When 15 seconds or less is all you need for your song to blow up, it’s refreshing to hear three artists and bands who still prioritize production. While the featured players behind the new songs come from different backgrounds and genres, there’s connective tissue in the way they don’t shy away from over-the-top instrumentals, bringing their A-game in the process.
ear “Ne Plus Ultra”
Electronic duo ear are back with “Ne Plus Ultra,” the single from their sophomore album, Rumspringa, out May 29 via A24 Music.
The song combines their reserved vocals with buzzing synths that sound like a power grid short-circuiting. As the first piece of music released by Jonah Paz and Yaelle Avtan this year, it continues the producer-musicians’ confidence concerning an already developed style that’s unique in an already crowded indietronic scene.
Whether it’s cat cries in the background or abrasive, video game-like synths, there’s no telling what direction a song from ear will take. At the beginning, it seems as though the two are freestyling, improvising what feels right to them before discovering the aforementioned synths that buzz. However, it’s the outro to the song where Paz and Avtan arrive at something beautiful. What began as an impressive exercise becomes a surprisingly emotional song, with the intensifying production equal parts nostalgic and cathartic.
Rumspringa is out now. Visit ear on their website to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Listen to “Ne Plus Ultra” the new single from ear.
Luvcat “Silent Killer”
As part of the recently released EP, Lovebites, English singer-songwriter Luvcat is following up last year’s Vicious Delicious with a handful of tracks tackling all things “death and desire,” according to Luvcat herself.
Among the four-song EP is “Silent Killer,” a ballad that opens to a sweeping string arrangement. From the beginning, it’s clear that the silent killer Luvcat sings about is love itself, a point driven home by the vocals full of yearning and the showstopping production.
While Luvcat sings about everything love is, the verses tell a more personal story, clearly directed at a specific person or relationship. By taking a topic as universal as love and placing it against a situation born either out of Luvcat’s memory or imagination, it makes the chorus hit harder.
True to the EP’s spirit, the song ends with a military drum beat, the opposite of the lush strings at the start. If Lovebites were an object, it’d be a dagger that Luvcat balances with one finger delicately.
Visit Luvcat on her website to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Listen to “Silent Killer” the new single from Luvcat.
Adi Oasis & Cerrone “New Highs”
When you have a legend like producer Cerrone in your corner, it’s hard not to come out of the studio with a track like “New Highs” from singer-bassist Adi Oasis. However, collaborations are two-way streets, and Adi’s fingerprints are evident in the song’s guitar licks, strings, and pop sensibilities, which repurpose the retro influences for listeners today.
Adi’s vocals on “New Highs” immediately sound as though they could’ve been ripped out of records spun at Studio 54. At the same time, the R&B-disco production is so polished that it leaves you wondering how they were able to get such shine out of each instrument.
All of that is meant to lay the groundwork for Adi to sing her heart out, with the lyrics being shamelessly optimistic. When you know what works for you as an artist and where your strengths lie, it’s an admirable move on Adi’s part to zero in on those elements for “New Highs” and focus solely on exuding good vibes.
Visit Adi Oasis on her website to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Listen to “New Highs” the new single from Adi Oasis & Cerrone.
Like what you heard?
You can stream a lot more new songs featured in our best new songs of the month playlist. The playlist is updated weekly, sometimes daily with new music from artists you love and espeically artists you have yet to discover. STREAM THE PLAYLIST.
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