It's always a worry when George Ezra is the first track in a NMF. It's at least a little more upbeat than his previous stuff, but it still features him bleating a sing-song melody over boring guitar patterns.
Don't bother.
MNEK - Tongue
When you're really falling for someone, obsessively even, but you're scared to really reveal your feelings in case you screw it up. That's all on the tip of MNEK's Tongue, spilling out over pop-dance production and a spoken word chorus. This is MNEK at his most experimental.
Worth a listen.
Diplo - Worry No More (feat. Lil Yachty & Santigold)
Diplo's often tapped into dancehall flavours, be it in his solo production work or with Major Lazer. There's plenty going on here in the production, from new wave guitars, to sub bass, dancehall beats and pizzicato strings. It doesn't quite hang together, but it's a welcome return to Santigold at the least.
Worth a listen.
Miriam Bryant - Black Car
This track has already been a huge hit in Bryant's native Sweden, with nine weeks in the top 10 and awards for best single. But compared to other Scandi acts, this lacks that sparkling, polished sheen that we're used to. That would be forgivable if the song wasn't so...boring.
Don't bother.
ALMA - Dance For Me (feat. MØ)
ALMA's been joining forces a lot recently. First there was an inclusion on Charli XCX's Out Of My Head with Tove Lo. Then, just last week she featured on a girl power version of Dua Lipa's IDGAF for the Live Lounge alongside Charli XCX, MØ and Zara Larsson. Now she's got MØ on this track taken from her new Heavy Rules Mixtape, an infectious, bubbling dance pop track that slots neatly alongside her previous singles Dye My Hair and Chasing Highs. Tove Styrke also features on the mixtape for another level of Scandi flavour.
Add to playlist.
Blakey - Prism of Love feat. JONES
This is an intriguing remix of Francis and the Lights, with almost identical moody electronic production and processed vocals, but with the added charm of JONES for a feminine twist. Oh wait, this is an original song? Oh.
Worth a listen.
Fickle Friends - Wake Me Up
The Brighton five-piece had a sleeper hit with last year's Glue. Wake Me Up is that song's antithesis - from giddy teenage lust to melodramatic heartbreak. "We are absolutely failing," sings Natassja Shiner in the chorus, devastated over the vibrant synths. Their full length debut is due this month and could well be one of the pop albums of the year.
Add to playlist.
Tracey Thorn & Shura - Air
Best known for being one half of Everything But The Girl, Tracey Thorn has released a string of solo albums. 'Record' is the latest, with Air as one of its nine "feminist bangers" on which she interrogates the male gaze over youthful production that fizzes and bubbles. The inclusion of Shura only adds to that youthful energy, resulting in a universal feminist anthem.
Add to playlist.
CHVRCHES feat. Matt Berninger - My Enemy
This is a moodier affair for the Glaswegian electro-pop group, tasking The National's Matt Berninger with extra vocals. He and singer Lauren Mayberry trade barbs as a relationship falls apart, but really his presence only dampens the otherwise lofty production.
Worth a listen.
