Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Nov. 30
The eclecticism of HVOB, emotional depth of Jessie Murph, driving ambient force of Sky H1, daine’s cutthroat emo banger, Duncan Laurence’s holiday sparkle and EMELINE’s empowered electro-pop make up our favorite tracks of the week.
HVOB, “Bruise” — Austrian electronic duo HVOB is entering its fifth studio album cycle with a bang. First single “Bruise” meshes in techno and vaporwave with an uncanny adroitness. The track is constantly pulling in these two diametrically opposed directions, leaving listeners in the middle of its tension. By the end of the song, all knots are eventually undone and the tension resolved for our greatest pleasure.
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Jessie Murph, “Always Been You” — Seventeen-year-old Jessie Murph tackles all the big feels on “Always Been You.” The Nashville-born artist makes the best use of her grainy timbre on this grand pop ballad. It’s also a great occasion to realize a lot of our worries transcend age and experience–to a gorgeous melody and accompaniment.
Sky H1, “Labyrinth” — “Labyrinth” is Sky H1’s last taste of their upcoming debut album before it drops on Dec. 3. The ambient track comes in and out of focus like timid waters on a calm night. Reflective? Certainly. Meditation-prone? Absolutely. It’s an absolute pleasure to press play and let yourself be immersed in the labyrinthine thick synth soundscape from start to finish.
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daine, “IDC” — Following this week’s emo theme, daine’s “IDC” channels the vengeful villains of her youth into a brooding hyperpop-adjacent fantasy. The song writes itself in the emo/pop-punk revival of the past year with ease and nonchalance while tracks like Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” are snatching Grammy nominations. Melbourne artist daine’s melodies are darker and rely even more on prominent percussion to carry the message but they’re undeniable signs of the times.
Duncan Laurence, “Wishes Come True” — Two years after representing the Netherlands at the Eurovision, Duncan Laurence releases a holiday-themed love anthem to keep us cozy and warm as the end of the year fast approaches. We’re rooting for all the Lifetime holiday movies looking to get this track featured at some point.
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EMELINE, “this is how i learn to say no” — We’re still learning about boundaries everyday. EMELINE has a thing or two to say on the subject. She takes matter into her own hands on the ferocious and instructive “this is how i learn to say no,” a moody pop diatribe made to be played on repeat. This new song should get more eyes and ears on what’s to come for EMELINE, including ours.
Red’s Pick: This week’s highlight is HVOB’s “Bruise.” Not only does it bring together two worlds so often segregated by their aficionados, but it does it so well it got me wondering why I haven’t heard more techno permeate traditionally tamer styles. If there’s one thing we can credit the Internet with, it’s probably breaking down all kinds of barriers and expanding the realm of possibilities for creative minds. I’m looking forward to time spent going down Soundcloud rabbit holes to find more of what HVOB had to offer this week.
Follow writer Red Dziri at Twitter.com/red_dziri.