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 five best new songs to stream this week. And 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. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.
Lin-Manuel Miranda — Almost Like Praying
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has been outspoken in his support of those affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and he took his support a step further this week with the release of this star-studded charity single. Hispanic musicians Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, John Leguizamo, Rubén Blades, Camila Cabello, Joell Ortiz, Juan Luis Guerra, Dessa, and more appear at various points in Almost Like Praying to offer a powerful and uplifting message to those who could use it most.
Sufjan Stevens — Wallowa Lake Monster
Songwriter Sufjan Stevens promoted the upcoming release of a collection of unreleased B-sides called The Greatest Gift with the release of this gorgeous seven-minute single, an outtake from his 2015 full length album Carrie & Lowell. Fans of Stevens will love the new track — a thoughtful, ambiance-filled song that sounds like it barely missed the final cut of the album.
Landlady — Cadaver (and more, live at NPR’s Tiny Desk)
Brooklyn’s Landlady recently performed this series of perfectly arranged songs at NPR’s offices in Washington D.C. The groovy and compelling tunes showcase each member of the quartet’s outstanding and creative musicianship. They are joined by a string quartet for the final track, not that you’ll need that as a reason to stick around until the end of the 20-minute live video.
Lo Tom — Bubblegum (and more, live on KEXP)
Lo Tom‘s Bubblegum is the kind of song you imagine putting on when you start up a vintage muscle car or put on a black leather jacket. A driving bit of rock ‘n’ roll with a clean and hooky melody, the tune showcases powerful distorted guitars and fat drum tones. It’s just the kind of thing you need to start your engines.
Gregory Porter — Smile
The velvety vocal tone of singer Gregory Porter is perfectly suited to this Nat King Cole tune, part of an upcoming tribute to the late, great vocalist. Porter is joined by a full jazz orchestra and strings on the track, a beautiful recording that we can easily imagine becoming one of the definitive versions of this standard.
That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more songs to stream, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:
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