At Paste Music, we’re listening to so many new tunes on any given day, we barely have any time to listen to each other. Nevertheless, every week we can swing it, we take stock of the previous seven days’ best tracks, delivering a weekly playlist of our favorites. Check out this week’s best new songs, in alphabetical order. (You can check out an ongoing playlist of our favorite songs of 2024 here.)
Cassandra Jenkins: “Delphinium Blue”
Cassandra Jenkins’ latest single, “Delphinium Blue,” is, to put it simply, transcendent. Any time she breaks out into any kind of spoken-word bridge in one of her songs, I am all in on it. A euphoric contrast to the sultry, slow-burn groove of “Only One,” Jenkins (with the help of Strange Ranger’s Isaac Eiger) makes her mark here by pairing fretless bass, bellowing percussion, Greek-like harmonies and choral synthesizers with her own subconscious floral language—musing on the Delphinium flower as a lens looking into our own grief. “I picture the sun hitting you, the air is filled with their perfume,” Jenkins sings, and shivers will make a home out of your spine. “I began to dream in technicolor,” she explained in a press release. Few things have been so true, and “Delphinium Blue” is a bi-coastal, euphoric hymn. —Matt Mitchell
Charli XCX: “360”
On the fourth single of her highly anticipated 6th album BRAT, Charli XCX knows who she is and where she stands: She’s your favorite reference, she’s iconic, she’s tectonic. On “360,” Charli proves that her well of catchy hooks will never run dry. The minimalist production from A.G. Cook (who’s also referenced in the second verse) pulsates throughout the song’s short runtime, with layered Y2K-inspired synths accompanying some of Charli’s sassiest bars since “Vroom Vroom.” The only percussive element is an 808 clap, but the track’s potent energy allows it to still be strut-worthy. The single was released alongside a music video that has been described by many as Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” for internet gays, with a cast featuring several internet “It Girls” (like Emma Chamberlain, Julia Fox and Alex Cosani), as well as traditional film and TV figures (like actresses Rachel Sennott and Chloë Sevigny). While Charli may not be at her most innovative for this album cycle, that doesn’t stop these songs from being a blast to listen to—and “360” is no exception. —Leah Weinstein
cumgirl8: “quite like love”
“quite like love,” the latest standalone single from Manhattan pop quartet cumgirl8, is an early Song of the Summer candidate for me. It’s twisted, kaleidoscopic, glitchy, phantasmic and strobing. The background percussion clanks like it was recorded in an abandoned factory, while the riffs and synths sound cut straight from the excess of a techno rave. This is all just to say: “quite like love” is euphoric. cumgirl8 don’t always flaunt such an affectionate flavor of pop, but “quite like love” makes its voice heard (“There’s nothing quite like being in love / Can’t stand to be in love”). Avishag Rodrigues, Chase Noelle, Veronika Vilim and Lida Fox are still building on the momentum of last year’s phantasea pharm EP, and this single—along with previous single “Glasshour”—are setting the perennial live standouts up for an unforgettable next chapter. —MM
Los Campesinos!: “Feast of Tongues”
Finally, after years of waiting, the triumphant return of tweemo’s greatest legacy act. Just days out from the release of their 7th album, All Hell, they’ve dropped their first new single in over seven years. “Feast Of Tongues” has all the telltale hallmarks of an LC! banger—a steady and eventually explosive instrumental build, hyper-physical lyricism and shoutouts to their peers and influences (in this case, these include the Hotelier and Silver Jews)—but Gareth’s creative and intellectual growth as a songwriter is audible. It’s rare and wildly rewarding to see a band that’s been at it for as long as Los Campesinos! retain the vitality and connective spirit of their earlier records while their craft matures with them. And “We will feast on the tongues of the last bootlickers” is a strong contender for hardest line of the year. —Grace Robins-Somerville
Luna Li: “Confusion Song”
Canadian bedroom pop artist Luna Li announced her sophomore album, When A Thought Grows Wings, along with its lead single “Confusion Song” this week, and it’s an absolute delight. The song chronicles exactly what the title implies, as Luna’s wistful vocals cry, “I thought we were taking space / Get your love to regenerate / How do you see it?” The production from both Li herself and fellow Torontonian Monsune (who has also produced for SZA and Drake) is gorgeous and compelling, with some of the tightest drum mixing I’ve heard all year. Luna’s vocal prowess blends beautifully with the arpeggiated synths and occasional guitar interjection. “Confusion Song” is delicately gorgeous, and I’m certain more of that is to come as Li’s album rollout continues throughout this summer. —LW
Oso Oso: “all of my love”
Fresh off their co-headlining tour with Spanish Love Songs, Long Island emo veterans Oso Oso shared “all of my love” this week, which is presumably the first offering from the band’s next chapter (and impending new album). Clocking in at just over two minutes, frontman Jade Lilitri’s story of an ending to a dysfunctional relationship is underscored by Oso Oso’s trademark bright and infectious surfy guitars. “all of my love” is a fairly simple (but just as memorable) song that gets to the point quickly without feeling underbaked. —LW
Peter Cat Recording Co.: “People Never Change”
Last year, I wound up at one of Peter Cat Recording Co.’s shows on their sold-out, inaugural North American tour. The show was wild, and the Delhi fusion band absolutely blew the crowd away after gaining so much momentum with their sophormore album Bismillah. Now, their first record in five years—BETA—is on the way, and lead single “People Never Change” is a six-minute masterclass in direction. Weaving in and out of jazz, orchestra, psych-rock, electronic, hints of disco and vocals from Suryakant Sawhney that could very well be just as beautiful on a mid-2000s jazz-pop standard, Peter Cat Recording Co. are back. It’s a bit jarring just how good “People Never Change” is, as no moment on the track stumbles for even a second. It’s full-throttle vibes from the first note, and Sawhney’s voice ushers us across a soundscape made vibrant by Karan Singh, Dhruv Bhola, Rohit Gupta and Kartik Sundareshan Pillai. “I can walk away, spineless, pretend it’s a movie,” Sawhney sings. “I don’t want to face a crisis, or something that’s so real.” What is real, though, is how perfect “People Never Change” is. —MM
Samia: “Making Breakfast”
Indie pop darling Samia kicked off Grand Jury Records’ 10th anniversary celebration with her cover of Twin Peaks’ “Making Breakfast” from Wild Onion, which was the label’s first ever release. Samia’s reverence for the song shines throughout the cover, as she delivers her most energetic vocal performance to date (she kills the iconic “tch-kaa” in the intro). You can even hear the smile on her face through the recording, especially in the background vocals of the final chorus—capped off with a hearty laugh from everyone in the studio. Twang is not something usually heard in Samia’s confessional and soft spoken tunes, but she tries it on for size across a hootin’ and hollering two-and-a-half minutes. Twin Peaks may be defunct for now, but this cover shows that the heart of their music has yet to stop beating. —LW
Shygirl ft. Danny L Harle: “encore”
If Charli XCX is making music for the internet gays, then Shygirl is making music for the club rats. The English multi-hyphenate dropped “encore” this week to kick off the hype for a new remix version of her Club Shy EP. The sole original track off the remix is a bass-loaded, speaker-busting, infectious dance hit detailing a cyclical romp through the hottest clubs. “encore” shows off Danny L Harle’s masterful production skills and how they mesh seamlessly with Shygirl’s dynamic approach to dance music. The rinse-and-repeat beat during the chorus and shout-along lyrics—“In the club, at the bar / Buy a drink, take a shot / Spill a bit, lick it up / Eyes on me, that’s what you want”—are irresistible dancefloor fodder. If you’re going to be bumping Shygirl’s experimental electro-pop this summer, it’s sure to fill your nights with sweaty discotheques and (probably) a substance or two. —OA
TASHA: “Michigan”
Chicago singer-songwriter TASHA has been spending her time on stage performing in Illinoise—the Broadway musical adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois—but she’s taken a quick breath to announce her signing to Bayonet with a laid-back, contemplative tune: “Michigan,” her first track since she graced us with her 2021 album, Tell Me What You Miss the Most. Written on an isolated trip to the title state following the passing of her and her partner’s pet, TASHA brightens the gloom with a breezy intertwining of her effortlessly airy vocal and shimmery riffage as she sings, “But the ones we lose / Always return in the end.” —OA
Tenci: “Bubblegum”
The latest single from Tenci, “Bubblegum,” is only what I can categorize as “Twee Jazz”—and it’s absolutely a show-stopper. The Chicago four-piece are gearing up for a tour with Another Michael, and what better way to get the momentum swelling than releasing your best song yet? “Bubblegum” is a track that, according to vocalist Jess Shoman, “ponders the cruelty of the world, life and death in relation to the ever-changing inner-spirit, and how feeling uninspired can feel like your soul is fading.” And likewise, the breakdown of “Bubblegum,” which explodes with such a strained, orchestral, melodic and distorted amalgam of paradoxical, outward sounds, suggests such a dynamic, finite way of thinking. “My container garden’s dying,” Shoman cries out. “All I want is to be new.” It’s a line you can feel deep in your bones. —MM
This Is Lorelei: “Where’s Your Love Now”
The really cool thing about This Is Lorelei’s new album, Box for Buddy, Box for Star is that, magically, every single is better than the last (which says a lot, I think, because lead single “Dancing in the Club” was fucking incredible). Nate Amos’ solo, side, companion-project to Water From Your Eyes has more than enough legs of its own to stand on, and “Where’s Your Love Now” is a beautiful indie-pop song that is experimental but only for how straight it sounds. This is the same guy who makes up one-half of one of the freakiest, coolest, bonkers bands working right now. To hear Amos step back and make something so orchestral and melodic and frill-less, it’s a real joy—especially when the results are like this. “I’m healthier now, and I’m doing just fine,” Amos sings, in his rhapsodic, monotone drawl. “Long after our time is over, but I still wanna cry when I remember your lies.” The songwriting has bluegrass and Nashville Sound undertones, but Amos would never let a track be that simple. The work sounds like high-brow primitive pop excellence of yesteryear and bedroom classics of the last decade. Few musicians can do such a thing, but Nate Amos exists in his own league. —MM
TV Star: “Ride”
Although Seattle band TV Star only started releasing music together three years ago, they have members who’ve been on the scene playing with peers like Regional Justice Center and Militarie Gun—and their contributions to TV Star bring more of a dreamy energy to the heavier sounds they’ve explored in those other projects. Earlier this year, the power-pop group teamed up with Spiral XP for a collaborative four-track EP, and now they are back with a jangly garage rock tune, “Ride.” The single will be featured on From Far It All Seems Small: A Compilation From Seattle’s Underground from KR Records, and “Ride” builds on the fuzzed-out sound they expanded on across TVXP—while adding a jaunty aura to the amusing question the band poses to their audience, “Are we going along for the ride?” If they keep bringing me sunny, jangle rock, I’ll follow TV Star just about anywhere. —OA
Webbed Wing: “My Front Door”
“My Front Door,” the third single off Webbed Wing’s forthcoming LP, Vol III, is all sick riffs and summer-ready melodies. It’s a perfect pump-up track, one that feels primed for adventure, sustaining its firecracker energy through its slow, simmering breakdown. “My Front Door” is a song largely about loneliness, but the hook just begs for a fired up crowd to sing along at the top of their lungs. —GS
Wishy: “Love On The Outside”
After releasing their debut EP Paradise last December, it was only a matter of time before Wishy put everyone on notice with a debut LP. Now, that time has come, as the Indianapolis band’s new album, Triple Seven, is set to arrive in August. Lead single is a perfect amalgam of everything Wishy made loud on Paradise: jangly, hooky guitars, shoegazy energy and vocals from Kevin Krauter that wouldn’t sound out of place on a mid-2010s emo track. “Love On The Outside” features some especially thick, melodic guitars that enter the song’s soundscape like a brimstone fire. “People are strange and this life’s such a gas,” Krauter sings out. “Caught up believing there’s no more to be had, but once in a while you could smile at that.” There’s hope and frustration throughout the track’s arc, paralleled by skyscraping, humongous riffs and anxious backline distortion and thunderous percussion. Wishy are making the Midwest proud with every release. —MM
Other Notable Songs: Another Michael: “I’m Your Roommate”; Beachwood Sparks: “Falling Forever”; Beth Gibbons: “Lost Changes”; Bloomsday: “Artichoke”; CANDY ft. Justice Tripp: “You Will Never Get Me”; DJ Seinfeld: “If U Like Me”; Dr. Dog: “Tell Your Friends”; esperanza spalding & Milton Nascimento: “Outubro”; Fake Fruit: “Mucho Mistrust”; Fine: “Coasting”; Guided By Voices: “Cavemen Running Naked”; Jessica Boudreaux: “Back Then”; Jordana & Paul Cherry: “My Idol”; Loma: “Pink Sky”; MILLY: “Spilling Ink”; Nada Surf: “In Front of Me Now”; Nap Eyes: “Feline Race Waves”; One Step Closer: “Blur My Memory”; Porches: “Joker”; Squirrel Flower: “Cortez the Killer”; SML: “Industry”; Strand of Oaks: “Future Temple”; The Decemberists: “Oh No!”; Winter: “shaniatwainlovestory”; Young Jesus: “Am I The Only One?”; Zero Point Energy: “Disintegration”
Check out a playlist of these great songs below.