New Music Friday: 12/5/25

(Thanks as always to the indispensable Pause & Play, whose weekly new release roundup partly powers these posts.)

"Death Wish," Baby Nova
I don't know if it's technically true that every generation gets the Stevie Nicks it deserves, but if such a thing could be possible, then I think Baby Nova belongs on the list of contenders — partly because of the gauzy, slightly smoky sound that suffuses this track, and partly because Baby Nova straight up invokes a witch's name toward the end of the track, after offering up the litany of reasons her ex is a fuckface and why he'll live to regret pissing her off. The more I listen to this one, the more I like it.

"Heaven Has No Wings," Dove Ellis
Dove Ellis' new Blizzard LP is on the list of records I need to spend some time with over the next week, and it's all because of "Heaven Has No Wings." A driving piano sets the tone before Ellis' somewhat Buckleyesque voice kicks in, adding a pleasantly delirious edge to the proceedings that's felt all the more keenly when the song pulls back in the chorus, creating a tension that resolves around the two-minute mark. Put more simply, this is Irish folk-rock with a little dollop of savory northern soul to add some unexpected (but utterly welcome) flavor.

"The Treadmill," Sam Fender
If you listen to "The Treadmill" and you hear My First Springsteen by Mattel™, then I don't really have a comeback for that; there's certainly nothing new about what he's doing here, and there's no way he isn't aware of the influences that are handily audible in his work. What I don't hear, however, is any self-consciousness — in the battle between pastiche and pure expression, I'd argue the latter handily wins this round. And anyway, can we ever really have too many fist-pumping, sax-assisted rock 'n' roll anthems?

"Why," Blxst
Offering a scornful shake of the head to the old canard that says domestic bliss makes for dull music, Blxst's latest single rides a Natalie Cole sample to the altar and beyond. This is the type of smooth, warm, R&B I don't hear often enough anymore — not a melismatic ballad, and not truly uptempo, but just a simple (yet damn catchy) celebration of lasting love.

"Above the Neck," Sofia Isella
There's no shortage of songs that blast gross dudes for objectifying women — which is, of course, totally fair — but Sofia Isella ups the game with "Above the Neck," a sort of slam poetry reading that also slams musically. Her focus here is specifically on the long-running prevalence of the "barely legal" trope; as she puts it, "Men are titillated by that delicate line / Between sex song and nursery rhyme." And it isn't just porn, necessarily; sex is used to sell everything, and its effectiveness means that she only needs to make feints at sexuality to get people to listen. A fascinating, ferociously intelligent track.

"Baby Blue," the Brook & the Bluff
Based on "Baby Blue," the Brook & the Bluff were listening to a lot of CSN records while working on their upcoming Werewolf LP. It's a sound that suits them; their sound has always embraced harmony, but I don't think I've ever heard them do anything quite as Laurel Canyon-y as "Baby Blue." (The 20-year-old, who's been a huge B&B fan for years, would probably dispute this, but I said what I said.)

"Idea No. 5," Braxton Cook
Braxton Cook's new Not Everyone Can Go LP is also on my list of records to check out posthaste, and it's all due to "Idea No. 5," whose shrugged-off title belies the worlds of tuneful warmth that reside within. Not even 35, Cook has already toured with multiple jazz greats; one listen to this song is all it'll take to understand why. If the rest of his stuff balances melody and exploration this effortlessly, I'm officially a new fan.

"Gold Tooth," Lettuce
I'd be halfway inclined to include a track from the new Lettuce record for no other reason than the fact that it's titled Cook, which is the level of dad-joke cleverness that makes my heart sing. Much as I love this type of 'tude-fueled instrumental funk, I have to admit it's tough to do it consistently interestingly enough to sustain momentum for an entire LP; everyone who does stuff like this stands in the tall shadow of the Meters, and I don't know if anyone has ever really escaped it. That being said, "Gold Tooth" manages to pull it off for at least a few minutes, and that's worth celebrating.

"Souls," Tom Smith
It's hard enough to stand out in the ever-more-crowded musical marketplace even if you have a solidly searchable name. Let's pour one out, then, for poor Tom Smith; although he's reasonably well-known as the frontman for the Editors, it's still got to be a big pain in the ass to make a solid go of it as a solo artist with such an anonymous-sounding moniker. On one hand, that's a pity; on the other, "Tom Smith" is genuinely fitting for a sweetly unassuming track that just kind of does what it does without asking for extra attention. It does what it does really well, too — if you're at all susceptible to the charms of gentle singer-songwriter balladry, I think you'll hear a lot to like here. Based on this track, Smith seems to understand what similar-sounding acts like the Fray sort of don't, which is that you don't have to aim for the rafters in order to hit home.

"How to Make It in America," No Jersey
In the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that No Jersey's lineup includes Friend of Jefitoblog Dylan Roth, who is an immensely entertaining writer in addition to being a talented purveyor of power pop punk. The band's new album, MONDO COOL!, is out now, and it contains more than a few songs that crackle with the same biting, socially aware wit that you'll hear in "How to Make It in America." The record's also got a tackle box worth of hooks — all the better for the group to sink 'em in and drag you back to their lair.