But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.
Here are our top 5 songs to stream this week. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post.
Paul Simon (Feat Nico Segal) — Stranger
Nico Segal, the frequent Chance the Rapper collaborator formerly know as Donnie Trumpet, released a terrific remix of two new Paul Simon tracks this week, squeezing together pieces of The Werewolf and The Clock from Simon’s recently released album Stranger To Stranger into a new single. The song is airy and freeform, with a simple cross-stick beat that appears over smooth keyboard sounds about halfway through. Simon’s words are arranged playfully by the beatsmith, with Simon made to sound like a guest rapper.
Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam — Mr. Tambourine Man
Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam’s cover of Bob Dylan’s iconic Mr. Tamborine Man is a simple rendition of the original, but it doesn’t feel forced or corny: It feels like groovier alternate take from a young Dylan himself. Leithauser’s speech-song tone is a quality imitation of the Nobel laureate’s youthful vocal chords, with Rostam contributing silky background vocals atop acoustic guitar and a shaker-driven beat.
Ultimate Painting — Monday Morning, Somewhere Central
A perfect running song, Ultimate Painting’s Monday Morning, Somewhere Central, is gentle but driving, courtesy of a driving eighth-note bass line and constant shaker. A pop song with a distinctly Velvet Underground influence, this is a cool mix of mellow tones with a beat that’s worth moving your body to.
Fufanu — Sports (Live on KEXP)
Icelandic band Fufanu slowly builds their song Sports from a wistful bass line into a driving rock song, providing numerous intricate guitar, keyboard, and vocal interludes to latch onto during this six-minute live take. It’s the sort of thing that works as an awesome backdrop to the end of a work day or weekend project, with quick pulsating rhythms to drive you to the finish line.
Laura Marling — Soothing
Laura Marling’s Soothing is a dark and jazzy affair that simmers the whole way through. Produced by Alabama Shakes’ studio wizard Blake Mills, there’s an organic feel to the song that invokes thoughts of smoky back rooms and whispered secrets, the sort of thing that seems like it will probably end up in a montage of dark deeds in some HBO series or other.
That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more tunes and check out our playlist loaded with our recent selections below:
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