The Best Three Songs Released This Past Week Pt. 80

We’re back! Can you believe it’s officially the last month of 2022? Let’s go out with a bang, shall we?

Noteworthy album & EP releases:
Penny, Chloe George
Conditions Of A Punk, half alive
songs written for piano, Kate Gregson-MacLeod

In chronological order:

“Carry You Home” – Circa Waves
Release date – November 29

“Carry You Home” marks British band Circa Waves’ the latest single, following the surprise release of their summer EP Health on Earth EP. 

The band’s sound is reminiscent of fellow European indie acts like Declan McKenna and Gang of Youths, opting for a more shimmery pop sound instead of a laidback, beachside vibe that I associate with the band the most, specifically with their biggest song “T-Shirt Weather,” which isn’t a criticism, merely an observation (an NME article states that the band has marked this song as ‘the start of a new era,’ so it makes sense why their sound may be changing).

“Carry You Home” tells the story of lead singer Kiernan Shudall vowing to do anything for the person he loves, despite falling victim to imposter syndrome and questioning his ability to be the person he’s expected to be. #Relatable.

“Damn Good in A Dive Bar” – Laci Kaye Booth
Release date – November 29

When I saw the name Laci Kaye Booth pop up on this week’s New Music Friday, I couldn’t figure out where I had recognized the name. After a quick Google search, I realized Booth was a contestant on Season 17 of American Idol, making it all the way to the Top 5. 

After getting sent home, she moved to Nashville, and landed a label deal with Big Machine Label Group (cough cough, sound familiar to anyone?), releasing an album in 2021. After being dropped from that label, she’s returned with a new single released independently, headed in a direction she claims is more her own and one she had to fight for.

“Damn Good in A Dive Bar” can be described as a Lana Del Rey-esque song with a bit of country twang and southern grit (Booth is from Texas).

I’d put my money on Booth being an artist to watch in 2023.

“Set For Life” – Noah Cyrus
Release date – December 2

I had mixed feelings overall on Noah Cyrus’ 2022 album The Hardest Part, connecting heavily with a handful of songs and not really ‘getting’ the rest of them. But “Set For Life” has given new life (pun intended) to the album, as it is apart of the deluxe release of the project.

“Set For Life” is another song that I can hear Lana Del Rey’s influence: lyrically, melodically, and the enunciation Noah Cyrus delivers the song with.

A more melancholy version of “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande, Cyrus sings a goodbye song to a lover, asking for one last chance to be with them before it’s over (“I’m not asking for forever / just give me one more night with you / and I’m set for life”). I find it hard to believe that Cyrus is only 22-years-old, considering the sincerity of the song makes her come across extremely wise beyond her years.