Worthy
By Mavis Staples
The 84-year-old civil rights activist and legendary soul singer Mavis Staples gets seriously funky with this righteous message of empowerment and self-belief, which taps into a bit of Prince (with whom she worked) and Sly Stone. Still touring, still got something important to say. – Graham Reid
Blue Dreams
By Holly Arrowsmith
Should those “Come Together” local tribute shows ever do Joni Mitchell’s Blue, it sounds like Arrowsmith would need to be press-ganged into service alongside Nadia Reid (hey, maybe call it Ladies of the Canyon and add that album’s hits). She recently won the APRA Country Song of the Year for Desert Dove but there’s something about Arrowsmith’s melodies and lyrics that take her out of boot-scootin’ territory, and Blue Dreams is but one more fine example of that. – Russell Baillie
Spiralling
By Liam Finn
Out touring Up Over with Crowded House, Finn releases another track in his by-instalments “Hyperverse” project. This latest one seems to indicate joining the family firm doesn’t mean he’s turned his back on being the solo singer-songwriter doing the frenzy with his drums, guitar and loop pedals. It goes all past in quite a rush. – Russell Baillie
My Bad
By Rita Mae
Hot on the heels of her pop-rocky release Kiss the Sky, My Bad is a more stripped back but equally sultry take from Aucklander Rita Mae. It does build though, with punchy layered vocals toward the end and a consistent drum and bass. She teamed up with Kyle Berzle - who has Kiwi pop heavyweights Broods in his repertoire - to write the sarcastically apologetic track. – Alana Rae
Red Hearts
By Blake
The Queenstown-born, London-based singer Blake has released a peppy pop track conversely lamenting the tribulations of online life, whether it be anxiously texting a crush or scrolling the day away. “If there’s a billion people in the palm of my hand, why do I feel so disconnected?” she sings. A question for the ages. – Alana Rae
us
By Gracie Abrams ft. Taylor Swift
Just last week this column was pondering “the Taylor Swift effect” when it came to Abrams and now, the US pop up-and-comer has released her new album containing a feature from the infamous Eras Tour main act. The track has the whimsical, folky nature of Swift’s critically acclaimed folklore era, but of course with a healthy dash of female rage in the bridge. The pair’s vocals blend naturally, and Swift’s easy-to-read, emotional voice brings a nice grit to contrast Abrams’ sweetness. Swift and one of her favourite producers Aaron Dessner (possibly only second to her bestie Jack Antonoff) joined forces for the writing and production, making for a bit of pop dream-team. – Alana Rae
Ticket
By Bad With Phones
This uncategorisable London artist mashes up spoken word, soul, hip-hop, R’n’B and electro-pop to present strangely compelling songs like this and the previous Don’t Talk To Me which suggest his Crash album due in July could be one of the year’s weirdest but most important releases. Tune in now. – Graham Reid
Arriaga, String Quartet No.1, III. Minuetto, Allegro – Trio, Più moderato.
By La Ritirata
Writing about Nannerl Mozart – Mozart’s elder sister, who was also a child prodigy – last week got me thinking about unfulfilled talent. Pergolesi died at 26. Lili Boulanger just 24. I’ve previously written about the rediscovery of Vítězslava Kaprálová, who was 25 when she died. So how about “The Spanish Mozart”, Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga? He, too, was a prodigious talent. At 15 he was sent to study at the Paris Conservatoire, where he learnt from, among others, Cherubini, who proclaimed, “You are music itself.” By that point he’d already written his first opera. Arriaga’s best-known works, the Symphony in D and his three string quartets, followed soon after. A dazzling career beckoned. Alas, Arriaga died in Paris in 1826, with just 30 known works to his name. He was 19. - Richard Betts
