by Chloe Catajan
With summer near and festival season starting up, there are new tunes dropping left and right. Tyler, The Creator's IGOR, Carly Rae Jepsen's Dedicated, and Rammstein's self-titled are just some of the recent releases that spiked to the top of our listener data.
We know it can be hard to keep up with all the buzz, so we're here to help keep your new music playlist in top shape! Here are a handful of fresh cuts that are not to miss.
No Rome — Rimbaud, Come and Sit For A While
We caught No Rome open for The 1975 last month, and since then, he's dropped Crying In The Prettiest Places. It's the follow-up EP to last year's RIP Indo Hisashi. While No Rome's work typically erupts with bright synth-pop melodies, this release manages to both dig into the greyer areas of his world and maintain a colorful sound. The penultimate track, “Rimbaud, Come and Sit For A While," serves as the EP's poignant pinnacle—its muted instrumentals opening up plenty of space for introspection. Following suit, No Rome keeps his vocals soft and sincere as he makes sense of a past love resurfacing.
Elohim — braindead
For Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Elohim lends her voice and support through her new EP, braindead. The seven-track release explores the electronic artist's own experience with mental health struggles, with all proceeds for the month going to charities surrounding mental health care. The title track observes the ongoing battle of getting by, learning to filter between unhealthy and healthy ways to cope. Elohim's sprightly vocals are paired against lush synths that burst into an addictive chorus.
Kim Petras — Sweet Spot
Ever since kicking off her new era of music, Kim Petras has been going strong in dropping new singles. “Sweet Spot" follows recent releases “Broken," “Got My Number" and “Blow It All"—further taking Petras' exploration of pop to a different level. So far, the new era has ventured through all kinds of sonic atmospheres from R&B infused pop to soft guitar-driven melodies. On “Sweet Spot," Petras has a case of disco fever and delivers a highly infectious groove.
Beabadoobee — Disappear
The teenage condition is both thrilling and terrifying. Singer-songwriter Beabadoobee puts it into perspective through dreamy melodies tinged with gauzy guitar riffs and lyrics that go from playful to pensive to everything in between. Her latest single, “Disappear," is a heartfelt capture of a relationship running its course, feelings withering overnight. Even though it's a situation that ultimately resonates with different ages, Beabadoobee has an unapologetic vulnerability that reminisces young love.
Emotional Oranges — Good To Me
There isn't much information out there on Emotional Oranges besides that they are a Los Angeles-based duo. But as a result of their enigmatic presence, their music speaks for itself. Emotional Orange's debut EP, The Juice: Vol. 1, oozes with nostalgia for '90s R&B and soul as it follows the complex narrative of two people in a relationship. “Good To Me" is a prime example of that—its light, airy instrumentals allowing each vocal part to unravel the contention felt between the two parties in question.
The Beaches - Want What You Got
The Beaches left us awestruck when we saw them open for Passion Pit earlier this month. Their fiery resurrection of retro-esque rock is absolutely energizing and exciting. Lucky for us, they've just dropped a new EP, The Professional. The five-track release is full of pure guitar fuzz, hard-hitting riffage, and headstrong vocals, with “Want What You Got" being a striking case of all of the above. The band bursts into one infectious verse after another as they sing about how the grass is always greener, but it's the sudden, gritty breakdown at the bridge that makes the track stand out.
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