Song Recommendations: 4/2/26
Some of the best singles I've heard lately
"The Unknown," Poppy Ackroyd
This one hits like a blend of "Tubular Bells" and the Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius," which is to say it's urgent and propulsive in a way that manages to uplift while putting the listener slightly ill at ease. If that sounds like an odd endorsement to make, well, it feels like an odd one to give; nevertheless, this is another darkly alluring cut from the London-based composer, with a vibe befitting its open-ended title.
"Runnin'," alewives
Some strong mournful Midwest country rock vibes here — a little Honeydogs, a little Jayhawks, a little Bash & Pop. You get the idea. The vocals are strong but not too strong, the harmonies are high, and the pedal steel sounds like a cold beer in the glow of late afternoon sunlight through a barroom window. Ramshackle grace abounds. (No YouTube embed because they posted the song as a goddamn short)
"Bones," Status/Non-Status
Kind of a funny title for a song that feels like a big ol' warm blanket, but whatever; that won't stop you from swaying along with the comforting refrain, which reminds us over and over again that we're not alone. The descending keyboard melody that runs through the song has a lullaby quality that smartly supports the vibe, and adds a bright tonic that offsets the fuzzy vocals. Lots of people should hear this; I think most of them would probably really like it.
"Nothing Can Stop Me," SLD
If I told you this was a cover of a lost Badfinger song secretly written by Paul McCartney, you might believe me. I'm not sure it's possible to come up with a more descriptive or complimentary blurb for this track, so I'll stop there.
"Star," Iceage
There's something about this band's whole deal that makes me feel like they'd probably be pretty insufferable to hang out with, but "Star" has an early '90s "modern rock" vibe that I appreciate, and "You've got me dying like a star" is a clever, evocative lyric. If you remember the days when bands had to scrounge up for years in order to afford enough two-inch tape and studio time to cut a few demos, I suspect this song may hit you in the right spot.
"The Fix," Baby J
"The Fix" puts a sort of lilting R&B bounce on the basic outline of the melody to Lorde's "Royals," which is probably not going to entice you to listen to this track, but it ought to, because it's more fun than I've made it sound. While I don't mind "Royals," I don't feel any particular urge to ever hear it again; "The Fix," on the other hand, has been on repeat here for the last 20 minutes.
"I Can Take the Sun Out of the Sky," Brigitte Calls Me Baby
In general, I find that I'm not quite as enthusiastic about Brigitte Calls Me Baby's stuff as a lot of other people I know. While I'm certainly susceptible to the '80sriffic flavor of the wares this band peddles, for whatever reason, most of the tracks I've heard have left me lukewarm. "I Can Take the Sun Out of the Sky" — from their new Irreversible album — is a happy exception.
"Blue Morpho," Ed O'Brien
It looks like we won't be getting any new music out of Radiohead anytime soon — or ever — but in the meantime, guitarist Ed O'Brien is keeping busy with music that should keep Radiohead fans (sort of) happy. "Blue Morpho" is music for some sort of film O'Brien's premiering, but you (obviously) don't need to know much about that project to appreciate this song's lush, orchestral, nearly wordless beauty. A track worth getting lost in.
"Running to Pain," Kelsey Lu
"Running to Pain" beckons you into a world where Kelsey Lu's voice stretches out to the horizon and towers into the sky, surrounding every vista with multi-tracked vocals buttressed with icy-hot synths. You'll want to stay awhile. I haven't heard much of her stuff, but now I want to hear more.
"Just as Long as I Have You," The Junior League
We close out with a chimey, jangly track from a group whose lead singer has a vocal tone that the 18-year-old describes as "Kozelekian," a term I find quite useful as a signpost while rushing to point out that "Just as Long as I Have You" has quite a bit more pep in its step than anything I've ever heard from Red House Painters or Sun Kil Moon. Still, there's a certain denim-seated weariness to this song that proves the kid's point. Light a cigarette, put this on, and stare into the middle distance for a spell.
Prefer your song recommendations in handy playlist form? No problem! Here you go.