#Songs You Need In Your Life This Week
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Each week, The FADER staff rounds up the songs we can’t get enough of. Here they are, in no particular order. Listen on our Spotify and Apple Music playlists, or hear them all below.
Ethel Cain, “Punish”
Ethel Cain may have to spend more time policing her audience than she would like, but when she drops songs as knockout as “Punish,” you’re reminded of why she attracts such devotion. The first song from Cain’s upcoming Perverts is an ambient murder ballad that occupies a delicious middle ground between Grouper and Lana Del Rey. “Shame is sharp, and my skin gives so easy,” she sings as the line between love and violence dissolves into the ether. —David Renshaw
Cleo Sol, “Fear When You Fly”
Cleo Sol makes music to soothe the soul, and “Fear When You Fly” lands like medicine on a sick day. The U.K.-based artist, who contributes vocals to SAULT as well as her own solo material, returns with a new song about maintaining hope when times are tough. “If you notice that my smile’s not the same,” she sings over delicate guitar lines and hushed percussion, “Some friends I lost on the way, but I still have faith.” You may not share Sol’s faith in God, but the serenity her music brings makes the world seem calm for just a moment. —DR
Gabe ‘Nandez, Thomas Maggart, “Poppy Seed”
Gabe ‘Nandez’s new album, False Profit, is another collection of hard-boiled but empathetic raps. Right now, the song I have on repeat is “Poppy Seed.” Producer Thomas Maggart pushes an R&B sample to the front of the mix, draping it on top of ‘Nandez’s gruff vocals like silk over concrete. The New York rapper unspools a dizzying tale of narcotics and addiction, floating over the pain with an effortless flow. Zooming out to inspect how chemical dependance is such a widespread issue in the States, ‘Nandez lands on a simple but striking line: “Fuck the President.” —DR
FLO, “AAA”
“AAA” stands for “All Access Area,” a term that, in this case, FLO is using cheekily to describe their… well, you can do the imagining. The British R&B girl group’s songs often alternate between tossing boys to the side and courting their attraction, and their latest — the lead single of their highly anticipated debut album — falls squarely in the latter. Beyond its super sexy core, it’s a strong display of the group’s continued firm grasp on ‘90s R&B lure and deft harmonic vocal work, which is currently unmatched. When Stella’s vocals take off on the outro, joined by Jorja and Renee — *chef’s kiss*. —Steffanee Wang
The Hellp, “Stunn”
From the editorial-chic haircuts, skinny frames, all-leather ensembles, and the fact that their glitched out synth-pop experienced a rise concurrent with the indie sleaze revival — one could’ve safely assumed that The Hellp’s new album, LL, would be a regurgitation of hedonistic ‘00s pop made popular by groups like 3OH!3. But it’s clear, after a listen beyond the project’s hit single, “Colorado,” that the Los Angeles-duo is invested in much weirder and interesting things. “Stunn,” a genuine stunner from the album (no pun intended) is one potent example: a distorted, glitch-core collage that unravels itself into a transcendent piano-led outro. The Hellp isn’t just making music for parties, they’re also in a real pursuit of beauty. —SW
bbymutha, “buy mode.”
Every now and then, bbymutha blesses us with a surprise edition of her bastard tapes series. Following up her phenomenal April album, sleep paralysis, vol. 4 begins with “buy mode.,” on which she throws out devastating bars to her would-be enemies like crumpled tissues, nonchalant as ever, over a lovely arrangement of strings and woodwinds. —Raphael Helfand
Mount Eerie, “Night Palace”
The title track from Phil Elverum’s new Mount Eerie opus, Night Palace, begins with one of the most beautifully textured sounds you’ll hear all year, created by running a motorized air organ through extreme distortion and whistling into the ensuing melee, Elverum told The FADER. Above this sound, which runs across the entire track, Elverum sings a story about a time he was washing dishes after putting his daughter to bed, saw a bolt of lightning, and experienced all the fire and magic he held within. —RH
Ujstin Echno, “JUICYPEACHANTHEM”
Some of the songs on Ujstin Echno’s new album, Little Funky Son, sound engineered for use in the CIA’s enhanced interrogation methods (complimentary). Others show a softer, clubbier side. But the strangest track on the project is probably “Juciepeachanthem,” a frantic stampede of rabid Beefheart freak rock shoved into a blender set to purée with big-room EDM chords and an out-of-tune violin. —RH
Trust Fund, “Curtis”
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with seasons, look outside your window and listen to “Curtis.” The song, taken from Ellis Jones’ fifth album as Trust Fund, sounds like autumn leaves swaying in the wind, each vibrant color tinged with the bittersweet memory of what it was before. Over chamber folk acoustic guitar that slides and skips, Jones delivers feathery verse about a schoolyard friend who sings “the song of love, the song of peace” without regard for ridicule or the temptation to succumb to cynicism. When the song was released last Friday with Has It Been A While?, it felt like a poignant meditation; now, it’s a balm. — Jordan Darville
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