Dirt
by Julien Baker & Torres
The third single from the forthcoming country album by US indie singer-songwriters Julien Baker (in her first outing since her role as part of supergroup boygenius who delivered a Grammy-winning album in 2023) and Torres (McKenzie Scott) is further proof they may just be visiting the territory but they sure have an authentic feel for the place. And on the line “spend your whole life getting clean/ just to end up in the dirt”, the note Baker climbs up for “clean” is a thing of beauty. – Russell Baillie
Bullseye
by Lucy Dacus featuring Hozier
Lucy Dacus – another third of boygenius and in a relationship with Baker – has just released her fourth solo album Forever is Feeling and among the tracks is this pleasantly melancholy yarn of two people musing philosophically on their past relationship with Irish star Hozier cast in a supporting role. And there’s a nice video of them playing it live in the National Gallery of Ireland too. – Russell Baillie
I Love You Girl
by Voom
The “girl” who has been addressed in many a Voom song over the decades has probably outgrown that term of endearment, but she may not mind. It’s a guileless pledge of adoration with one of the Auckland band’s trademark stratospheric choruses and, with its piano embellishments, an air of early Split Enz. Sweet and noisy. The video, though, takes an entomological approach with a praying mantis love story that reminds one day you’re staring meaningfully into her big green rotating eyes, next she’s biting your head off. – Russell Baillie
PTP
by Mim Jensen
A polished release from Ōtautahi/Christchurch indie muso Mim Jensen, from her new EP Shadow of the Gift. Lovely production emphasises her natural ability as a singer, before the reverb-drenched chorus displays her band in full force. – Sam Clark
Piggyback
by Elliot & Vincent
Stripped-back and industrial from the Auckland two-piece. Distorted, almost detuned guitars and a dragging drumbeat create a fantastic, raw soundscape. The band consists of drummer and vocalist Elliot Finn and guitarist Vincent Cherry. They’re a bit like a chopped and screwed White Stripes. – Sam Clark
Pop
by Miso Extra
This Japanese-British pop artist spoils us and gives much of the game away, this being the fifth single released in advance of her twelve song debut album Earcandy (out May 16). The title of the album and this single pretty much tell you what’s in the box: catchy and bubbly cross-genre pop (dance, funk, K-pop, quasi-rap and so on) which has had British critics salivating and claiming her as the Next Big Thing. She’s certainly smart, creative and manages to squeeze a lot of ideas into this bilingual two and a half minutes. But check out all five songs and ask yourself if this sounds like the future … or a clever fusion of the past? – Graham Reid
Dancing in the Club
by This Is Lorelei, MJ Lenderman
MJ Lenderman’s tongue-in-cheek storytelling is as strong as ever on this surprise cover release. A little bit introspective, Lenderman draws you in with an endearing twang, and a slacker aesthetic in the same vein as alt-rock stalwarts Courtney Barnett, J Mascis, and Kurt Vile. Lenderman is playing at Auckland’s Powerstation on Tuesday April 1. – Sam Clark
You Know You’re Gonna Get Some
by Superturtle
This long-running pop-with-attitude outfit here race in with a snappy and short (1.49 seconds) single that has all the whiplash energy of post-punk New Wave bands (the Vapours, Buzzcocks etc) of the early 1980s. They are in and out quickly but leave you with the title as a repeated, brattish refrain which is hard to shake off. – Graham Reid
Strawberries
by Robert Forster
A song and video of sunny domestic bliss from the onetime Go-Between Forster who these days cuts a rather Bill Nighy figure, singing in the kitchen with wife Karin Bäumler. Her cancer diagnosis inspired his 2023 The Candle and the Flame album on which she featured with their musician kids, Louis and Loretta. This sounds like it springs from happier times with a tune that’s a bit Donovan meets the bubblegum side of the Velvet Underground. Also see video for excellent cat cameo and product placement – there’s a box of Forster’s personal brand of cereal, “Spring Grain” (named for a certain Go-Betweens’ song) on a shelf. – Russell Baillie
Victoria Kelly, Requiem: II. Requiem – Sam Hunt
by Simon O’Neill, tenor.
I once said to composer Victoria Kelly, perhaps naively, that there is an impressive number of female composers in this country, and that they have a high profile. “The reason we know about our female composers and songwriters,” she replied, “is not because there’s a great representation of them in numbers, it’s because the ones out there are really fucking good. What would happen if more women were empowered? How rich and full would the landscape be then?” Kelly is really fucking good.
As well as being a noted classical composer, she has written film soundtracks, sang lead on my favourite Strawpeople song (Beautiful Skin), and is Neil Finn’s arranger of choice. She also claimed the 2023 SOUNZ Contemporary Award for her Requiem, which Orchestra Wellington, where she is currently composer-in-residence, performs in November. For the Requiem’s 2023 premiere, she persuaded our leading singer, Simon O’Neill, to sing the entire thing in falsetto. Now that’s talent. – Richard Betts
