HAIM - Want You Back
Now this is more like it. After the disappointingly "authentic" buzz track of last week, the sisters return with a proper pop banger. They no longer have a freshness of sound to wow us with unlike their debut, but this still bangs with yearning melodies, vocal harmonies, subtle touches of electronics (that descending vocal line in the middle eight!), and funky bass with which to practice your gurning.
Niall Horan - Slow Hands
Where most girl and boybands are known for having their individual personalities, it's funny that One Direction were just sort of collectively boring. Now they're releasing solo material and spreading their boringness in varied directions. So far, Mr Horan has gone down the acoustic route with This Town and lulled us to sleep, so much so that Slow Hands seems like a banger by comparison. I mean, it's actually got some drums in it for one, but it's a weak attempt at copying John Mayer. More of a pathetic slow clap than an erotic grope.
Harry Styles - Sweet Creature
Still...Slow Hands is preferable to this desperate attempt at Bob Dylan authenticity that I can barely bring myself to listen to. I thought Styles was meant to be the talented one? The funny one? The one with a personality?
Paramore - Told You So
This is apparently the band's favourite track from forthcoming album 'After Laughter' and it's easy to hear why: the catchy staccato chorus lines, the syncopated bass melodies, the lyrics of overcoming adversity, the hints at tropical pop that seem to be characterising this new material. Pop-rock at its finest, this'll sound awesome live.
PVRIS - Heaven
And here's another pop-rock act making a return. Debut album 'White Noise' was released back in 2014 but didn't really make a splash until its deluxe version was released last year. Heaven is a slightly more mellow affair that's more nuanced and confident than past material. Singer Lyndsey Gunnulfsen begins in hushed, gentle tones that slowly build towards an aggressive climax towards the end; the guitars follow suit, from early atmospherics to thrashing anger.
LANY - The Breakup
I'd never heard of LANY until WHERE THE HELL ARE MY FRIENDS became one of my most listened to tracks of last year. Their mix of West Coast guitars (LA) and East Coast electronics (NY) is irresistible. You can hear plenty of both in The Breakup, as well as lyrics like "'He's a total dick' is my reputation around town" and "You're at dinner looking dumb playing with your knife and fork" - kinda cringe, but also incidentally a fair description of Donald Trump.
Halsey - Eyes Closed
I'm still a bit undecided as to whether Halsey is actually a worthy popstar or if she's just an amalgamation of pretty much every other artist popular in 2016-17. Listening to Eyes Closed it was mere seconds until I googled to confirm this was developed by The Weeknd - it absolutely reeks of his handiwork, which pretty much answers that initial question.
Kasabian - III Ray (The King)
Are Kasabian the most overrated band since Arctic Monkeys, the most overrated band since Oasis/Blur?
Sigrid - Don't Kill My Vibe
That's your lot for actual singles, the rest of NMF is barely worth your time. But here's an amazing EP released today you definitely should listen to: Norway's premier popstar delivering brilliant pop choruses. Don't Kill My Vibe got everyone interested with its bold, fierce chorus ("you think you're so important to me don't you"); Plot Twist lurches into a thrashing electro chorus; and Fake Friends surprises with a gentle opening that drops into arguably the catchiest chorus of them all. The acoustic Dynamite is a bit of an afterthought - lovely as it is, it does kill the vibe a little.
