Aua Atu Rā
by Marlon Williams
This quite sublime lament announces Williams’ forthcoming Te Whare Tīwekaweka (April 4), his first album all in te reo Māori. As a timely message of unity this single can hardly be faulted: it speaks of our sense of individual isolation but that we’re all in the same waka. Williams brings it home with a beautifully easy melody which recalls classic te reo Showband ballads and goes out on a sweep of steel guitar. Sounds like a new classic which should play equally well overseas for his heartfelt delivery. – Graham Reid
Hold It Up
by Nadia Reid
A fourth single from Reid’s forthcoming album Enter Now Brightness. It begins with a lovely drum machine loop, like you might hear on a Sharon Van Etten or Kurt Vile track – before layers of guitar and keys rein in Reid’s lush vocals. This extra production adds another element to what’s shaping up to be a fantastic record. Comes with a 35mm music video shot on a characteristically windswept day on Piha Beach – featuring Auckland dancer Oli Mathieson. (see below). – Sam Clark
Blueprint
by Napoleon Baby!
Auckland indie-rock trio tap into the spirit and energy of early 1980s post-punk with a tight, melodic rush of anxious pop. It announces their new EP of the same name which includes previous singles Sailors and Unworthy Boys, with an acoustic version of Blur’s Beetlebum. Good collection from a band with something to say and building a sound catalogue. – Graham Reid
Kick the Stars Around the Trashy Sky
by School Fair
Dunedin alternative rock outfit, School Fair (three-quarters of Marlin’s Dreaming) have released another lot of brooding sounds, with bird the kid. This is the lead track on the album, driven by a classic guitar tone of overdrive and tremolo – and a brilliant spoken-word verse from Rose Pickernell, following her stellar feature on their 2021 album. The band could hold their own alongside the rising post-punk acts of today such as Bar Italia, Fontaines D.C and Squid. – Sam Clark
Go Out and Kick Up a Fuss
by Aga-Panthers
Fronted by Ron Haynes (formerly drummer with London-based Serafin) with Hallelujah Picassos’ bassist Johnny Pain and Nelson’s Louis Bragg on guitars, this rough-edged call to action was released on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Gets a bit metal in the middle too. One for alternative radio playlists. – Graham Reid
Mau Moko
by Alien Weaponry
When Alien Weaponry drop a single you can hear the thump right across to motu. This again marries the power and passion of warrior culture and haka with thrash metal to address the importance of tā moko: “With the song’s video,” says bassist/writer Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds, “we wanted to show the darker side of the history of moko and how the head trade played a part in the near extinction of the tradition. We fought through it and continue to fight for its revival still today!” An advance warning of their new album Te Rā (March 28) and tour with Samoan metallers Shepherds Reign. Bring the noise. – Graham Reid
Ocean Steppin’
by John Glacier, Sampha
Ahead of her debut album, London’s John Glacier has joined forces with Mercury Prize-winning singer and producer, Sampha. The pair’s respective styles work in harmony – with Glacier’s stream-of-consciousness rapping and Sampha’s delicate vocals. Over the past couple of years, Glacier has worked with UK electronica pioneers, Jamie xx and Vegyn. Bodes well for her new album, Like A Ribbon, out February 14. – Sam Clark
Turn Off the Lights
by CMON CMON
This British/Belgian trio resurrect the shiny spirit of power pop (Big Star, the Shoes, Badfinger, Wannadies, Gin Blossoms etc) and make it sound as fresh and vital as their predecessors. Paired with their equally jangling single All the Other Kids of late last year, these guys are gearing up for an excellent EP following their terrific 2023 album The Crack and the Light. Newly minted classic power pop. – Graham Reid
I’m With You
by Ziggy Alberts
Australian folk-pop artist Alberts delivers a clever and quite addictive summer single which slips between the jaunty and some smart speak-sing passages while weaving through a love story as well as some comment on and being sick and tired of being lonely to make a little art, and the pain of choosing head over heart. He’s made the upbeat choice of love over loneliness and his album New Love due February 21 could be very cheerful. – Graham Reid
Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915.
by Kathleen Battle soprano, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, André Previn conductor.
I wrote last year that while Samuel Barber’s Adagio is the composer’s best-known work, and his Violin Concerto is performed often, I prefer Knoxville: Summer of 1915, for voice and orchestra. Knoxville’s lullaby sway, a setting of words by James Agee, contains multitudes: innocence, wonder, isolation, drowsy-eyed observation, and that’s just the first few minutes. Kathleen Battle – the diva’s diva (she once made her manager instruct her limousine driver to turn down the air conditioning. Battle, in the car’s back seat, was in Japan. Battle’s manager, in New York, was not) – captures all of that with her swooning, just-behind-the-beat performance. – Richard Betts
