Tunes, tunes, tunes.
Hello and welcome to JOE’s Songs of the Week.
It’s pretty simple – we select five songs that have appeared in the wild over the past week or so that we think are worth your attention.
It’s a mix of homegrown and international this week, with a particularly American troubadour kicking us off…
#1. Father John Misty – ‘The Next 20th Century’
Clip via Father John Misty
Joshua Tillman aka Father John Misty has just released fifth album Chloë and the Next 20th Century.
Fittingly, the final single trailering said album is entitled ‘The Next 20th Century’.
Unfamiliar with Mr Misty?
The Maryland singer-songwriter has been blazing a quite sardonic trail since 2012, combining so-cynical-it-hurts lyrics with pretty damn effective wounded indie-folk.
The good Father isn’t for everyone, but when he hits, it’s a kind of magic.
#2. SOAK – ‘Purgatory’
Clip via soaksoaksoak
We’re big fans of Bridie Monds-Watson here at JOE.
An always-arresting presence under the guise of SOAK, their music has always had a mesmerising quality about it.
‘Purgatory’, taken from upcoming new album If I Never Know You Like This Again – out 20 May – offers another example of SOAK’s ability to transport the listener to a new world.
And there’s a bit of ’90s Sheryl Crow’ vibe, which is always welcome.
#3. ROE – ‘I Dare You’
Clip via ROE
And I dare YOU to not be won over by Derry native ROE‘s driving, summer-invoking stomp.
#4. Pusha T, JAY-Z and Pharrell Williams – ‘Neck & Wrist’
Clip via Pusha T
Whether absolutely destroying Drake with one of the most brutal diss tracks of all time or just generally being a uniquely visceral voice in the world of hip-hop, we have a rule when it comes to Pusha T.
If he releases music, we listen to it.
It just works, as does his team-up with JAY-Z (doing his usual not-that-great-is-it? guest verse) and Pharrell Williams (who is nicely subdued here for the most part).
Push has announced the title of his first new album since 2018’s superb Daytona – it’s called It’s Almost Dry and there’s no release date just yet, but ‘Neck & Wrist’ and its amusingly outdated Game of Thrones reference will do for now.
#5. Oliver Sim – ‘Fruit’
Clip via Oliver Sim
The final member of low-fi heroes The xx to go solo, Oliver Sim has served up a delicious follow-up to debut single ‘Romance With a Memory’, which arrived in early March.
Sophomore effort ‘Fruit’ is just beautiful, striding confidently between the signature hypnotic electronica we’ve come to know and love from The xx while catapulting Sim towards more technicolour new wave territory.
All in all, a quite glorious ear worm.
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