Flood
By Little Simz, Obong Jayar, Moonchild Sannelly
Had Nina Simone ever turned up on an album by Massive Attack or Tricky, this is how it might have sounded. British rap star and 2021 Mercury Prize winner Little Simz heads to her sixth album Lotus with this gothic-gospel rumble with her rhymes punctuated by hooks from androgynous-voiced Nigerian singer Obongjayar and South African star Moonchild Sannelly. Riveting. – Russell Baillie
Update
by Burna Boy
Hitching the Afrobeats sound to a sample from Soul II Soul’s Back to Life means Nigeria’s Grammy-winning Burna Boy hits two targets – soul-pop and dance – on a boiling single which is hard to shake off. A dance track bottled and ready to drink. – Graham Reid
U Scared
by Who Shot Scott
For the fifth and final song to be released on his Brain (Side B) EP, Auckland producer-artist Zaidoon Nasir has saved his highest energy warped rap-rock offering to last on a song that might remind of a scuzzed-up LCD Sound System with its industrial throb and angry yelp of a vocal. He’s going to give WOMAD a fright. – Russell Baillie
Only You
by Womb
Another dreamy single from the Wellington sibling trio, in anticipation of their third album (Out March 14). Drawing on Chris Knox’s Not Given Lightly, Womb add layers of reverbed synths and chorused guitar – to present a uniquely Aotearoa shoegazey sound. The 16mm video places the band on a grassy hill, with horses prancing behind them, complementing the graceful slow-motion editing (see below). – Sam Clark
Undercover
by Aidan Fine
A bit hop-hop, a touch sitar-psychedelic and momentarily quite Beach Boys, the latest in a run of singles by the Florida-born, Johannesburg-raised Auckland-based Aidan Fine (his real name) is both a very nifty piece of DIY production and quite the summer pop earworm. – Russell Baillie
I Wanna Tell Somebody
by Chaos in the CBD, Josh Milan
Soul-infused sounds from Auckland’s favourite house duo. With their album out in May, Chaos in the CBD are keeping our summer playlists full with this sunny, Balearic track. Josh Milan’s smooth vocals are a treat over this spacious downtempo production. While house music traditionally draws on samples, it’s special when a singer makes music with a dance track in mind. – Sam Clark
18
by Jackson Charles
Pōneke Wellington singer/writer Charles hooks in a lot of elements which are instantly familiar and appealing: the mellow summer groove, a touch of soul, some horns and lyrically going straight for the nostalgia factor by talking about leaving school behind, a road trip, a reference to Che-Fu’s Misty Frequencies on the radio, “this summer feels like no other”. The whole thing feels as breezy as everything he evokes. Very clever and already garnering radio play. Nostalgia for things that never went away? – Graham Reid
Got Me Good
by Luana Gordon
More classy, sophisticated sounds from emerging Pasifika singer following her equally subtle Drunk in the Living Room and Working the Weekend singles. A Latin shuffle underpins this reflection on a past relationship which has a light, poppy touch but an adult sensibility. Quite something. – Graham Reid
Laugh Louder
by Jenni Smith
The long tail of Taylor Swift’s pop-country autobiographical style drives this catchy outing by Auckland’s Smith who finds something celebratory in leaving a bad relationship behind and “now it’s October and I’m seeing someone else”. Love after the leaving. – Graham Reid
Hell suite, Pt. II
by Darkside
Psychedelic sounds from Nicolás Jaar’s Darkside project – whose new album Nothing is out now. Perhaps the standout track from the LP so far, it’s no surprise they waited to release it. A clever bass riff paves the way for a lush mix of acoustic guitar, distorted vocals and swinging drums. The vocals are hardly decipherable, but you’ll be nodding along regardless. – Sam Clark
Elisenda Fábregas, Gacelas de amor: I. ‘Gacela del amor desesperado’
by Trio Haydée
Voice, flute and harp is a rare but not unknown combination, and Trio Haydée is on a mission to promote what repertoire there is. The French group’s debut album, Ciels d’or (Golden Skies, released on Voces8 Records), makes a strong case, and features a selection of works by female composers alive and dead. Grace Williams, Pauline Viardot and Lili Boulanger are comparatively well known, but there are a number of new-to-me composers here, including the Spaniard Elisenda Fábregas, whose lovely settings of poems by Lorca may lose something in translation – who wouldn’t rather listen to ‘Gacelas de amor desesperado’ than ‘Desperate Gazelles of Love’? Great piece though. International Women’s Day 2025 is March 8. – Richard Betts
