This is, completely unintentionally, the most sensual 10 songs we’ve ever put together. There are plenty of bedroom jams, RnB stunners and sultry pop songs and we’re not sure whether it’s because that’s all that was released this week or because we’ve been selective because we’re in some sort of smutty mood. Either way, we can’t help but feel now we’ve peaked a week too soon. This would have been perfect for V Day.
Young Fathers- Rain Or Shine
Glasgow group Young Fathers would be feeling pretty happy with themselves right now. And that’s absolutely deserved. They won the Mercury Prize for their excellent record Dead and are now wasting no time in getting on with the next one. It’s a sense of immediacy that The Avalanches, D’Angelo and Guns N’ Roses never quite grasped. Rain Or Shine sounds like a carnival ransacked by a gang. Its perky yet distinctively dark with a carnivale synth slaughtered by a thumping back beat. It’s from the album White Men Are Black Men Too which will come into existence in early April.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/youngfathers/rain-or-shine-2[/soundcloud]
Shy Girls- Arrest (Feat. Tei Shi)
And herein commences the love-making section of 10 songs for this week. You may have heard Portland-based singer Shy Girls lay his voice down on tracks by ODESZA and Cyril Hahn in the past few years, but his solo work is equally impressive. Arrest is taken from a mixtape title 4WZ and it’s an after-dark, sweltering mid-tempo. Mid-tempo duets make my heart skip a beat and when Tei Shi joins on the second verse all self-control is lost. You can download the rest of the mixtape here which I highly recommend you do.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/shygirls/arrest-me-ft-tei-shi-1?in=shygirls/sets/4wz-mixtape[/soundcloud
Unknown Mortal Orchestra- Multi-Love
Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruben Nielson was one unhappy man on his last record II. Despite being lonely, however, the record was delicious melodic and quaint. On the title-track from the forthcoming record, Multi-Love, he sounds considerably happier. And what does happiness sounds like? It sounds like less reverb, stomping pop-inspired percussion and sunshine-induced choruses.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/jagjaguwar/unknown-mortal-orchestra-multi-love[/soundcloud]
Madonna- Iconic (Feat. Mike Tyson and Chance The Rapper)
I never thought I’d be writing about Mike Tyson in the same sentence as a new song but here goes. Madonna has released a new song and it features Mike Tyson alongside Chance The Rapper. The good news is Tyson barely even attempts to rap. The bad news is Madonna does. It’s not as bad as it sounds though. She basically does a lot of rambling about sweat and tears and makes a whole lot of boxing innuendo before she gets on with it and bursts into a massive, trap-inspired chorus. It’s worth sticking around for Chance too if you can make it that far.