The month of March is quickly coming to a close, leaving us all to wonder where the hell it went. Thankfully, this week there were a handful of lead singles (Major Lazer, Algiers, Mar) and fresh tracks (Drenge, Built to Spill, Patrick Watson) from highly anticipated upcoming releases that can help us glide through to April.
Check them all out below.
Major Lazer dropped the visually stunning video for Peace Is The Mission‘s lead single “Lean On,” which was shot entirely in India. The track features the powerhouse vocals of MØ cutting through the synth lines and drum machine beats that are frequently featured in Major Lazer tracks. “Lean On,” has a seductively slow tempo, and is just begging for several excellent remixes.
Mar, “Not Like Here”
In under three minutes, multi-talented Dutch musician Mar smashed the R&B, dance, and electronic genres together and actually made it sound appealing. “Not Like Here,” the first single off of Mar’s upcoming When We Meet EP (due out in May), immediately connects with listeners through the track’s universal theme of feeling disconnected to the world around them, and the haunting and echoey vocals.
Algiers, “Irony. Utility. Pretext.”
For anyone drawn to post-apocalyptic dystopian cinema and/or literature, the imagery in Algiers‘ “Irony. Utility. Pretext.” comes as a familiar foreboding—images of rotting ruins long past former glory, remaining as grave reminders that nothing gold can stay, intercut with nihilistic, political messages inciting revolution. The raw, industrial-electronic clanging, too, evokes the best of of the bleak, from Vangelis to Joy Division.
Built to Spill, “Never Be The Same”
After releasing Untethered Moon‘s dense and animalistic lead single “Living Zoo” last month, earlier this week Built to Spill released a brand-new bouncing track: “Never Be The Same.” With a retro sound that harkens back to the days of ’60s girl-groups and the patented Wall of Sound, “Never Be The Same” is three minutes of playful guitar riffs, a steady, swaying beat, and a slightly melancholic message. A perfect track to put an upbeat spin onto your loneliness.
Drenge, “Favourite Son”
As Drenge‘s sophomore album release date creeps closer (in less than two weeks to be exact), the UK duo has been dropping new Undertow tunes to whet our appetites. This week, the Loveless brothers sent “Favourite Son” into the world—a fast-paced rocker with an addictive bass line and choice organ details that channels the early sound of Arctic Monkeys.
Patrick Watson, “Places You Will Go”
The first taste of Patrick Watson‘s inspirational hodgepodge was the Love Song For Robots‘ title track, a gentle, mournful piece of psychedelia that set the stage for the newest track, “Places You Will Go,” which was released earlier this week. And though the Dr. Seuss reference may seem strangely placed as the song begins, things pick up in a swirl of electric and acoustic guitars to produce a softly crooned landscape that would make the Lorax feel at home.
