The Best Three Songs Released This Past Week Pt. 61

Welcome to the encore nobody asked for; Sean here, back again for another iteration of New Music Sunday.

We hit the deep cuts on last week’s post, so I decided to steer toward the more airy and electric vibe this time around.

Noteworthy album & EP releases:

Aftershock, Alexander 23
beatopia, beabadoobee
Hellfire, black midi
STAR STUFF, Ian Sweet
The Other Side of Make Believe, Interpol
Something More than Love, Lera Lynn
Special, Lizzo
About Last Night…, Mabel
emails i can’t send, Sabrina Carpenter
Gemini Rights, Steve Lacy
World Wide Pop, Superorganism
ACT 1: ORIGINS, Young The Giant

In chronological order:

“Everything Goes On” – Porter Robinson
Release Date – July 14

Nurture catalyzed Porter Robinson’s epic return from a seven-year-long creative drought last April, and the artist has shown no signs of letting up. His most recent track–”Everything Goes On”–is a collaboration with the popular gaming series League of Legends. Popular artists have contributed to the League soundtrack in the past, including Zedd and PVRIS. It’s heartwarming to know that the Riot Games music team values Robinson’s recent successes enough to feature his work in such a prominent space.

“Everything Goes On” emerges as a hopeful love letter to both himself and a partner of his. Robinson warns about the dangers associated with falling deeply in love, both with another person and perhaps with your craft, but suggests that taking the plunge will be more than worth it. The uplifting instrumental bleeds assuredness and hopefulness, two things Robinson felt like he lacked during his creative drought from 2016 onward. This song is certainly a must add.

“golden hour” – JVKE
Release Date – July 15

I’ve referenced the term ethereal to describe ambient instrumentation in previous posts, but that term simply won’t hold water in this case. Looking deeper, JVKE’s instrumentation on “golden hour” is simply transcendental. Listening to the second portion of this track makes me want to levitate; the mastery on the piano brings the effort to new heights. JVKE’s lyricism is faultless, too, which adds to the overall allure and atmosphere. I’ll have to deep dive JVKE’s work after this post as “golden hour” continues to enthrall me with each subsequent listen. Truly a job well done.

“Alter Ego” – lozeak
Release Date – July 15

Alright, alright. Enough of the emotional business. We need a song that we can pop on and get absolutely hyped up by. This week, lozeak takes the reins with “Alter Ego”–a grungy alt-pop bash. I first covered lozeak when “Word Vomit” released in late 2021; I can say lozeak has made the necessary steps toward her growth as a musician. She rides between the electric guitar and bass with exceptional command of her craft. I’m stoked to see lozeak’s fanbase growing, as she now musters 50,000 listeners monthly on Spotify, opposed to her 5,000 last November. Be sure to keep your ear out for this rising star–she’ll be moving out of her niche and onto your popular airwaves soon enough.