Veruca Salt, circa 2014. (photo by Piper Ferguson)
Slide these new jams into your Memorial Day playlist — especially Jamie xx’s good-timing new collaboration and an emo-revival highlight from O-FACE’s “740 Turbo.”
Hudson Mohawke — “Indian Steps” feat. Antony Hegarty
BBC Radio 1 DJ Benji B recently dedicated an entire show to exciting UK producer Hudson Mohawke and his Lantern, premiering various tracks from the forthcoming album. One of those was “Indian Steps,” a woozy and romantic electronic track led by subdued vocals from Antony and the Johnsons leader Antony Hegarty, who serves up Lloyd Dobler realness. Lantern is out June 16.
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Veruca Salt — “The Gospel According to Saint Me”
The original lineup of ’90s rockers Veruca Salt reunited last year and will release a new album, Ghost Notes, on July 10. Two songs from the record were released this week, and we must recommend “The Gospel According to Saint Me,” which feels more like a triumphant victory strut than a comeback with something to prove.
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Jamie xx — “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” feat. Young Thug & Popcaan
If there’s a shot at Jamie xx sliding into the Song of the Summer conversation with one track off his forthcoming LP In Colour, it’s “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times).” Dancehall favorite Popcaan helps Jamie ease into a relaxed-fit banger, while Young Thug — god bless him — drops some usual crazy lyricism (choice cut: “I’m gonna ride in that pussy like a stroller”). In Colour is out June 2.
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Destroyer — “Dream Lover”
The new Destroyer: joyful sax for sad sacks. Dan Bejar is just happy to see the sun, and he wants you to dare to share his lack of cynicism. Destroyer’s new double album, Poison Season, is out August 28.
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“Diggin’ Up the Heart” — Brandon Flowers
When it comes to stylized cheesiness, it doesn’t get much better than ’80s pop-rock. Killers leader Brandon Flowers understands well, particularly on his second solo album, The Desired Effect, out this week. The album’s most over-the-top homage, “Diggin’ Up the Heart,” recalls a few of the genre’s greats: lots of Cars, a little Costello, and a dash of Springsteen specificity in this small-town tale.
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O-FACE — “740 Turbo”
When O-FACE’s Seth Sobottka sings the line, “Baby, you can drive my car,” it means something very different than when Paul McCartney sings it. For one, Sobottka’s ride was a Volvo Turbo 740, not an Aston Martin or whatever Macca was driving in ’65. But Sobottka’s declaration captures something that The Beatles didn’t when they sang the same exact words: the nervous energy of being young and kinda punk and wanting to just flee. This manifests through start-stop bursts of pummeling riffs and snares, rough-edged first-gen emo vocals, and an R.E.M.-esque spoken-word interlude. A solid offering from the Hudson Valley rockers’ forthcoming EP, Mint, out June 2.