We have some real contradictions in the world of rock and pop music this week. For one thing, two of the best new singles are from artists who could be charitably described as “rock adjacent." But even amongst the rockers, there's a degree of off-kilter experimentation that results in some pretty amazing new music.
I’m not dwelling on those more adjacent acts, but suffice it to say that if you miss ‘80s-style house, when Chicago finally opened its door to hip-hop, Jorja Smith’s new single “Dancing” may be what you have been yearning for.
And if you ever thought Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires” should name-drop country heartbreak classics in a bigger anthemic package, do check out Dan + Shay’s latest single “The Old Guys.”
The best rock singles out this week
As for the rockers themselves, there are at least six new singles debuting that are worth a listen. See if they scratch that itch.
“Say Yes” by Weezer
Did you ever think Rivers Cuomo would become venerable? I suppose he was always an old soul in a young body. With The Gold Album, Weezer hits the 20-disc mark. Three singles preceded the release, but now we have the entire album, including track number 1, “Say Yes.”
It starts off in standard sentimental fashion with Cuomo whining about how much he does not fit in. But the song quickly leaves the whining behind and cranks up both pace and volume. Now a veteran of all those awkward parties, Cuomo is no longer interested in illusion and pretense. We may still be losers, but we deserve to rock and have fun.
“Seethe” by Chelsea Wolfe
Chelsea Wolfe has ping-ponged between folk and punk and electric and acoustic and now, on her eighth album Dark, she has arrived at a very confident amalgamation of those multiple impulses.
“Seethe” could have come from St. Vincent’s 2024 masterpiece All Born Screaming and I can’t think of much higher praise.
“Marianne” by Fontaines DC
If Wolfe is exploring varied impulses in her latest release, Fontaines is smashing two genres right into each other. “Marianne” is the first single released from the upcoming album Dopamine Chamber, due out in October.
Their last album, Romance, kicked off a wider style, and it looks like Dopamine Chamber intends to follow in its path. A quirky '90s indie melody floats atop the most industrial music the lads from Dublin have ever produced. Based on my personal experience, this does not work for the first seven seconds. After that, it’s way cool.
“Eye for an Eye” by James Ivy
On his newest single, Ivy mashes up his sleepy, syrupy vocals with an insistent beat that shouldn’t work. But it does. I will not yet make any claims for his sophomore album, The Seams, as a whole. I think it may take me a while to warm up to some of the other tracks. Ivy may just be that kind of artist.
But “Eye for an Eye,” kind of like that Fontaines track, only takes a couple of seconds to work its way under your skin.
“Dystopian Cemetery” by Slothrush
If you are a fan of the Boston duo (and occasional trio, depending on who is playing drums), this will be a bit of a departure. Are you seeing a pattern here? Rock bands stretching their wings and creatively clashing styles together.
The earlier releases from Slothrush's upcoming album – “Ring the Bell,” “Twisted Paradise” – rocked hard. Even the poppier-sounding “00101001” builds into something of a rager.
On “Dystopian Cemetery,” we have a different band. For one thing, it is a piano ballad. A down-tempo piano ballad. I know I have heard keyboards on earlier Slothrush songs, but this is just an old-school piano.
Against a lovely melody, you get Leah Wellbaum’s off-center vocals going on about poison lakes, rotten gardens, and sick puppetry … all leading to the title of the song. Again, I’m not sure how or why, but this – which will serve as the album closer – works beautifully.
“Main Street U.S.A.” by Grace Potter
On the other hand, I know exactly why the lead track from Grace Potter’s new album works. It is downright killer roots rock, built on a squelchy guitar, solid 4-by-4 rhythm, and Potter’s tough vocals. She even knows how to use a backing chorus and weird little Eastern touches to add flavor.
This is my favorite song of the week. Then again, I played Gretchen Wilson’s Here For the Party nonstop for about two weeks back in 2004, so maybe I should give that qualifier. If you miss early Gretchen Wilson, grab Potter’s new album, Trespasser. “Main Street U.S.A.” is merely a Michelin star appetizer for an entire kick-ass album.
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