We must have accrued some good karma over the weekend, because the music gods have rewarded us handsomely this Monday, with new songs from both Fiona Apple’s and Patti Smith’s new albums. The title track of Smith’s Banga, out tomorrow, is strident and philosophical and distorted, beginning with a bit of a Velvet Underground vibe before building to a slightly disorienting, psych-punk chorus. Named for and inspired by a dog in Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, “Banga” premieres at Rolling Stone, where Smith tells an interviewer, “This dog, to me, is the epitome of love and loyalty, from the simple act of waiting with his master, for centuries.”
Meanwhile, Apple finds some unconscious synergy with Sunday’s True Blood premiere, releasing a track called “Werewolf.” This ballad finds her comparing an ex-lover to the titular monster and then allowing, “But I admit that I provided a full moon.” It’s a mature song, to be sure, with Apple repeatedly responding to her own anger with the realization that she’s partly to blame for the disastrous relationship. Listen to both tracks after the jump.
Patti Smith — “Banga”
Fiona Apple — “Werewolf”