Listen To The Five Best Songs This Week

Another week has flown-by and with it a bounty of new music. Here’s our pick of the best tunes from the past seven days.

There’s no stopping Brooklyn popstress, Empress Of. Earlier this week, her supple vocals were heard jumping their way around a brilliant duet with Amateur Best. Then she suddenly dropped “Realize You” and everyone’s mouths fell open. The track is daring, fresh, and addictive – surely a contender for those end-of-year best ofs.

London newcomer Manou gave us the first taste of her work with heavyweight producer PNUT (Dido and Amy Winehouse) on “Sadie”. Glassy synths pepper her youthful vocals and half-rhymes flow through airy harmonies. It’s a very impressive debut from this 16-year-old who shrieks of early Marina & The Diamonds. We can’t wait to hear more.

It’s certainly been a good week for Scandinavian/Nordic artists (Akiine, F U R N S, Jacob Douglas) and a welcome return from Iceland’s Rökkurró. Back after a three-year absence with two new band members, the band presented “Killing Time”, a restful orchestral song fleshed-out with electronics and group singing. It’s an intricate track that thanks you for close listening. Maybe it’s all the attention on Airwaves festival, but the music that arrives from those northerly Arctic winds is constantly rewarding.

Cornish sisters Hockeysmith fittingly spooked-us out yesterday with their latest track, “Meanwhile.” Meditative, experimental and electronically crisp, “Meanwhile” sounds like Warpaint in afterglow, replete with erratic rhythms and ethereal synths. It’s anyone’s guess what goods they’ll come up with next.

Lastly, Kwabs showed-off that voice on the SOHN-produced, “Last Stand”. His soulful vocal is fed repeatedly through SOHN’s rooted synth and bass until the earth in shatters at the crescendo. The stormy, plainchant-like backing vocals might make the god above a little angry too.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best tracks below: