An abridged version of our best new songs this week, because the world is a cold, harsh place wherein there is no love and no God. But never fear, because the incendiary new track from Lauryn Hill is worth the price of admission on its own, and there’s also new stuff from Dean Wareham and Juana Molina, Widowspeak getting all Lynchian, and a Swearin’ song that channels all the good bits of ’90s alt-rock. And as ever, streaming all this action will cost you precisely nothing, so click through and have a listen. Happy Friday.
Lauryn Hill — “Consumerism”
Holy shit. Welcome back, Lauryn Hill. This avalanche of words coincides with her release from jail, and by the sounds of it, she’s not happy at all. The collection of “isms” is so overwhelming that it’s gonna demand repeat listens to unpick, but one thing’s for sure: it’s good to have her back.
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Dean Wareham — “Emancipated Hearts”
This is the second track to be released from the EP of the same name, which is, believe it or not, Wareham’s debut solo EP. The track premiered today via EW, curiously, and it’s characterized by the sort of gently melancholy sound that Wareham has made his own over the years. We can’t embed it, but you can hear it here.
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Juana Molina — “Sin Guia No”
A couple of weeks back your correspondent uttered a resounding “YAY” for the return of Juana Molina, and now she’s spoiling us. This track is a lot less oblique than her previous experimental, loop-based work, and if it’s a harbinger of a newish direction for her new album, then I approve entirely.
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Swearin’ — “Dust in the Gold Sack”
The less melancholy Crutchfield sister returns with a bracing Breeders-esque jam. It’s like the best bits of the ’90s are coming back as well as the shit bits! Woohoo!
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Widowspeak — “Calico”
This comes from an EP called The Swamps, and it certainly sounds suitably atmospheric. It also sounds like something straight off a David Lynch soundtrack — which, yes, is a compliment.
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Bonus link because c’mon, the world isn’t that bad after all:
Liars — “Mr Your On Fire Mr” (Saint Laurent Paris Fashion Week SS14 remix)
Nearly 20 minutes of the same Liars song? Sure, why not?