This week certainly has come with its handful of ups and downs. And, unfortunately, the latter of both tend to overweigh the good and send us into states of anger, confusion and sadness. However, there is a cure for all of these things: music!
Some of our favorite artists have gifted us with brand new material. A gift we greatly appreciate in times where so little can mean so much. So, without fruther ado, listen to our top picks of this week’s best new music releases, featuring New Zealand’s indie-pop prodigy Lorde, Thom Yorke fronted Radiohead, and a surprising collaboration by two of the industry’s biggest names. Put on your headphones, lay back, and enjoy!
LORDE
In case you missed it (which we certainly hope you didn’t) Lorde, 20-year old music-sensation from Down Under, is reclaiming her throne as pop’s youngest, biggest and brightest stars. After taking what seems like a decade long break following her debut album’s tremendous success, she reports back with the release of her sophomore record, Melodrama, June 16th. She’s been teasing us with bits and pieces of her new sound, with tracks such as “Green Light” and “Liability”. And now, with only days left for the album to finally hit shelves, Lorde debuts another single from Melodrama, titled “Perfect Places”. It’ll be the final song on the new album and sees Lorde returning back to her stylistic roots: minimalist production, teen contemplation, and a killer hook. Listen for yourself, below.
RADIOHEAD
Event though this technically does not count as new music, we were so excited about this, we couldn’t help but add it to our list. The British band is about to reissue their cult album OK Computer (OKNOTOK). In celebration of this, they decided to finally make a previously unreleased ballad available. “I Promise” hit stores and streaming services last night. And, what can we say… Nothing makes us happier than a sad Thom Yorke.
PHOENIX
French synth-pop band Phoenix have resurfaced after four relatively silent years. The four-piece group will be releasing their sixth studio album on June 9th. To give us a glimpse of what they’ve come up with for Ti Amo, they have consistently been releasing new music since late April, with their newest offering being “Goodbye Soleil”, a very Phoenix-esque summer-feel-good track.
LIAM GALLAGHER
Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has finally returned to music with his first, very own material. Unlike his brother Noel, who has been busy as a solo artist for quite some time now, Liam has only made music in bands. It is only now that the Manchester native decided to hit the stages by himself. Unsurprisingly, Gallagher’s first solo track doesn’t fall short of expectations. “Wall of Glass” will appear on the upcoming album, As You Were, which is scheduled for an October-release.
ARCADE FIRE
Canadian artrock-ensemble Arcade Fire have had quite some fun playing mindgames with us by constantly posting subtle hints, clues and cryptic messages in regards to their upcoming fifth studio album. Finally, though, the band has taken on more traditional measures to promote Reflektor‘s follow-up. While the new, 70s-inspired single reminds us more of ABBA than it does of Arcade Fire’s previous, more experimental sound, we are definitely intrigued and looking forward to more. Watch “Everything Now”‘s accompanying music video, below.
JACK WHITE & ELTON JOHN
In case you were wondering, no worries. You did, in fact, read the headline correctly. If it makes you feel any better, we were just as surprised as you probably were when finding out about this rather unlikely pairing. Even more surprising than the collab itself, is how well these two sound together. Then again, both of them are icons of their respective generations and genres, so, the fact this combo makes for some seriously great sounding music isn’t even that mind-boggling.
Watch Jack White and Elton John perform “Two Fingers of Whiskey” right here:
