New Music Mondays | 04.02.18

Joke’s over, it’s Monday and we’ve got the latest in new music #NMM

‘OKRA’ – Tyler, the Creator

“‘OKRA’ is a new “throwaway song” from hip-hop icon, Tyler, the Creator. An easy contender for banger of the year, the instrumental is all bass with hints of tense piano and strings as well as whining synths here and there. The verses are great and the lyrics are braggadocious, nothing too out of the ordinary there. The music video is very Tyler, featuring images of him rapping in front of a big tree as well as McClarens doing donuts. A bit promotional, the video is sponsored by Tyler’s shoe brand, Golf le Fleur; the shoes can be seen in almost every shot. The song comes eight months after the release of Tyler’s fourth album, Flower Boy, one of the best of 2017. Do not sleep on either.” – Spencer LaChance

‘Call Out My Name‘ – The Weeknd

“‘Call Out My Name’ by The Weeknd contains all the signature elements his other hit songs do: gentle piano playing to start out complemented by The Weeknd’s soft crooning that echoes in your ears, followed by a harder beat kicking in and Abel’s voice growing more powerful and passionate. This track, along with the other five on his newly released EP, My Dear Melancholy, follows Abel’s complicated relationship with relationships. Throughout the song Abel pleads with a girl not to leave him, singing “I want you to stay (I want you to stay) / I want you to stay even though you don’t want me / Girl why can’t you wait? (Girl why can’t you wait ’til I?) / Girl why can’t you wait ’til I fall out of love?”. The dramatic progression of his voice reaches a point that seems almost desperate by the end of the song and is accompanied by an increase in the intensity of the guitar, drums, and synth that now dominate the once piano-driven track. ” – Rachel Feinberg

‘Prior Things’ – Hop Along

“Ok. So. Hop Along has always been a good band, right? Right. Well, this song is on a new level, and I mean an entirely new level of great. This is not the raw, DIY guitar rock from 2015’s Painted Shut. ‘Prior Things’ is a richly layered showcase of everything that has made the band special up to this point, as well as a few new tricks that quite frankly blow me out of the water. There’s so much intricate detail to unpack here: interlocking guitar strums, delicate meshes of strings, and some kick-ass bass and drum interplay that’s groovier than anything Justin Timberlake has put out this year. And, of course, the centerpiece! Francis Quinlan’s godlike freaking voice! How is it so good? So raw? How are her melodies so catchy when they basically just ramble on however they feel like? Honestly I don’t know. This is some grade A indie music, the kind of scrappy-underdog-with-lofty-ambitions anthem that Pitchfork would have eaten up sometime around 2007. This ain’t Pitchfork, and it’s definitely not 2007 anymore, but ‘Prior Things’ is still objectively good and you should listen to it.“ – Craig Short

‘Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays’ – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

“The third single released in anticipation of their upcoming album, ‘Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays,’ is classic UMO. Known for their experimental sound and shape-shifting melodies, UMO delivers another hit with this track and succeeds in further raising the hype for their new album. ‘Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays’ is vibrant, full of impressive falsettos, and relies heavily on a simple yet effective disco beat that’s irresistible. The chorus “Everyone acts crazy nowadays / Everyone acts crazy now / But we are taking all kinds of shit / Taking all kinds of shit” is nearly incomprehensible with all of the layered effects placed upon the vocals but ends up working incredibly well since it blends into the background synths so smoothly. The New Zealand band has been able to consistently produce catchy tracks full of unique sounds and this is no exception. If this is your first introduction to UMO, do yourself a favor and give them a listen before the new album drops this Friday, April 6th!” – Parker Brown