The 10 Best New Songs

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 below.

Another Michael: “Under Pressure“

Another Michael have shared their first new single of 2022, “Water Pressure,” out now on Run for Cover Records. The release follows the Philadelphia-based band’s acclaimed first full-length New Music and Big Pop, which Paste praised as one of 2021’s best debut albums. “Water Pressure” is a lovely, acoustic guitar-driven tune that radiates gratitude and acceptance, zeroing in on those small, fleeting moments when everything just feels right. “One thing’s for sure, I sure am lucky / This is who I’m gonna be,” Michael Doherty begins, harmonizing beautifully with Alenni Davis over their cheery strums and Nick Sebastiano’s steady bass. “I’m just burning up some CDs for my friends / Icing up my broken heart again,” Doherty and Davis sing as the song moves through its heartfelt highs and lows, soaking up each flicker of joy while always wondering, “Why do good times sneak up on me?” —Scott Russell

Blunt Chunks: “BWFW“

Toronto-based musician Caitlin Woelfle-O’Brien is gearing up for the release of her current musical project Blunt Chunks’ self-titled EP (out May 6 via Telephone Explosion), and has shared a second preview with new single “BWFW.” The follow-up to lead single “Natural Actors,” which harnesses a more abrasive, early-2000s pop-punk-inspired sound than its predecessor, arrives with a visualizer. Where “Natural Actors” embraced smooth piano and angelic voices joining in on the chorus, handling the tale of her collapse with grace, Woelfle-O’Brien isn’t afraid to get messier in the best sense on “BWFW.” “When I’m with you / I’m alone,” she asserts on the chorus, questioning where her relationship with her significant other can go from here and coming to the conclusion that it’s probably not going to work over aggressive, grungy backing. “Am I going backwards or forwards with you?” she finally asks in the song’s bridge, giving the song its title acronym and rethinking her next move over an onslaught of crashing cymbals and grinding fuzzy guitars that feel fit to soundtrack the world falling apart. —Elise Soutar

Francis of Delirium: “Mirrors“

Luxembourg-based musician Jana Bahrich (aka Francis of Delirium) has been releasing a trio of EPs over the past two years, sharing 2020’s All Change and 2021’s Wading before announcing the final installment in the EP trilogy, The Funhouse, this past September. Following the gradual release of the EP’s other songs, “All Love,” “Come Out and Play” and the title track, today (April 27) saw her round out both the EP and the trilogy by sharing her final The Funhouse track, opener “Mirrors.” Following in the doomy footsteps of the other tracks from the EP, “Mirrors” draws on a quiet-loud intensity that pairs well with the uncertain angst she expresses in the lyrics. “Covered in dust / And coughing up spite / I can’t look in the mirror / I wish you weren’t here,” Bahrich sings on the chorus, letting her voice stay breathy to allow wailing, feedback-drenched guitars to carry the song’s emotional heft. —Elise Soutar

Iceage: “All The Junk on the Outskirts”

Danish post-punkers Iceage are clearly not content with releasing Seek Shelter in 2022. They’ve also revisited a 2018 cut from Beyondless, “All The Junk on the Outskirts.” Propulsive drums inch closer and closer to a satisfying climax as the track’s moody atmosphere sheds its defenses with each passing second. Elias Bender Rønnenfelt abandons his monotony in the chorus with a sweet croon, and layers of vocal harmonies, drums and soft synths breathe new life into the track. Iceage are a testament to the never-ending process of making music, and with new perspectives, they bring new life to those hidden gems tucked in the back of the drawer. —Jade Gomez

Kelly Lee Owens: “One“

Last month, Kelly Lee Owens announced she would be releasing what she’s labeled her “eighth album,” (which will really be her third, if we’re counting) LP.8 today, April 29 (via Smalltown Supersound). She initially shared singles “Sonic 8” and “Olga” with the announcement, and now, she’s shared a third single, “One.” What the pair created together bridged a slew of influences, including Enya, Throbbing Gristle and Celtic mysticism, to express the full range of emotions one might feel about an uncertain time like the one we live in. That wide range is exhibited in the previews we’ve received, with “One” feeling like a slightly more hopeful expression of self-belief compared to the warning call of closer “Sonic 8.” The track toes the line between pretty and eerie, letting fuzzy ambient noise drone in and out of the twitching synths and booming drum machine patterns, providing a layer of all-consuming sound that stays constant while Owens’ multiple voices shift across her static-filled call for hope. —Elise Soutar

Quelle Chris feat. Pink Siifu and Moruf: “The Sky Is Blue Because The Sunset Is Red“

Quelle Chris is rap’s best-kept secret, and the Detroit-by-way-of-New York rapper and producer is gearing up to release DEATHFAME (May 13, Mello Music Group). “The Sky Is Blue Because The Sunset Is Red” enlists frequent collaborator Chris Keys alongside the king of chill Knxwledge to set the stage for some of the brightest lyricism in the game. Muffled, disjointed vocal samples are sprinkled throughout the lo-fi piano loop as Quelle trades bars with Pink Siifu and Moruf as they form their own connections to each other and reflect on mortality. It’s another addition to Quelle’s recurring themes of life, death and the beautifully tragic freefall into uncertainty. —Jade Gomez

Tchotchke: “Don’t Hang Up on Me”

New York band Tchotchke, made up of Anastasia Sanchez (drums, vocals), Eva Chambers (bass, vocals) and Emily Tooraen (guitar, vocals), have just announced their self-titled debut album, which arrives July 15 via Tchotchke Records. Its lead single, “Don’t Hang Up on Me,” is a fun, jittery ‘70s throwback (think virtuoso Queen guitars wailing in the background and theatrical Sparks falsetto running up and down the scale) that exudes enough energy to woo even the toughest skeptics. “Heard your voice but missed the ring / Now I can only focus on one thing,” the group sing, letting their voices swoop over each little instrumental flourish you might miss if you let your attention wane for even a second. Though it masquerades as a poppy sugar rush, there are so many smart details and twists in “Don’t Hang Up on Me” that it’ll keep you picking new things out through each inevitable relisten. —Elise Soutar

Teen Suicide: “coyote (2015-2021)“

Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Sam Ray has released his first new music as Teen Suicide in the better part of a decade, the six-plus-minute “coyote (2015-2021),” via Run for Cover Records. “coyote (2015-2021)” is a singular entry point to Teen Suicide’s music, a dreamy joyride through atmospheric indie rock, soothing ambient electronic and sound collage, and intimate folk-pop—as ever, Ray refuses to hold any one posture for long, bringing a vital creative energy to some of his most elegant instrumentation yet. Foregrounding the acoustic guitar over drums that roll like hills, Ray and co-producer Sean Mercer incorporate serene piano, horns (by Max Kuzmya) and electronic accents, as well as idyllic audio clips (such as what sounds like a family singing “Happy Birthday”). Only five minutes in does the track’s true form reveal itself, with Ray singing evocatively over acoustic strums: He conjures images of a “coyote lying dead / looks just like the family dog” and an “apple tree in the backyard / the sweetest thing I saw by far” that brim with death and new life alike. —Scott Russell

They Hate Change: “Some Days I Hate My Voice“

They Hate Change hail from Tampa Bay, and this exciting rap/production duo has been on Paste’s radar for some time now for their multi-genre influences that manifest in the most creative, interesting ways. Ahead of their forthcoming album Finally, New (May 13, Jagjaguwar), they share their final single “Some Days I Hate My Voice.” Aided by New Jersey producer titmouse, They Hate Change float on the hypnotic, watery synths as Vonne reflects on their gender identity. It opens with a sigh, paving the way for Vonne to reflect on the malleability of gender presentation and what visibility means. Despite being compared to fellow gender non-conforming musicians and getting sideways glances, Vonne’s spitfire bars encompass everything from annoyance to pride, ultimately proud of the endless possibilities of the human experience. —Jade Gomez

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs: “Crosswalk”

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, one of the most innovative British dance producers of the 2010s, has begun rolling out his first album since 2012’s Trouble. Due to label issues, TEED does not own the album. 2022’s When the Lights Go is a reclamation of his sound as he turns over a new leaf. “Crosswalk” is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, evoking the kind of careless, wistful snapshots of daily life and love that make TEED’s music so special. His earnesty is spread out in full view over oscillating synths and electronic drums, and this new chapter allows him to wear his heart on his sleeve and control his own future once and for all. —Jade Gomez