Listen To The Five Best Songs This Week

25 April 2014, 20:28 | Written by Charlotte Krol

(Tracks)

(ZHU) (NAVVI) (Hejira) (Them 9s) (Lyves)

Another week, another onslaught of new music. Here’s our pick of the best new tunes from the last seven days.

We still don’t know much about rising LA producer ZHU, but we do know we’re in love with everything he creates. On latest cut, “Cocaine Girl”, we hear him tell the story of a globetrotting, label-wearing girl and begin to become as infatuated with the track’s bubbly wobs, skittled beats and hankering falsetto as he is with her. It’s radio-friendly stuff without yawn and is sure to cement the LA artist in an even better position than he’s already in. The Nightday EP is out now.

North London (via Italy and Australia) singer Lyves has been writing poetry and lyrics for as long as she can remember. This week, we were treated to her putting her musings to music with the heart-stopping track, “Visions”. Perhaps more of an ambient/chillwave offering than some of the straight-up soul she’s been brought up on (Bill Withers et al.), the track soothes with warm synths and downtempo beats, softened by Lyves’ calming and full-bodied vocals. An impressive debut effort.

Another comforting listen this week arrived in the form of Seattle duo NAVVI’s “Speak”. Here, a stirring monochromatic rhythm drags a cluster of spooky sounds behind - from purring synth lines to wispy vocal loops - in lethargic, drugged-out bliss. Enviable French label Kitsuné have slotted the act into to their new US compilation. No guesses as to why with such simple electronic elegance.

Australian bunch Them 9’s finally unveiled the follow-up to their 2013 debut track, “Drunk”, with a festival-ready number in “Dreams”. Soaring riffs, gentles funk flows and pelting drums congeal to form a rather infectious indie nugget indeed.

Some songs have odd resemblances you can’t shake, and Heijira’s new cut, “Dancing Around Control”, has all the wiry and weird stomp of Radiohead’s, “Climbing Up The Walls”. Even the singing has that same talk-box vocal fuzz. Even so, “Dancing Around Control” has its own merit with bandmembers Sam Beste and Rahel Debebe-Dessalenge worming vocal lines amongst glistening guitars and glossy piano trickles. The track is part of a double A-side single (with “Echoes”) and drops on 28 April.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best new music below.