Ready for new music? Crave returns this week with the latest batch of fresh tracks via our recurring new music playlist – open your ears and feast on a wide assortment of goodness from Savages, Anderson Paak, Chairlift, Ray LaMontagne and more.
If you see something you haven’t heard, that’s a good thing. That’s why we’re doing this. Trust us with your ears, and we’ll bring you the goods. Kick off your week with the best sounds and just a little bit more sauce in your step, knowing you’ve got a leg up on the good stuff.
Ray LaMontagne – ‘Hey, No Pressure’
We’re beginning to hear the sounds from Ray LaMontagne’s long-awaited collaboration with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James for his forthcoming album, and we’re excited by the results. The new single “Hey, No Pressure” bears witness to a loved one caving under the weight of their responsibilities. “Anything you want your life to mean/It can mean,” he assures them.
As for working with James, LaMontagne says, “It was probably the best experience I’ve had in the studio, ever. It was just such a generous, kind, creative, playful atmosphere.” Ouroboros is expected to drop in early 2016.
– Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Anderson .Paak – ‘Am I Wrong’
The standout track in an album that should rightfully see Anderson .Paak penetrating the public’s collective consciousness, ‘Am I Wrong’ sees the artist formerly known as Breezy Lovejoy ensuring that his new moniker will live long after he wrapped up his collaboration duties on Dre’s Compton.
.Paak’s story is one of many low points, with him facing homelessness as a young father and being forced to watch his parents being sent to prison as a teen. However, Malibu is an LP filled with surprising, anthemic joy, and ‘Am I Wrong’ its greatest triumph of all. Teaming with fellow West Coaster Schoolboy Q, ‘Am I Wrong’ pours .Paak’s raspy vocals on top of a funk beat that’s an invigorating antidote to this January drizzle.
– Paul Tamburro, UK Editor
Savages – ‘The Answer’
This is how you enter into the new year. Post-punk quartet Savages are one of London’s brightest bands, and ‘The Answer’ sends a thousand volts into the heart of their second album Adore Life from the get-go.
UK guitar music is in a pitiful state right now, with few bands finding themselves able to even make a blip on the radar. The visceral ‘The Answer’ imbues me with hope, though, pointing to a future in which our nation’s rock stars don’t all sound like they’re aiming for a headline slot at fucking V Fest. Gemma Thompson’s roaring riff squares off against frontwoman Jehnny Beth’s formidable falsetto, egged on by Fay Milton’s unfaltering, marching drumbeat, while Ayse Hassan’s baseline throbs in the background. It sounds like the entire band are having a fight with one another. It’s wonderful.
– Paul Tamburro, UK Editor
Flume – ‘Never Be Like You’
One of Australia’s proudest musical exports that we’ve gifted to you thankless international plebs is of course electronic child prodigy Flume, who I assume is around 12? I should Google that…
Anyway the country (and the globe) is a’froth with news of an impending sophomore album and latest single Never Be Like You, is the quick injection of Flumonium we desperately needed.
Heading done a more poppier route with vocals from newcomer Kai adding a new layer of polish unheard of from the usually more technically minded Flume. Whilst the vocals and the chirpy, bass-heavy track itself seem a bit distant from one another, it’s still a god damn belter. But what else would you expect from Golden Boy Flume, right?
– Mitch Feltscheer, Australia
Iggy Pop, Josh Homme & friends – ‘Gardenia’
Dream project on a Holy Shit level, coming right up: Iggy Pop and Josh Homme have recorded a secret album, and will release this new album, Post Pop Depression, in March. The nine-track Post Pop Depression was recorded at Homme’s home studio in Joshua Tree, as well as his Pink Duck studio in Burbank. Supporting musicians include Dean Fertita of QOTSA and Dead Weather on guitar and keyboards, and Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. They will also accompany Homme and Pop on tour, along with Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar and Matt Sweeney on bass.
The first taste is seductively weird, and sexy in all the right places.
– Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Darby – ‘Timber Towers’
Over the blisteringly hot holiday break (suck it Northern Hemisphere!), my ears stumbled upon this gem of a debut single from NSW singer/song-writer Darby, and it meshed so perfectly with my listless days populated with nought but the beach, beers and BBQs.
Timber Towers starts like a much needed gentle summer breeze, swirling gently around your ankles before escalating with Darby’s on-point and emotional vocal delivery combining with an unexpectedly gritty guitar riff, resulting in a tune which soothes and revives in equal measure.
– Mitch Feltscheer, Australia
RÜFÜS – ‘Say A Prayer For Me’
This week marked my official return to the sun-blessed (read: bloody hot) country and, subsequently, work, so my soundtrack needs were obvious: something chill to help ease my mind back into the chaos of real life. Enter RÜFÜS – or RÜFÜS DU SOL as they’re known to our North American pals. As purveyors of sun-kissed, blissful, lush, chilled-out dance music, the Aussie trio’s latest tune served up the perfect audible ~vibes~ to help cushion my return to reality and, jet-lagged as I am, spoke to me from the very first line:
“Say a prayer for me / Let my body sleep tonight”.
– Nastassia Baroni, Australia.
