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 new songs, delivering a weekly playlist of our favorites. Check out this week’s material, in alphabetical order. (You can check out an ongoing playlist of every best new songs pick of 2024 here.)
Advance Base: “The Tooth Fairy”
“The Tooth Fairy” is Owen Ashworth at his absolute best. You come to Advance Base’s music for the minimal, melancholic synth-pop, but you stay for the storytelling—which is so often as painful as it is wistful and familiar. “The Tooth Fairy” is an ode to Ashworth’s daughter losing a tooth but not having a dollar bill to put under her pillow. “Now I’d just intended to break my twenty so I’d have a dollar to put under her pillow,” he sings. “I figured a six-pack of High Life would do the trick as well as a candy bar would.” The track, which features a soft, looping keyboard melody, takes a turn toward worry, as Ashworth returns from the store to find his daughter missing (“I crept through the back door to Melody’s room but found her bed empty / Oh, I said her name and I switched on the light and panicked and shouting, I searched through the house”), but there resolve comes: “Just as I thought I should call the police, I heard Melody through the window. I ran out the front door as she turned to me, her bare little feet on the street, and through her sobbing she asked me, ‘Where did you go? Where did you go, Dad? I couldn’t find you.’” The way Ashworth sings those final lines will have you in shambles. —Matt Mitchell
Annie DiRusso ft. Ruston Kelly: “Wearing Pants Again”
“I love pain as it’s settling in,” sings Annie DiRusso, with Ruston Kelly providing gauzy harmony. “I went to your show / Fuck, I wish that I didn’t / Love the sound of water / As it’s swallowing me whole.” DiRusso’s latest single, “Wearing Pants Again,” is equal parts self-assured and self-effacing, the track’s raw vulnerability grounded in her clear confidence in her craft. There’s something achingly mundane about the track’s portrayal of hurt, filled as it is with descriptions of “flies on the walls,” “gunshots over East Park,” and the unnerving feeling of offness that pervades the experience of settling into a new not-quite home (“Hate the way my new room smells / Keep picturing the guy who just moved out / Did he drink and piss the bed? / Did his girlfriend fucking hate him? / The air is thick and gray / From burning all this sage, and / I can’t breathe”). Hauntingly beautiful and backed by soft guitar fuzz, DiRusso sings about the stickiness of pain, her lyrics as biting as they are relatable. “This song is about trying to pull yourself out of a dark spot,” she says in a press release, “yet you’re still catching your foot on something that’s trying to keep you there.” The feeling of it persists long after the song comes to a close, those gorgeous, tender harmonies still ringing in your ears. —Casey Epstein-Gross
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: “London May”
Will Oldham, the eternal wanderer of Americana’s shadowy backroads, offers up The Purple Bird’s second single, “London May,” an ode to the singer-songwriter’s decades-long bond with, yes, London May himself. Written with a nod to May’s punk lineage (Samhain, anyone?) and their mutual love of storytelling, Oldham’s poeticism and poignancy is put on full display: the song begins with “Leave it to solitude all along / Only the lonely can be so strong” before jumping right into existential concerns with “Death looks in the window as only death must”. Produced by David “Ferg” Ferguson, the song weaves harmonies from Kentucky native Brit Taylor, blending hushed acoustics with a sense of quiet triumph, creating an atmosphere that’s both tender and forlorn. Oldham’s voice, as always, is the anchor—fragile but resolute, delivering lines that cut to the quick. With The Purple Bird on the horizon (out January 31, 2025), “London May” is a vivid reminder of Oldham’s gift for pulling beauty from the margins. This one lingers. —Casey Epstein-Gross
Dazy: “I Get Lost”
Not too long ago Dazy, the project of James Goodson, released its IT’S ONLY A SECRET (If You Repeat It) EP. Today, Goodson surprise dropped another EP, this one called I GET LOST (when i try to get found), and its title track is peak rock ‘n’ roll—a proper mix of fuzzy guitar strokes, synth beats and opulent pop melodies that swirl through, as Goodson explains, “that contrast of human-sounding guitars vs. very locked-in, mechanical, intricate beats.” “I Get Lost” loops, glitches and crushes; the height of its gleam rises through that “I get lost when I try to get found” chorus, an earworm I’m gonna be singing to myself deep into the weekend. —Matt Mitchell
Dutch Interior: “Sandcastle Molds”
Earlier this year, LA band Dutch Interior signed with Fat Possum, released the thick, distorted single “Ecig” and let the mystique of their identity simmer for a bit. Now, the group are back and taking a full 180 on “Sandcastle Molds,” a far more psychedelic lick with heavy, thumping drums and acoustic guitar strums that flirt with flamenco picking. Bandleader Jack Nugent says that the song “grew from the realization, while driving down the 405 after a long night, that I might be losing my edge.” In that sense, “Sandcastle Molds” is a big, existential question about preserving hope amid life’s most unbearable and unavoidable disintegrations. Nugent sounds like Phil Elverum on Adderall when he sings “All our hopes will surely erode with time, stone to sand, I just want to know where it all goes. Memories cave painted on your eyelids, the future is decided, the reactor is swelling.” “Sandcastle Molds” starts building towards a climax, but the work never pushes itself over that line—instead reacting to itself and the kind of patience that best soundtracks a line like “If I died, I would not disturb you, no crosses flipped over, just memories in static.” It’s another shade of Dutch Interior, a band that could very well become a big, big thing in 2025. —Matt Mitchell
girlpuppy: “Champ”
In her first release since 2022’s album When I’m Alone, Atlanta singer-songwriter Becca Harvey cuts through the nostalgic longing to save a friendship that’s doomed on “Champ.” Friendship troubles will always be a fascinating and nuanced topic to make music about, and Harvey airs out her own struggles about unfair power dynamics, how a so-called “friend” has her “feeling like a loser” in comparison. Over swirling guitars and a scuffling bass underscore, she stands up for herself, while acknowledging the moments of weakness where she wishes things were the way they used to be: “I just wanna be your champ,” she yearns during a fuzzy and tender chorus. The paradigm of “Champ” is an interesting one: Harvey fights between wanting to be a warrior that idolizes this “friend”—shifting into who they want her to be—and standing up for herself. It’s candid, honest and very much an open wound. “There’s so much I wanna tell you / So much shit I want to talk,” she cries out, but the pain of how this friendship has burned her reigns triumphant over the sweet nostalgia for the good days—and Harvey comes out of the ring as a true champion, raising up her glove and putting herself first. —Alli Dempsey
jasmine.4.t: “You Are the Morning”
The title track from jasmine.4.t’s upcoming album, You Are the Morning, is a gentle folk song that tackles regret—for who we can, and cannot, save in this life. Jasmine Cruickshank sings about queer and trans healing, writing “You Are the Morning” as an ode to her dear friend Han, who supported her through her transition while she was houseless. As Cruickshank puts it, “you are the morning” is “an awakening to our power, and a call to action,” and the song—which was produced by boygenius—is as much of a dream as it is an act of resistance and love. “You deserve much better than what he gave you, wish I could’ve saved you,” she sings. “Not the time for you and me, maybe you don’t want a girl like me.” When Cruickshank delivers the final verse—“If I stay, if just for one more year, to place your hair behind your ear, to stroke your wrist from left to right as you hold me in the morning light”—you’re probably already weeping uncontrollably, but the song’s ending just ups the ante for good measure. —Matt Mitchell
mary in the junkyard: “bear walk”
Mary in the junkyard’s latest track, “bear walk,” is less a song than it is a mournful short story filled with lost love and spirit guides and the tempting lure of the big city. The London-based band—Clari Freeman-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Saya Barbaglia (bass, viola) and David Addison (drums)—were originally a folk project, and “bear walk” sees them returning to that same unfettered rawness. Mary in the junkyard explain: “‘bear walk’ is the story of someone trying to make their lover stay with them in their feral lifestyle. It is about the push and pull between wildness and conventionality, and was born from us playing some acoustic gigs over the summer.” Freeman-Taylor’s idiosyncratic voice is so high and otherworldly on “bear walk” you worry it might disappear into the ether, while Barbaglia’s violin floats eerily in the background. The song reminds us that heartbreak is, at its core, a haunting: The person is gone, but their memory follows you everywhere, waiting to be exorcised. —Clare Martin
Mayme O’Toole: “Rosemary”
I’ll be honest—I hadn’t heard of Mayme O’Toole before last night, when I was lucky enough to catch her set at Seattle’s Tractor Tavern. It was bitterly cold outside, but O’Toole and her band—drummer Charlie Meyer (The Sons of Rainier), guitarist Eli Moore and keyboard/trumpet player Ashley Eriksson (both of LAKE)—radiated warmth from the stage. I was surprised to learn it was their first time performing live together; O’Toole and her band played off each other with an easiness and lushness akin to Tapestry-era Carole King, with a touch of twee thrown in for good measure. Originally from Sacramento, O’Toole is now based on the pine tree-covered Whidbey Island, just off Seattle. She released her debut album, Crying Over Toast, just before Thanksgiving, and the standout track for me (and her opener last night) was “Rosemary,” a sweet tune with an earnestness and winning charm reminiscent of Connie Converse. Unhurried guitar and high, heavenly keys greet the listener before O’Toole’s soft, gentle voice comes in like a soothing balm. Her lyrics are simple yet evocative: “Rubbing my hands along / Rosemary bush in the yard / Leaving little leaves as I go / I think of you.” I can almost smell the herbs on my palms now. —Clare Martin
MIKE: “You’re the Only One Watching”
In October, MIKE followed up his March record with Tony Seltzer, Pinball, with the very good and hazy stream-of-conscious track “Pieces of a Dream.” Cut to the end of November, and the prolific rapper cast an even wider net across his next chapter, releasing the incredibly sublime new single “You’re the Only One Watching.” The song comes as a part of an announcement of his new album, Showbiz!, which is set to arrive at the end of January via 10k. MIKE self-produced “You’re the Only One Watching” himself, under his dj blackpower alias. The backbeat is exactly what you’d expect—woozy and soulful, paired with a slow-burn flow from MIKE that unfurls beneath a stretched-out, pitched-up vocal sample. It’s a splendid, hypnotic two-minute trip. —Matt Mitchell
Miya Folick: “Erotica”
Indie-pop chameleon Miya Folick just announced her new self-produced album Erotica Veronica, out February 28, 2025 via Nettwerk. The LP promises to eschew societal expectations around sex and pleasure, challenging us to discover our own desires on our own terms. Folick explains, “I don’t think we give each other enough room to explore freely and figure out our own right paths.” In this vein of unapologetic freedom, the album’s announcement was accompanied by the record’s opening track, “Erotica,” and a glossy, sensual video directed by Antonio Marziale. The scenes feature two Folicks: one perched at a control board, pressing buttons to stimulate the second Folick, who’s trapped behind a two-way mirror dressed just in her skivvies. “‘Erotica’ is a song about fantasy and pleasure—it’s not just about sex, it’s about a richness of experience, a playfulness, a connection, an open approach to each day,” she says. “I think that we’re fed rules about what an appropriate fantasy looks like, especially when you’re coupled. Our culture is so puritanical in that way. But I think that it’s important for me to retain my autonomy of thought, and truthfully sharing my fantasies is an act of tenderness and intimacy.” And while the song itself is rooted in fantasy, Folick revels in the imperfect textures of daily life over fervent guitar and chiming synths: “I just wanna flirt with a girl in broad daylight on the street / I can see her chapped lips, burnt by the sun, as she’s leaning into me.” —Clare Martin
Sky Ferreira: “Leash”
After years of rumors of being censored by her label, fans waiting for new songs and promises of a #FerreiraFall, Sky Ferreira has marked her return with “Leash”—her single for the soundtrack of A24’s upcoming film Babygirl. The track can’t be more appropriate for a comeback single; she is breaking out of her silence over a new-wave haze and ripples of piercing electric guitars. Ferreira is brooding—something that she explored in the mysterious standalone 2022 single “Don’t Forget”—but she sounds confident. Long gone are the teenaged Tumblr blog days of yearning, as Ferreira declares “I’ll run through everything that you are.” “Leash” still possesses that intoxicating grunge twist that made songs like “Night Time, My Time” so intimate and empowering, and Ferreira’s subdued murmur as she proclaims, “I’ll let you wear me like a scarf” adds to the mystique. Ferreira has had eyes on her—something that’s always made her uneasy—but the mounting pressure created a rich and glittery diamond of a track. She’s taking her power back, and flipping the script to express herself on her own terms, a unfettering feat that’s astonishingly clear on “Leash.” The queen has left “label jail” and her taste of freedom delivered—and now we are equipped for a combination Ferreira and Babygirl Winter. —Alli Dempsey
Best New Cover Song You Need to Hear: Waxahatchee & MJ Lenderman: “Abandoned”
In this stunning reinterpretation of Lucinda Williams’s “Abandoned,” Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield and MJ Lenderman craft a version that’s equal parts reverent and raw. Stripped back to its emotional core, this cover is a masterclass in quiet devastation. Where Williams’s original slow-burn pulses with a kind of wild longing, Crutchfield and Lenderman’s rendition peels it back even further to reveal the unimaginable expanse of yearning underneath. Released as part of Crutchfield’s Apple Music Nashville Sessions EP, the track stands out not just for its haunting vocals but for the chemistry between the two artists, who inhabit the song together, building a home inside it. It’s a version that doesn’t try to compete with the already incredible original; instead, it transforms it into something equally timeless, but with a fresh, intimate touch. —Casey Epstein-Gross
Other Notable Songs This Week: Bambara: “Pray to Me”; Disclosure & Pa Salieu: “King Steps”; Double Wish: “Soft Skin”; FACS: “Desire Path”; Footballhead: “Silver”; Glixen: “Lick the Star”; Hildegard: “No Other Mind”; HiTech ft. Zelooperz: “Shadowrealm”; HotWax: “Wanna Be a Doll”; Kassie Krut: “Blood”; Kele: “Kintsugi”; Kesha: “Delusional”; Real Lies: “Loverboy”; Sam Fender: “Wild Long Lie”; Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory: “The Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)”; Sunny War ft. Tré Burt: “Scornful Heart”
Check out a playlist of this week’s best new songs below.