This week has been a good one for a great variation in new releases. We’ve got a new track from Bastille that seems to surprisingly be taking them more down the rock route, a ballad from young superstar Billie Eilish, and, the one that I’m most excited about, a new track from boyband babes McFly. Indie angels FUR are back with their latest EP, Facing Home Mixtape, that’s quickly becoming a new obsession of mine.
Alongside these new bangers, there’s of course been a new single from Sam Smith (do I smell a new album on the horizon?), and another new release from Biffy Clyro ahead of their upcoming LP, A Celebration of Endings. We even got a new track from goth king Marilyn Manson. And, of course, we’ve got some new absolutely brilliant albums from Fontaines D.C., Creeper, The Psychedelic Furs, Neck Deep and many more. Here’s what I think of some of the new music of the week.
TUNE OF THE WEEK – Bastille ft. Graham Coxon – ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’
Their first major release since 2019’s album Doom Days, Bastille are back with ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’, an intense, rock-y banger that I’m hoping will usher in a new era of a harder sound for the band. ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’ starts out with a cracking guitar riff, throwing you straight into the heavy thumping beat before lead singer Dan Smith’s voice breaks through, crackling as if coming through a radio. The lyrics reflect the angry nature of the music, with Smith frustratingly ranting about how we waste so much time stuck behind screens, rather than using our time for something that actually means something. A critique of consumerist culture and the world’s reliance on technology over genuine human connection, ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’ is yet another great track from a great band.
‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’ is available to listen to now via Virgin Records.
FUR – Facing Home Mixtape
FUR are back with their newest collection of songs, the Facing Home Mixtape. I’ll spare too many thoughts (because lord knows I have so many about these absolute stars from Brighton) regarding the 7 song EP, but I will say this is just further evidence that FUR are incapable of making a bad song. If you haven’t check out the indie four-piece already, make sure you do for some peak good vibes tunes, reeking of 70s nostalgia, groovy guitar riffs and good ol’ fashioned indie-pop. One of my favourite things about FUR is that they’re not afraid to experiment, and said experimentation nearly always pays off. For example, the final track of the new EP, ‘Close the Curtain’ gives me distinctly western, country vibes, and it’s easily my favourite song out of all of them.
FUR’s Facing Home Mixtape is available to listen to now down below.
McFly – ‘Happiness’
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that McFly WERE the sound of my childhood. ‘Stargirl’, ‘All About You’, ‘Five Colours in Her’, ‘Obviously’, the list goes on. They’ve had a long successful career, and, after 7 years of no solo works, they’re back with ‘Happiness’. In true McFly fashion, the song is, unsurprisingly, overwhelmingly happy, led by an upbeat jazzy tune, akin to an early Lily Allen ‘LDN’ vibe. Lead singer Tom Fletcher serenades a lover, wondering how he ever got lucky enough to be as happy as he is. With a carnival, summer vibe, ‘Happiness’ is sure to get you dancing in no time. After a long 7 year break from music, it’s a joy to hear McFly tunes again, especially in a time as uncertain as this.
‘Happiness’ is available to listen to now via BMG.
Billie Eilish – ‘my future’
Call me old-fashioned, or even just not one with the times, but honestly I’m not the biggest fan of this new track from Billie Eilish. Whilst I appreciate the deeply personal and introspective nature of the lyrics, with the line ”But I’m in love/ Not with anybody else/ Just wanna get to know myself” being a particular favourite, the song just wasn’t enough for me. The acapella at the beginning of the song is, as per usual, beautiful, and the simple soft nature of Eilish’s voice is again, as per usual, beautiful. But that’s the thing; this is all stuff that we’ve seen before from the young artist. I can’t help but feel that ‘my future’ feels quite same-y for Eilish. That’s not saying that once you find a style you shouldn’t stick to it, but it would be nice to see at least a little variation, rather than just the seemingly same sound all the time. I’m a fan of Billie Eilish, but I’d love to see something a little different from her for a change.
‘my future’ is available to listen to now via Interscope Records.
Biffy Clyro – ‘Weird Leisure’
When Biffy Clyro released ‘Instant History’ back in February, the first track off of their new upcoming album A Celebration of Endings, I’ll be honest I was not the biggest fan. The Biffy that I know and love is hard rock, incredible drawn out vocals and headbangers, not synth-based pop confusion. Not that there’s anything wrong with pop or synth, but to me, that’s just not Biffy. So you can imagine my relief when ‘Weird Leisure’ came out. Starting out with that classic Biffy heavy guitar and drums, ‘Weird Leisure’ jumps straight in, with Simon Neil’s stunning Scottish accent storming through as he sings of personal struggles, alluding to addiction with a backing of good hard rock. ‘Weird Leisure’ has definitely renewed my excitement for new music from Biffy Clyro.
‘Weird Leisure’ is available to listen to now via 14th Floor Records.
Other Selected Releases
Singles
mxmtoon – ‘bon iver’
Sam Smith ft. Burna Boy – ‘My Oasis’
Disclosure ft. Fatoumata Diaware – ‘Douha (Mali Mali)’
Jorja Smith – ‘By Any Means’
The Vamps – ‘Married in Vegas’
Glass Animals – ‘It’s All So Incredibly Loud’
Marilyn Manson – ‘WE ARE CHAOS’
Touche Amore – ‘Limelight’
No Rome ft. Bearface – ‘1:45AM’
The Neighbourhood – ‘Cherry Flavoured’
Albums
Creeper – Sex, Death and the Infinite Void
Brandy – B7
Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
The Psychedelic Furs – Made Of Rain
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
Need a weekly music fix of all the songs you should care about? We’ve made a super handy playlist of all of this week’s biggest releases, so just sit back and listen to the good stuff. Updated every Friday.
