This week in records we range from the serious and thoughtful to the silly and playful, with new albums from Lorde and Kurupt FM, as well as a funky single from Remi Wolf.
Track of the Week: Lorde – ‘Mood Ring’
Lorde‘s final single from her latest album Solar Power proves to be the strongest yet. Full of late 90s influences and magical lyrics surrounding romantic hippie behaviour, ‘Mood Ring’ is the final step in Lorde’s journey into maturity, and proves that she has truly stepped down from the grungy, mysterious indie-pop persona of her younger years. The lyrics and video seem to present Lorde as the next celebrity advocate for wellness culture, including burning sage, cleansing crystals and sun salutations. Although one can only hope that this is truly satire, as Lorde has said herself, and that she’s not becoming the next Gwyneth Paltrow.
‘Mood Ring’ is out now via Universal Music New Zealand. Watch the video here:
Kurupt FM – The Greatest Hits (Part 1)
No, this is not a joke. Although cloaked in humour and references from the show, fictional pirate radio station group Kurupt FM from the sitcom People Just Do Nothing have delivered some excellent garage bangers and the occasional hilarious skit in this album. Tracks like ‘Summertime’ (which somehow features Craig David) and ‘Dreaming’ are catchy and upbeat, and wouldn’t seem out of place on a late-night radio show. Other tracks like ‘Your Mum Loves Garage’ and ‘A Million’ open with witty skits, only to break into a banging garage track. This album is the perfect light-hearted (yet properly catchy) record to pump you up before a night out – maybe just skip the strange 3 minutes of autotuned grovelling from Chabuddy G at the end.
The Greatest Hits (Part 1) is out now via Polydor Records. Watch the video for ‘Summertime’ here:
Remi Wolf – ‘Quiet On Set’
American singer Remi Wolf has delivered another funky tune full of colourful, wacky lyrics and a catchy chorus. Lyrics like “ain’t got no time for the frenemies / eating my ass like the human centipede” give the song a humorous tone, while the song itself is an earworm that will get stuck in your head all day. While sonically and lyrically playful and silly, the song reflects Wolf’s own feelings of being “overworked, manic, reckless, and childish”, as she describes working equally as hard as she plays.
‘Quiet On Set’ is out now via Island Records. Watch the video here:
Other Selected Releases
SINGLES
Phoebe Bridgers, Glitch Gum – ‘Kyoto (Glitch Gum Remix)’
James Blake – ‘Life Is Not The Same’
Kevin Abstract – ‘SIERRA NIGHTS (feat. Ryan Beatty)’
Bastille – ‘Thelma + Louise’
Francis and the Lights – ‘Lose Control’
ALBUMS
Lorde – Solar Power
Jake Bugg – Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
Discolure – Never Enough
This Week In Records: Playlist
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 Saturday.
