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PLAYLIST: The Best Songs From Last Week

Weeks get away from you, as last week did for me. However, if you missed your weekly fix of fresh tunes then you don’t have to worry any more! Below are ten brand new tracks you need in your life right now, full of electronic goodness, some Australiana, psych disco and so much more. Enjoy!

Dro Carey, Grow Lithe

Recently signed to Soothsayer and set to play at this year’s Splendour In The Grass, Dro Carey has arrived in style and is making everybody know it with this lively percussion led new single, Grow Lithe. It’s a jam from start to finish, with footwork beats and intriguing synth lines. Sounding like a jungle rave mixed with a UK underground rave, it’s a frenzied groove with a lot to give. Grow Lithe is one of those songs that you can listen to on repeat for a long, long while because with each listen something new reveals itself- a trick which makes Dro Carey absolutely one to watch!

Foreign/National, Tristesse

I love Foreign/National, and Tristesse is just another example why. What can only be described as psych disco, this sounds like the kind of song you’d maybe hear at a blue light disco – if you were on acid. Like a wonderful, shimmering trip, their nostalgic tendencies are as evident as ever with old school harmonies and indie rock guitar riffs, but it’s their individual element they bring to the fray that makes them as great as they are. Taken from their debut album, I can’t help but get really excited for that when I hear this tune. Melbourne fans can get down to their album launch on April 28th too!

PUMAROSA, Cecile

These guys came on my radar earlier this year with Priestess, and it seems the huge hype that was surrounding them has been confirmed with the release of Cecile. Dramatic, theatrical, thunderous and intricate, Cecile is a thrilling ride. Ebbing and flowing from hectic to calm, then back to hectic again and then finally calm when it finishes, it’s all over the place in the best way possible. Capitalising on what they do well, Pumarosa are sounding really damn good and it will be exciting to see where they go next. We might just need some time to brace ourselves.

Stay At Home Son, Bluffs and Blocks

Stay At Home Son is a wander through the weird and wonderful, slightly off reality of Jesse Martin-Allen. The most recent signing to Gab Strum aka Japanese Wallpaper‘s new label, Neat LawnBluffs and Blocks is disjointed, peculiar and captivating. Full of ambience but also intentionally sluggish vocals, Stay At Home Son slowly adds more and more to his bubbling mix of slacker synth pop until he’s left with a fully fledged song in all its glory. It’s an exciting move not only for Martin-Allen but for Strum too, who is jumping on the boutique label train and arriving in style with this release.

MOSSY, Ginsberg

I OH YOU’s Mossy released another stellar single with Ginsberg. Showcasing off his vocal range, his penchant for big, crashing drums and a flair for the theatrics, Mossy builds on his debut Electric Chair with this slightly mad, spiralling tune that is a little dark and unsettling but reassuring somehow. Taken from his debut EP which will be out next month, we are slowly getting to piece together the puzzle that is the mysterious Mossy, and it’s looking really good. Sydney fans can attend his first ever show to get even more of an idea as to what this guy is all about at the end of May, but with the way he’s going, he won’t be able to keep this all a secret for too long!

Lostkeyz, SLWDWN (Prod. Droptail)

Lostkeyz returns in a blaze of glory with SLWDWN. It’s been a long while since we’ve heard from the young wordsmith, but this track shows it was more than worth the wait and he hasn’t exactly been taking a holiday. Clearly having honed his craft and his sound, he’s jumped on a beat from Droptail to create this self-asserting, confident and reflective track about what he’s done so far- and where he still needs to go. Lostkeyz possesses an almighty flow, and puts out some incredible lyrics, so it’s been an exciting ride to watch him grow and learn. Whilst this song might talk about the need to “slow down,” I get the feeling that Lostkeyz is nearing the end of his slow period, and is ready to get right back into it. That is something we can’t wait for!

LANKS, Golden Age (Wayfarer Remix)

I’ve been secretly obsessed with LANKS’ Golden Age since it came out. There is something about the weird synth sounds and upbeat direction he went in that I just can’t get enough of. However, I must admit I was slightly sceptical to see a remix as I wasn’t sure how it would fare against the original. Well, I am eating my words and Wayfarer does it more than justice. Up and coming in his own right, the fellow Melbournian has turned LANKS’ Golden Age into a brooding and dark number that sneaks up you and takes over completely. It’s huge, and I never thought I would hear LANKS’ voice over a track like this but it works so well I find myself actually hoping for more. Well done Wayfarer, this is a banger in the best sense of the word!

Shining Bird, Helluva Lot

Embracing some Australiana flavour, Shining Bird are back in a big way with their latest single. Considering they describe their own sound as “Eucalyptus dream pop,” the band are building on from their stellar 2015 with Helluva Lot. Like a warm breeze on a hot summer’s afternoon in Australia, the song cruises by with subtle melodies and intricacies here and there, easy going as it meanders along. But don’t let that fool you, as Helluva Lot actually paints quite a dismal picture when you listen to the lyrics, of how much we have to lose with our changing climate. A kind of relaxed call to arms, almost hypnotising you into heeding it’s message. I’m okay with it though, because it sounds so good.

The Invisible, So Well (Ft. Jessie Ware)

Anything that Jessie Ware lends her honeyed voice to is already a winner in my books, but The Invisible really take it to the next level with this forlorn lovesick tune. So Well is just so nice. It’s smooth and soft, falling gently without ever being overpowering. Ware sounds at home with the soft soul The Invisible provide, and with the precise instrumentation and production, it makes for just such a nice tune. It’s the second taste we have of The Invisible’s forthcoming record out in June, and judging from this, we are really in for a treat.

Lewis CanCut, Say Ok (Ft. TIGARAH)

Lewis CanCut, NLV Records alum, wraps things up for us with this straight up banger. Super sweet, it’s the NLV Records crew meets PC Music with Say Ok, as CanCut teams up with TIGARAH for this slice of bubblegum electronica, complete with big bouncing beats, skeeting synths and huge bass. It’s a fresh take on his sometimes downright filthy bangers that he’s capable of, but that doesn’t make it any less danceable. Instead, it shows an interesting potential direction for CanCut to head in, and I am actually excited to see where he goes from here!

Image: Stereogum