New Music Friday: 8/8/25

Here are the rules: I listen to all 100 tracks of Spotify's New Music Friday playlist, except for anything that rhymes the n-word with itself more than three times, any screamo or screamo-adjacent stuff, any CCM that reveals its true intentions in time for me to hit the skip button, and any egregiously corny modern country music, typically performed by a dude with two first names. Having sifted through this week's playlist, here's what I actively enjoyed...

"WANTCHU," keshi
I'm never mad when NMF decides to give me an '80s/'90s R&B throwback, and keshi's "WANTCHU" is better than most; it comes by its Drakkar Noir vibes honestly, without pushing the nostalgia buttons too aggressively or self-consciously. And dig that guitar solo!

"Los Angeles," Big Thief
Prior to investigating this track, I didn't know 4AD was still a thing, or that they were releasing stuff that doesn't sound like it belongs on the overnight air log of a microsignal college radio station. For a second, I thought I might have been listening to Patty Griffin (who, incidentally, has a great new record out).

"The Bomb," Lydia Night
Ms. Night arrives highly recommended by Pain-Inflicting Friend of Jefitoblog Jeffrey Thames, who has revealed hidden depths to his character by admitting enthusiasm for a song and/or artist whose work isn't expressly designed to make the listener wish they were never born. Let's not get too excited, though; today he's evangelizing for a cheerfully snotty pop banger, but tomorrow he'll go right back to sending me ALF memes and depressing tour announcements for artists you thought were dead.

"Days Like This," Larry June featuring 2 Chainz and the Alchemist
Speaking of throwbacks, "Days Like This" sounds like it could have been recorded by "The Light"-era Common — you've got your laid-back flow, your vintage soul sample, and production that ties it all together by keeping things sonically interesting from moment to moment while the lyrics tell their story. Hypnotically listenable.

"White Horses," Wolf Alice
I spent much of the '90s desperately trying to avoid listening to the Cranberries, so I was equally surprised and chagrined to find myself responding to the quite Dolores O'Riordan-esque wailing that breaks out during this song's chorus. More than a nostalgic callback, it's an effective (and somewhat haunting) way of opening things up after the hushed, claustrophobic verses. Time really does heal all wounds, I guess.

"SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME," Isaia Huron featuring Kehlani
This one isn't quite as retro as "WANTCHU," but Isaia Huron definitely has a heavy classic soul crooner vibe here, and the Kehlani cameo is a lovely touch. Ronald Isley would surely approve.

"But, I loved," highasakite
Never heard (or heard of) highasakite before, which makes this song's gauzy, soft-focus melodrama that much more of a lovely surprise. Sounds a little like Kate Bush's slightly more middle-of-the-road cousin singing her heart out from the bottom of an elevator shaft, which rules a lot more than you might think.

"Hell at Night," BigXthaPlug featuring Ella Langley
More than 30 years ago, I read a press release that said something about how, when you venture to mix two seemingly disparate genres, what you usually end up doing is diluting both of them until neither one's worth a damn. For some reason, I think about that every single time I hear a genre mashup that really works, which is why I'm bringing it up now: Ella Langley's down-home singing and some country instrumentation on the verses yields to BigXthaPlug rapping on the chorus, which flips the usual verse/feature dynamic neatly on its head in sonically compelling fashion. Also, some of those lyrics are laugh-out-loud funny.

"Ego," Romy Mars
If you have "Ego" playing in the background, it works as nothing more than a purely pleasant pop song topped off by some honey-sweet vocals. Listen closely, though, and it's a really clever kiss-off to a jackass romantic partner:

Could you close your eyes and pretend my body's your ego?
We could go all night long as it's not about me though
If you wanna see how thin on ice you are, feel my waist
Wanna know how pretty life was without you, look at my face
Pretend my body's your mood
You'll see when I'm on top, I go up and down like you
If you wanna know how hard it is to listen to you talk
Just look down at yourself when I take my clothes off

"Spring Cleaning," NERIAH
From one kiss-off song to another. Admittedly, "Spring Cleaning" uses a fairly overdone series of metaphors to drive home the point that NERIAH is good and sick of this other person's bullshit; on the other hand, the whole thing is catchy and solidly assembled enough to slap on a playlist. Sounds like driving with the top down.

"Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night," Avery Cochrane
I can't tell if Avery Cochrane is talking about herself in this song, but that minor lack of clarity aside, "Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night" does a fine job of conveying the continual chaos we all seem to thrive on in our 20s, all while holding down the melodic fort with a series of instantly hummable hooks. I don't know how far Cochrane can go with this sort of thing, but like a lot of the dumb shit we do in our 20s, it's at least fun for a little while.

"You'd Kill Me If You Could," Susannah Joffe featuring Esha Tewari
Do you miss Mazzy Star? I guess I must, because I can't find a single reason to complain about this quietly haunting number about a deeeeeeeeeply toxic relationship. Dark as hell, but in a way that makes the darkness feel good.

"Hvn High," Jenevieve
Here's another R&B throwback jam — one that sounds almost like it could have been in heavy rotation at your local roller-skating rink back in the day. Nothing fancy, just a lockstep groove bumping along under some retro production touches and Jenevieve's sugary vocals. What else do you need, really?

"456 semm," Mick Jenkins featuring Smino
Mick Jenkins is well known for his socially conscious lyrics, but on "456 semm," that perspective takes a back seat to some plain old piss and vinegar: This cut is a hard-hitting statement of purpose that's elevated by the way Smino's verses threaten to send the whole thing spinning off its baleful axis. It probably shouldn't work as well as it does, which is just another part of the fun.

"Glory Hole," DJ Premier featuring Roc Marciano
I suspect true hip-hop heads might be a little let down by this collaboration, simply because of the weight of expectations that always comes along with industry titans joining forces. For someone going in relatively cold, however, "Glory Hole" leaves little to complain about; Premier's reliably intelligent production proves a steady foil for Marciano's verses from start to finish. Admittedly, "start to finish" is barely over two and a half minutes, but there's something to be said for not overstaying one's welcome.

"enjoy the ride," almost monday
This track continues the '90s throwback vibes, albeit not in a way that makes you remember Hype Williams videos. Instead, "enjoy the ride" sounds like something that might have scaled the pop Top 40 around the time Len was drilling into people's brains with "Steal My Sunshine," complete with a beat that strongly suggests the band's been listening to Jurassic 5's "What's Golden" on repeat.

"Ordinary Creature," Of Monsters and Men
I hadn't thought about these guys in years. Turns out they're still around, and still making music that's just as gently ingratiating as I (barely) remembered. A pleasant Icelandic surprise to close things out.