What are the big songs out this week? Well, Morgan Wallen has a typically poppy tortured love tune. KATSEYE has a less annoyingly infectious follow-up to “Pinky Up” with a nice shuffle beat. Charli XCX dropped her new album and the new single is just fine.
Then there is a Strokes tune – a song that sounds so much like “Viva La Vida” that it has me scanning photos to see if there’s any chance Julian Casablancas and Chris Martin are in fact they same person. (Near as I can tell, they are not.)
So those are some of the big new songs out this week, along with selections from Shaboozey, Victoria Monet, and Shania Twain. They are all decent entries and fans of those artists will not be disappointed. But what are the really great songs out this week? I am so glad you asked.
Five singles to get you through another week
“Good For Me” by The Paradox
Paradox’s second EP, Proceed With Caution, is out on October 2, but they teased it with their second single “Good For Me.” This should put to rest any lingering questions about whether a band made up of black musicians from the south can play perfect pop punk music. The have previously collaborated with Travis Barker. Now they are establishing themselves as the most logical successors to the Blink legacy.
“Sweet Sad Sugar” by Mayday Parade
We’ll knock out the two pop punks cuts right away. Mayday Parade’s first full album since 2021 – Sugar – dropped this week, and “Sweet Sad Sugar” serves up what they do best. It is emo but never whiny. Big drums – big guitars – bright melodies, despite the introspective lyrics. The oxymoronic Oreo Cookie of a title tells you all you need to know. Mayday can pull you in multiple directions, all under the gauze of a bright pop tune.
“Chemical Light” by Josie Edwards
Josie Edwards is just one of a seemingly endless parade of singer-songwriters who journeyed from all over the country to study at the acclaimed Belmont University in Nashville. But she is one of the rare few who has been able to turn out music that walks the balance beam of totally personal and unique songs which are nonetheless capable of broad pop appeal.
Her latest piano ballad starts languidly, but builds an unrelenting momentum to almost anthemic proportions. Her new EP, Greetings From Bleak Street, may sound like a chore, but it is a delight.
“R.I.P.” by Brother’s Osborne
They are back, and music fans will be rejoicing. One of the best new country duos to appear in the last decade has been through well-publicized personal battles over the past few years and now seem as strong as they ever were. “R.I.P.” has the funky attitude that they blend effortlessly with down and dirty country rock. The new single is being touted as a taste of things to come. If so, we’re all the better for it.
“Kick in the Shins” by Radio Free Alice
They may be from Melbourne (Australia, that is – not Florida) but Radio Free Alice has an awful lot of Bob Mould in them. If you were a fan of bands like Husker Du or the more mature Replacements, check this band out immediately. “Kick in the Shins,” their newest stand-alone single, is a fine place to start. It returns to the raw energy of their first EP, while maintaining the more sophisticated lyrical approach they explored over the next few releases. The end result may be their best single yet.
Add us as a preferred source on Google