At Paste Music, we’re listening to so many new tunes on any given day, we barely have any time to listen to each other. Nevertheless, every week we can swing it, we take stock of the previous seven days’ best tracks, delivering a weekly playlist of our favorites. Check out this week’s best new songs, in alphabetical order. (You can check out an ongoing playlist of our favorite songs of 2024 here.)
A. Savage: “Black Holes, The Stars And You”
Parquet Courts frontman A. Savage is back with a stirring new single, “Black Holes, The Stars And You,” that follows up his recent 2023 solo album, Several Songs About Fire. Savage crafts a smooth, velvety track that incorporates curving guitar riffs and Latin percussion instruments provided by producer John Parish and musician Dylan Hadley. The initially loose arrangement meanders in its relaxed instrumentation before growing and gaining urgency throughout its progression, culminating in a spirited outro. Savage analyzes perspective and how we view others on the track, singing “I was young when I unlearned my accent / So that someday I could speak to someone like you / So I taught myself to talk like a person who / I thought that you’d listen to.” He crafts a hypnotic and introspective single that moves decisively. —Grace Ann Natanawan
Amen Dunes: “Purple Land”
It’s been six years since Amen Dunes—the project of Damon McMahon—has put out an album. In 2018, he unveiled the brilliant Freedom and, today, he announced Death Jokes, which will arrive in May via his new label, Sub Pop. Lead single “Purple Land” sees a convergence of new wave and alt-folk that build up slowly but never fully explodes, save for a sublime uptick in percussion. The brilliance is in the lyrics, as McMahon tangles himself up in a web of what-ifs and conversational wanderings, leaving ample space for the listener to decode a meaning. “Our scene begins, but you’re not in it,” he sings. “What’s up, man? Oh, nothing doing. We used to hang out. Why don’t we now? Like the Bible stories, I’ve been full of ‘em.” “Purple Land” marks an exciting return for Amen Dunes. We’re happy McMahon is back. —Matt Mitchell
Cadence Weapon ft. Grandtheft: “Press Eject”
Canadian rapper and producer Cadence Weapon has a new album, Rollercoaster, set to arrive in April via MNRK Music. The project features production from Bartees Strange, Jacques Greene and Loraine James, among others, and lead single “Press Eject” was produced by Grandtheft. “Press Eject” is glitchy and sputtering, but not while sacrificing the sun-soaked melody rippling beneath Cadence Weapon’s surface flow about inequity, unpaid labor, colonization and corruption. “Can’t afford the rent on earth or online, yeah,” he raps. “Everything is going up, I’m out of time, yeah. Going with the program made me lose my mind, extort me for my audience should be a crime.” It’s a great introduction to this chapter of Cadence Weapon’s career that confirms he’s one of the most exciting MCs on the up-and-up. —MM
Caroline Polachek ft. Weyes Blood: “Butterfly Net”
Following the massive success of last year’s Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, Caroline Polachek announced the deluxe version of the album this week by dropping a remix of “Butterfly Net” featuring Weyes Blood—aka Natalie Mering. The ethereal collaboration between the two avant-pop artists transformed the track from a syrupy expression of longing into a heavenly ascension of desire. Their voices blend in cosmic harmony and, while the two have performed “Butterfly Net” together live many times, the celestial nature of the recorded version captures the essence of Polachek’s baroque-pop fantasy in an even sweeter way. —Olivia Abercrombie
claire rousay: “head”
“head,” the lead single from claire rousay’s forthcoming new album (and first for Thrill Jockey) sentiment, takes a leap from her typical ambient focus and, with only minimal guitar chords and a sparse drum pattern in tow, puts a focus on her mangled, processed vocals. It’s got clear hyper-rock influence, but “head” lives firmly in a methodical, sludgy and spontaneously dreamy slowcore space. But, even then, the song’s four-and-a-half-minute runtime feels nowhere near that pace, coming and going and breaking your heart in the process. The lyrics will especially devastate you for how quietly bruised they are; “Spending half of my whole life giving you head, just in case you need to forgive me one day for something that I did,” rousay sings. If this is any indication of where sentiment will take us, I’m 100% locked in. —MM
Crowded House: “Oh Hi”
The latest single from longtime jangle-pop and new wave fixtures Crowded House (and their first piece of new music since 2021) is surprisingly thrilling and undoubtedly catchy. The Melbourne quintet, led by Neil Finn and his sons Elroy and Liam along with original bassist Nick Seymour, take a crack at melodic indie-pop with a bit of choral harmonies. The instrumentation is deliciously sweet, as Finn and the guys revel in their own modernity. “I know we can make something happen, you can put me back together,” he sings. “When I think I can do no wrong, when it comes to being clever, I should never count anyone out.” It’s an uplifting song influenced by Finn’s support for So They Can, a nonprofit that helps build schools in remote parts of Kenya and Tanzania. Musically, if this is a sign of what’s to come for Crowded House, we’re in for a renaissance. —MM
Faye Webster: “Feeling Good Today”
Following her unexpected collaboration with Lil Yachty on “Lego Ring,” Faye Webster knows just how to keep our attention. Ahead of the release of Underdressed At The Symphony, the indie-folk sweetheart dropped “Feeling Good Today,” an 86-second vocoded guitar track—along with a video featuring an uncanny valley version of herself. The short song still manages to squeeze in the quotable introspective lyricism Webster is known for, with lines like “That way my dog goes outside / My neighbors know his name / Thought that was weird, but I’m over it.” Despite its brevity, “Feeling Good Today” serves as a reminder of Webster’s range as a musician—she can go from giving us a slow-burn love song like “Lifetime” to a silly little diddy detailing an average morning flood of random, stream-of-conscious thoughts. It’s just the right level of weird we’ve come to love from Faye. —OA
Iron & Wine: “You Never Know”
Iron & Wine have a new record, Light Verse, coming out at the end of April. Much of the jabber has been around Fiona Apple’s teased appearance on a song called “All in Good Time,” but lead single “You Never Know” is proof that Iron & Wine have never been more back. Featuring Tyler Chester (keys), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), David Garza (guitar), Paul Cartwright (strings) and a percussion ensemble of Griffin Goldsmith, Beth Goodfellow and Kyle Crane, bandleader Sam Beam channels a sound that takes that classic, folky epicness of typical Iron & Wine tunes and fuses them into a soundscape that is paced like Morning Phase-era Beck and as orchestral and sublime as Pure Comedy-era Father John Misty. “You Never Know” is a bright, buoyant cut that is packed with Beam’s falsetto, densely layered acoustic instrumentation that could put anyone at a standstill. —MM
Kacey Musgraves: “Deeper Well”
Our country sweetheart is back. Kacey Musgraves announced her new record Deeper Well this morning with the release of its title track—a finger-picked acoustic ballad with enough space to let the Texas-born crooner’s vocals shine. Following her foray into the pop-sphere with star-crossed, the Grammy-winner looks to return to her country roots. “Deeper Well” features everything you could want from a Musgraves track: astrology references, an airy guitar melody and a mention of her gravity bong. The lyrics find Musgraves looking to leave toxic people and bad habits behind. “It’s natural when things lose their shine / So other things can glow / I’ve gotten older now, I know / How to take care of myself,” she sings. —OA
Laetitia Sadier: “Who + What”
Solo artist and Stereolab founding member Laetitia Sadier has released her third and final single “Who + What” from her upcoming LP Rooting For Love. “Who + What” is a vibrant, sweeping arrangement of swirling instrumentation and vocals. An ensemble of singers—known as The Choir—fills the space with mesmerizing layers of varied sound, guided forward by Sadier’s expressive vocal performance. The spacious instrumental envelops the track in an ethereal haze of synth and organ, dotted with flourishes of sparkling percussion and piano. Lyrically, the track is described as a “Q&A,” as Sadier ruminates on the collective trauma of the world. “Who + What” is a miraculous and otherworldly illustration of Sadier’s expertise in songwriting. —GN
Liam Kazar: “Next Time Around”
Chicago singer-songwriter Liam Kazar returns with “Next Time Around,” his first slice of new music since his 2021 debut album, Due North. Kazar is best at capturing an era of familiarity in his mellow ‘70s rock-inspired tracks, and “Next Time Around” fits right into that niche. The simple instrument arrangement evokes the energy of an old-school band casually jamming together in the hazy smoke of a local club. “Next Time Around” feels like an intimate exchange between him and the memory of his lover, who he refers to as a “ghost inside these walls.” The warmth in Kazar’s voice—and the sultry, moody guitar arpeggios running in tandem with him—gives a hopeful spin to the hopelessness of a fading relationship. It’s the perfect balance of that liminal space between the initial growing distance and the certain doom of a romance gone for good. —OA
Maggie Rogers: “Don’t Forget Me”
In April, Maggie Rogers will release the much-anticipated follow-up to her 2022 album, Surrender. Don’t Forget Me was co-produced with Ian Fitchuk and mixed by Shawn Everett, and the title track lead single is here and so incredibly beautiful. Rogers has been playing it live for more than a year now, and its Americana instrumentation perfectly captures her twanging vocals. It boasts a reflective, pensive moment, where Rogers looks at her own habits and fears of growing older. But, it’s hopeful, too. “Oh, but every time I try just a little, promise that I’ll meet in the middle,” Rogers sings, “always find my way back to my feet.” Even when Maggie Rogers makes music that taps into the lives we’re all worried we’ll grow into, she does it with a rapturous, stirring brilliance. So few can say the same. —MM
Punchlove: “Guilt”
Punchlove’s latest single “Guilt,” from their upcoming debut album Channels, showcases the Brooklyn band’s transcendent songwriting and instrumentation. “Guilt” imbues aspects of shoegaze and slacker into a sprawling and fervent track and, initially, the track is introduced with sparse strums of an acoustic guitar before progressing into an expansive instrumental arrangement. A groveling bassline looms over the twinkling instrumentation and winding guitar riffs, all rooted in a slow-burning urgency. The soaring refrains expand into a massive wall of rich sound. According to band member Jillian Olesen, the track examines “the vicious cycle of guilt.” Boundless and electrifying, Punchlove is one of the most compelling up-and-coming voices in their field. — GN
Rosali: “On Tonight”
Rosali’s forthcoming album, Bite Down, is arguably my most-anticipated spring release right now. Lead single “Rewind” has been on constant replay in my home, and her latest offering, “On Tonight,” is about to enjoy the same fate. Rosali wrote the track from the perspective of Eve seducing the snake in the Garden of Eden, engaging in a vibrant portrait of lust and nuance that’s distilled into modern romance. “Yeah, you freak me out and that’s what I came for,” she sings. “I’m no drifting fool, all alone and it’s all right.” Backed by David Nance & Mowed Sound, a jangly arpeggio and garage-rock solo plays out as Rosali repeats “You’re on tonight” over and over until the track fades its own angelic meter out delicately. —MM
The Lemon Twigs: “They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place”
The Lemon Twigs are back with more of their patented retro vibrancy in “They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place,” the lead single from their upcoming album, A Dream Is All We Know. Featuring a kaleidoscope of Beach Boys-inspired harmonies from Brian and Michael D’Addario and a brightly coated chorus of guitars, “They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place” details the woes of an unrealized relationship. “Every day is like a memory of someone I knew a thousand years ago I’ve never heard or seen,” Brian sings about the mystery dream girl, before tumbling into the catchiest chorus I’ve heard in years: “So, how can I play this game? / Both endings turn out the same / If I lose or win / I don’t know how to fall in place.” The Lemon Twigs continue to deliver again and again. —OA
Other Notable Songs: Beth Gibbons: “Floating On A Moment”; Bodysync: “Birds”; Eric Slick: “Lose Our Minds”; Gouge Away: “Dallas”; Gulfer: “Heartshape”; h. pruz: “Hurting”; Higher Power: “Absolute Bloom”; Jon Muq: “Shake Shake”; Mannequin Pussy: “Nothing Like”; Mount Kimbie “Fishbrain”; Olaf Dreijer: “Coral”; Peel: “Climax”; Pissed Jeans: “Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars In Debt”; Prize Horse: “Know Better”; ScHoolboy Q ft. Devin Malik: “Blueslides”; The 1975: “Now Is The Hour”; The Decemberists: “Burial Ground”; Tomato Flower: “Temple of the Mind”; Water Damage: “Reel E”
Check out a playlist of these great songs below.
