, Sportsman has teamed up with producer HNNY for a down-trodden, mournful take on Begin Again. With the sheen taken off, the song actually becomes quite a heart-hitter, sounding emotionally dense. HNNY will be in the country this month, FYI, for OutsideIn. Not sure how this will go down on the DF.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/sportsman1980/begin-again[/soundcloud]
Liv- Special
One of my favourite records is Corinne Bailey Rae's The Sea because it has this ability to be so subtle yet also have so much feeling allowing it to creep up on you unsuspecting. Special by new London songstress Liv has that same kind of allure to it. On the surface it could be mistaken for lounge music because it's so understated, but listen a little closer and there is this delectable, smokey voice running alongside smoking guitar plucks and altogether warm instrumentation. It's sexy, slinky and sung with total confidence.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/liv-songs/special[/soundcloud]
Iggy Azalea- Beg For It (Feat. MØ)
Is it just us or does this sound suspiciously like Fancy? Whatever IDGAF because Scandinavian badass MØ is on the track and she sounds like a total badass. Azalea's raps are in the pocket but MØ steals the show because she so effortlessly adopts this sassy personality and delivers a ripper of a chorus commanding, "imma make you beg for it". If this gets her to the top of huge charts, justice will be restored in the world.
Les Sins- Talk About
This dance floor banger aesthetic is really working for Toro Y Moi right now. He's dropped three songs from the forthcoming album, Michael, which each of them giving something a little different. This one has a woozy synth-line which runs below a commanding, When A Fire Starts To Bun-esque vocal sample. We immediately want to start thrusting out arms back and forth, bobbing that head and picking our feet up from the ground.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/company-record-label/les-sins-talk-about[/soundcloud]
Sweater Beats- Cloud City
This Brooklyn-producer is supporting Chance The Rapper on tour and while they don't really share the same sound there is no doubt this it good. Good in like a 9/10 kind of way. The other thing we think is good is that it sounds like Australia (you know, Flume and the like). Lil' Island done good.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/sweaters/cloud-city-1[/soundcloud]
