Magdalena Bay, courtesy Lissyelle Laricchia.

Love songs by Rat Boy and Allen Stone, gritty reality checks by Chat Pile and Balance and Composure, and upbeat—and uplifting—dance tracks by Magdalena Bay and Mallrat make the cut.

Rat Boy, “She’s The One” — U.K. band Rat Boy brings back the nostalgia of early ’90s ska-punk with this peppy love song. A bright, energetic brass section is matched with steady rhythm section. The chorus is catchy and memorable. The third single off of their third album, Suburbia Calling, is a departure from the hardcore punk for which the group is known. Rat Boy traipses between hip-hop, punk, big beat and other genres on its eclectic album, due Oct.4.

Allen Stone, “Can’t Explain This Love” — Allen Stone has come a long way from singing in his father’s church in Washington state. Given his background in church, along with musical heroes like Al Green and Stevie Wonder, it’s not hard to see why the 37-year-old, who’s known to visit S.F.’s Madrone Art Bar, has such soulful vocals. The song’s arrangement has a funk-filled edge, bursting with guitar, bass, brass and snapping beats. The inspiration for the song is his wife, whom he met while on tour in Australia. On the road for 200 dates per year, a strong relationship is key, and Stone celebrates theirs here.

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Mallrat, “Ray of Light” — Digitally transformed vocals add a slightly edgy tone to this slickly produced PC music track by Australian Mallrat. Featuring production by Styalz Fuego and mixing by Oli Jacobs, the sampling and mixing flow seamlessly. The song, likely inspired by Charli XCX and SOPHIE, is meant to be a sonic representation of light refracting. This is Mallrat’s third appearance in Tuesday Tracks.

Magdalena Bay, “That’s My Floor” — Quirky and spacey describes not only this song but video by Miami duo Magdalena Bay. Singer-songwriter Mica Tenenbaum and producer Matthew Levin met in an after-school music program and reunited in college. This song, off sophomore album Imaginal Disk, which weaves a fantastical tale of an extraterrestrial and her understanding of the human experience. Magdalena Bay headlines The Fillmore on Sept. 3. The show is sold out.

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Chat Pile, “Masc” — What’s life without a little death metal? I’m not publisher Daniel J. Willis, but I also don’t want to know. Grinding guitar stabs, a gritty bass line and high-speed drumming introduces you to this slow burn of a track. Vocalist Raygun Busch’s monotonous tone in the verses is foreboding. Once the chorus comes on, his droll tone makes way for screams. The song is frightening but the video is more disturbing with a grotesque “Chainsaw Massacre” theme. Chat Pile will follow the release of Cool World on Oct. 11 with a tour.

Balance and Composure, “Any Means” — Balance and Composure broke up in 2019 but got back together hen the pandemic allowed the members time to self-reflect. Some songs followed in 2022, but “Any Means” is from the band’s first album in nearly a decade. The track recalls ’90s grunge and has a pessimistic feel, questioning beliefs and mindset in a dizzying array of echoing vocals, reverb-heavy guitar strains and mid-tempo drumming.

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Mel’s pick: I love the alt-pop vibe of Magdalena Bay. Tenenbaum’s sweet whispered vocals are amplified to the digital realm, adding to the otherworldly vibe of the song. It’s got a bright, off-beat punch.