[gtranslate]
Music

Happy Listening: 7 new releases you need to hear

This week of new music slapped hard. We’re up to our ears in it; with artists dropping what seemed like an endless amount of cool new releases throughout the week.

Now that it’s Saturday, it’s time to look back at the week of new music that’s just passed. Here are five new tunes you can’t miss.

Happy Listening: we’ve found you seven new releases from a huge week in music. Wrap your ears around these bad boys.

The Ocean Party – Nothing Grows

The Ocean Party are sadly calling it a day, but boy are they going out with a bang. Their farewell EP dropped this week, and it’s a damn rightful send off to the slacker dream-pop outfit. Each song on Nothing Grows sounds like a closer: donning a way slower and almost more sombre fuzz than what we’ve had in previous albums. It’s great, but also a painful reminder of the end of an era. Take a moment’s silence, then blast Nothing Grows. 

Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima

Karen O and Danger Mouse’s collaborative album Lux Prima is a cinematic, dark pop whirlwind. It’s loaded with synths, pile-driving soul, and Pink Floyd grandeur, and sports a myriad of sounds and concepts. Some of the songs are built on rich walls of sound, taking drastic mood swings throughout, while others are stripped back and languid. It’s very dynamic, and a very big genre hop for Karen O, who normally fronts the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Danger Mouse: it definitely pays off.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – The Brian Jonestown Massacre

The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s lucid, self-titled 18th album marks a huge turn for frontman Anton Newcombe, who was in the midst of a debilitating drug addiction when the 2004 documentary Dig! was filmed. He’s since come good, and even though he’ll no longer “be flying through the universe on some manic trip,” he’s delivered one to us in the mind-bending blend of psychedelic indie-rock and shoegaze we’ve come to love from the band since their first album 24 years ago.

Kirin J Callinan – The Whole Of The Moon

Kirin J Callinan has finally ended his two-year silence, serving up a re-imagining of the single The Whole of The Moon by The Waterboys, released in 1985. It’s a bit Bowie-esque and it’s very groovy. He accompanied the song with a slightly cooked video, and we’re loving every bit of it. Welcome back Kirin J Callinan!

Local Natives – When Am I Gonna Lose You/ Cafe Amarillo

This week, Local Natives dropped two singles, When Am I Gonna Lose You and Cafe Amarillo, as well as the announcement that their fourth album Violent Street is set for release April 26. When Am I Gonna Lose You, in spite of all its sadness, is pretty upbeat, and delivers Local Natives’ signature soaring harmonies. Cafe Amarillo is a slightly groovier taste of the what the indie-pop quintet have to offer.  It’s a great mix, and a great indicator of the album to come.

Genesis Owusu – WUTD + Vultures 

Since his 2017 break-out Sideways, Genesis Owusu’s unique brand of hip hop has stood right at the forefront of Australia’s ever-changing rap scene: keeping us on our toes and leaving us wanting more. WUTD + Vultures is no exception; grappling with powerful themes and weaving them across stunning harmonies and unmatched flow. He’s a multi-facetted wealth of talent, and his latest work slaps.

Triple One – Butter

Triple One’s new single Butter is where brash raps, huge hooks, and classic hip hop beats all meet. It takes a slightly poppier turn than usual, but stays true the sound this Sydney outfit have become so acclaimed for over the last few years. This is another searing track from one of the fiercest groups in the game right now.