Towa Bird, courtesy Thong Luc.

Welcome to the weekly column at one time known as Radio Roman! Yes, I was even more egotistical until I let others do some of the work. Most weeks, the writer of this column will tell you there was a bounty of terrific songs. Not so this week—there was just the right amount. So let’s get right to it with some alt-rock with Pip Blom and Towa Bird, a delicate ballad by nobody likes you pat, a retro tune by Sue Clayton (Morgan Kibby), sunny alt-pop by Jack River and Ani Cordero’s blend of Caribbean rhythm and new wave.

Pip Blom, “Tiger” — Listening to this song makes it clear why Amsterdam’s Pip Blom has toured with the likes of Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand. The cascading synth, crunchy bass and snappy beat set the tone, and the song is paired with a noir-like black and white video. “I’m the tiger that you dream about,” vocalist Blom asserts. The band Pip Blom has released two albums so far, in 2019 and 2021, so it’s due!

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Sue Clayton, “Extraordinary Life” — Morgan Kibby may still be best known as the former keyboardist in M83. She followed that up with equally expansive, often-synth-driven and dramatic solo project White Sea. While her newest project, Sue Clayton, retains her music’s spaciousness, it’s nothing like either of the two predecessors. Perhaps that’s why she took on the name of someone else on first singles “Runaway Bride” and “Extraordinary Life.” Both songs percolate tinges of Nashville and Laurel Canyon, but the latter is my favorite because of its ability to get the full message and vibe across in just a little over two minutes.

“When you share my bed, you share my pain,” Kibby, as Sue Clayton, whispers into a lover’s ear over twinkling acoustic guitar plucking. The record recalls both Dusty Springfield and Linda Rondstadt. Frankly, I didn’t see this coming from Morgan Kibby! Her full-length Sue Clayton album, Rookie, is coming on May 5, and you can expect a variety of songs. For example, likely single “OMG,” has a retro Pips vibe!

Ani Cordero, “No Me Da La Fokin’ Gana” — The name of this song from Puerto Rican by way of New York artist Ani Cordero means, “I don’t effin’ feel like it.” It’s a breakup tune. I can’t relate to that, but I sure as fok latched onto that mix of Caribbean rhythms with new wave and post-punk melodies. In another case of the video working in tandem with the song itself, we see images of cities in Puerto Rico (could be, but might not only be, San Juan) that would never make the postcard. Junked cars, broken sidewalks, buildings in disrepair, etc. Cordero is using these to make a statement about how the U.S. federal government continues to ignore the needs of her home island, even as it gives tax breaks to rich white people from the states. You might be familiar with the devastation caused from hurricanes and earthquakes, but may not know how the energy infrastructure is in shambles. Ani Cordero wants someone to give a fok about that.

Her new album, Anamores, on which she sings both in Spanish and English, is coming on June 9.

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Jack River, “Lie In The Sun” — The new album from pop singer-songwriter Holly Rankin, who performs as Jack River, is called Endless Summer and arrives on June 16. This single is perfectly named and aches for that endless summer to arrive. This gauzy banger was inspired by a euphemism for going out and having a good time. Rankin wrote it with John Ryan, whose credits include Maroon 5 and Harry Styles, but this song has a distinct alt-pop sound that’s a perfect soundtrack to floating in the ocean or lying in the grass and watching the clouds float overhead.

Towa Bird, “Wild Heart” — “I’m Indiana Jones and you’re my last crusade,” Towa Bird sings on this song, highlighted by her propulsive guitar playing. At just under three minutes long, “Wild Heart” blows by like a flaming pop-punk song. It’s the first song (and title track) from her debut album, featuring production by collaborator Thomas Powers of New Zealand indie pop band The Naked and Famous. Towa Bird is half-Filipino, half-English and spent much of her childhood between Thailand and London. She started playing guitar at 12, learning The Kinks, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Jett and Prince. But this driving song also recalls much more modern artists like Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers.

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nobody likes you pat, “what a good friend is for” — For his first song since last November’s debut LP, Saint Paul, Minn. artist Pat Kiloran (who performs as nobody likes you pat) was quick to pick up on the lack of platonic songs to friends, which is what he very effectively tackles here. The melody is simple, hinging on acoustic strumming and warm synths. But it’s the story, told as a list of qualities important in a good friend, where Kiloran really connects with listeners and tugs at the heart strings: “For helping you up to your bed/ Then cleaning up your floor/ … For checking in three times a day/ When you’ve been having thoughts/ For ugly crying with you/ When you learn the baby’s lost/ For not treating your brokenness/ Like just another chore/ I guess that’s what a good friend’s for.” That’s about one and a half verses of the song, and there are more like them. The song blends campfire sensibility with a direct narrative. Nobody likes you pat has a new EP coming this fall.

Roman’s pick: Towa Bird offers just the right blend of rock and pop for my tastes. The likes of Willow Smith and Tyler, the Creator call themselves fans, and they’ve got good taste. Bird has signed with major label Interscope, and her debut album is coming later this year.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.