Jamila Woods – “ZORA” (Singles Going Steady)
A nod to the fiercely independent Zora Neale Hurston, Jamila Woods' "Zora" revels in defying "molds" and occupying a lane of your own.
Singles Going Steady
The Dream Syndicate – “Black Light” (Singles Going Steady)
The Dream Syndicate lures us in with that twangy guitar and mischievous keyboard line, but the purposefully off-tempo vocals on "Black Light" derail the dream.
GAIKA – “Seven Churches For St Jude” (Singles Going Steady)
GAIKA's "Seven Churches For St Jude" is rich and layered, with an Eastern-sounding vocal riff serving as the song's musical centerpiece and lots of synths and programming swirling around everything.
Vampire Weekend – “Harmony Hall” (Singles Going Steady)
"Harmony Hall" is about as likable as Vampire Weekend has ever been, from the super-clean ascending guitar lick right on through the piano breakdown that could only have been more baroque if it had been played on a harpsichord.
Rhye – “Count to Five” (Singles Going Steady)
Soft R&B grooves sneak up on you with subtlety on Rhye's "Count to Five", a low-key jam that isn't too summery but still offers some hope for the end of winter.
Tom Misch – “Water Baby (feat. Loyle Carner)” (Singles Going Steady)
With the help of Loyle Carner's laid-back rapping and some well-placed horns and handclaps, Tom Misch brings us the chill-out track we need to make it through the end of winter.
Palm – “Dog Milk” (Singles Going Steady)
Here we are, in 2018, and we finally have a band that sounds like the lo-fi budget version of looping math-rockers Battles.
A Place to Bury Strangers – “Never Coming Back” (Singles Going Steady)
A Place to Bury Strangers buzzes and growls through "Never Coming Back" with no regard for noise ordinances, and it is, as is so often the case, a love-it-or-hate-it kind of situation.
Django Django – “Surface to Air” (feat. Self Esteem) (Singles Going Steady)
Newcomers to Self Esteem will find a singer who can command in front of the camera as well as in the studio.
Gaz Coombes – “Deep Pockets” (Singles Going Steady)
Gaz Coombes understands that being connected sometimes just means being in the same place and the same time.
The Damned – “Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow” (Singles Going Steady)
"Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow" ends up as much a powerful expression of present dystopian fears as it is a kicking throwback to '80s goth rock.
Rudimental Reminds There Is Sunshine in the World Somewhere on “These Days” (Singles Going Steady)
Is Rudimental's "These Days" the next great summer jam or is it just treacly sentimentality? Our writers debate...