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Best new songs to stream: U2 with Kendrick Lamar, Jim James, and more.

Jim james
Justin Wise/Flickr
Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click — you want the best new songs to stream right now.

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.

U2 — Get Out of Your Own Way (featuring Kendrick Lamar)

U2‘s latest single comes as part of a musical trade. Following an appearance on Kendrick Lamar‘s showstopping album DAMN, the iconic Irish rock band has enlisted the rapper for a spoken word outro on this new song from their own upcoming release, Songs of Experience. Apart from the ending, the song sounds like many of the band’s classic songs, with airy guitars joined by a simple beat and Bono’s indelible voice.

Jim James — I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times

Jim James - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (Visualizer)

My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James has offered up an excellent cover of The Beach Boys‘ classic single I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times that’s had us coming back to listen to it over and over again. This is a rare cover of a legendary tune that does justice to the original, with gorgeous stereo mixing, layered vocals, and an elegant string quartet creating the same intricate wall of sound.

Gorillaz — Garage Palace (featuring Little Simz)

Gorillaz - Garage Palace (Visualiser)

Up-and-coming U.K. rapper Little Simz spits a series of quick-paced verses over a driving electronic beat on Garage Palace, a special bonus track from everyone’s favorite animated band, Gorillaz. The song is a perfect pick-me-up for a rainy fall day. It will have you head-bobbing your way through each second of its two-and-a-half minute runtime — and all but forcing you to hit the repeat button.

Pinegrove — Intrepid

Pinegrove - "Intrepid" (Official Audio)

The first new single from Pinegrove since last year’s excellent album Cardinal utilizes the same lyric-heavy, mixed-meter style that made us fall for the band in the first place. Intrepid begins as a sparse guitar-and-vocals affair before adding thick layers of bass, drums, and background vocals that lead up to a washy guitar fade-out.

Ought — These Three Things

Ought - These 3 Things (Official Music Video)

A driving single that brings out our ’80s nostalgia in all its shoulder-padded glory, These Three Things from Canadian post-punk band Ought will help you push through the miles on your evening run or morning commute. A punchy bass line serves as the heartbeat for the track, joined by a simple and elegant drumbeat that features occasional triangle hits on the right side of the mix.

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:

Editors' Recommendations

Parker Hall
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
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