From familiar favourites to breakout stars, Happy Mag sifts through our favourite new releases from the week that was.
Sometimes, the only thing getting us through a busy work week is the promise of new music. Amid the hustle and bustle of the 9 to 5, there’s at least a silver lining in the form of a stellar new album or a long-awaited single, which is why we at Happy Mag are so keen to share our favourite new releases with our weekly staff picks.
Thankfully, this week is no exception. From debut EPs to the breakout of soon-to-be stars, this week’s staff picks are brimming with killer tunes. So go on then, crack yourself a well-earned beer and sift through Happy Mag’s staff picks for the past week.
Molly Millington — 5 Stages
Molly Millington made good on the promise of singles like Bleach and Healing, this week releasing the remaining tracklist of her debut EP 5 Stages.
Across six tracks, the singer-songwriter explores a whirlwind of emotions with the assist of producer Xavier Rudd. Peruse at your leisure.
Arig — Pop Off
If sophomore single Pop Off is anything to go by, then we’re in for a real treat when Arig’s forthcoming EP eventually arrives.
Flitting between pop and R&b with finesse, Pop Off showcases the Sydney-based musician’s infectious vitality, and successfully whets appetites ahead of RECKLESS’ release next February.
The Sees — Conversations With My Future Self
Carried by a tapestry of captivating instrumental breakdowns, standout guitar riffs and whirlwind sonic textures, The Sees’ debut record Conversations With My Future Self is an exercise in genre-hopping.
The eight-track release traces the Brooklyn band from tales of hope, love and the future, and launches what’s sure to be a breakout moment.
almost monday — sweet feelings
Indie-pop is ripe with creative potential, and almost monday have squeezed the genre for all its with on their latest single sweet feelings.
The California band capture the feeling of a sunlit afternoon with jangly guitar and a carefree spirit, offering the perfect musical accompaniment ahead of the summer months.
Autogramm — Music That Humans Can Play
Don’t let the single title Born Losers fool you: Autogramm are the hottest group in town. With their third album Music That Humans Can Play, Autogramm span the reaches of their sound, delivering synth-driven bangers and pure pop gems while musing on tales coming-of-age tales.
There’s something for everyone in this eclectic and blissfully unconventional release.
André 3000 — New Blue Sun
With such a high profile and undeniable star power, it’s somewhat surprising that André 3000’s debut solo album, New Blue Sun, only arrived this week.
The entirely instrumental project is centred around woodwinds, to the point where it becomes its own living organism, and listeners are all the more enriched for it.
KAHUKX — PARTY & BS
KAHUKX taps S1MBA for PARTY & BS, a punchy summer heater brimming with infectious beats, polyrhythmic patterns, and rich instrumentation.
The groovy single adds to a string of stellar releases from KAHUKX, and cements a new hip-hop duo to watch with the assist of S1MBA’s smooth bars.
Sea Girls — Young Strangers
With their new single Sea Girls, London band Sea Girls have proved they’re worth the hype.
Showcasing their innate melodic abilities and firm grasp of staple indie rock, the single serves as an ultimate tease ahead of Sea Girls’ first-ever headline Australian tour in early 2024.
Lachie Gill — Write It Out
The winner of The Voice had much to prove following his successful run on the competition last year, and Lachie Gill has risen to the occasion and then some with Write It Out.
The Melbourne musician’s debut EP treds emotional territories with reflections on love and loss, and carves out a promising trajectory for Lachie Gill beyond The Voice stage.
RedHook — Tourist
Aussie rock band RedHook have a habit of somehow outdoing themselves with each release, and they’ve done it again with Tourist.
Described as a “pour-your-guts-out break-up anthem,” the pop-punk cut is the first release since the band’s 2023 debut Postcard Card From A Living Hell, and a sure-fire sign that RedHook are just getting started.
mega cat — Rat Fight
Given that some of its members elsewhere form part of Smokey Brights, it should come as little surprise that the first-ever single from new band mega cat is this good.
Titled Right Fight, the track adopts a punk approach filtered through hip hop instrumentals, 70’s Afro Beat and avant jazz. Need we say more?
Oscar The Wild — She’ll Be Right
We simply can’t get enough of She’ll Be Right, the debut EP from Oscar The Wild. Indie-grunge might seem like a tricky sound to pull off, but the Adelaide quartet deliver soaring harmonies and anthemic hooks with the ease of a band 10 years’ their senior.
