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Midnight Marauders
by Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble
Now this is both unexpected and really something special. Bassist and Grammy-winning producer (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Elton John and many more) Don Was – former head of the prestigious Blue Note jazz label and leader of the 1980s band Was Not Was – rounds up an impressive posse of Detroit jazz players for this expressive, boisterous take on the Fat Freddy’s Drop signature song. As the lead track on their new Groove in the Face of Adversity album – which includes a powerful and timely version of the Impressions’ late 1960s classic This is My Country – the Ensemble shine a light on the song’s rolling groove and the horns punch it home with a searing solo by saxophonist Dave McMurray and soulful vocal by Steffanie Christi’an. An excellent Detroit soul-funk album which gets off to a great start care of a Kiwi dub-funk touchstone. – Graham Reid
The Manifesto
by Gorillaz (featuring Trueno and Proof)
Those with a working knowledge of 1990s and early 2000s US hip-hop will know that Proof, a member of the once Eminem-adjacent Detroit outfit the D12, who was also Slim Shady’s hype-man is no longer with us since being shot dead in 2006. Interviewed him once. Hilarious. An old vocal recording of his provides the left-turn coda on this, the second single from the forthcoming Gorillaz album, one which seems to have a lot of posthumous guest stars lined up. Proof is the back-to-earth footnote to a sprightly, sunny song that starts a long way from Michigan with an Indian wedding band and Argentinian rapper Trueno on an infectious bit of Casiotone Bollywood pop. – Russell Baillie
Easier Said Than Done
By Goodspace
Last year’s Goodspace album Let’s Talk About Death – launched with its own “menu” at the Lim Chhour Foodcourt on Auckland’s K Rd – was an impressive and diverse collection of pop from mainman Jefferson Chen who cleverly underplayed his hand to let the songs and album speak for themselves. These typically understated three minutes delay the entry of a gorgeous melody for a full minute then there’s another breather before the beat kicks in and after that we’re borne on the wings of a seductive tune with layers of backing vocals. He’s a clever one, use this as an excuse to explore his back-catalogue. – Graham Reid
Tie You Down
by HAIM, Bon Iver
Mr Bon Iver/Justin Vernon’s side gig seems to be being the sensitive warbler in duets – sorry, collabs – with the great and the good of American pop. And having had Danielle Haim on his Sable Fable album from earlier in the year, here’s the very nice, harmonious payback with the Californian sisterly trio. Short and sweet. – Russell Baillie
Viscus
by Oklou featuring FKA twigs
French electronic pop star Oklou – Marylou Maynielin to her mère – has a bonus version of her debut album in the works and this is the first of the extras, showing her way with a baroque synthesizer arrangement and a prominent but not overbearing guest star. One of those those songs that production-wise, shows quite brilliantly what pop music sounds like in 2025. – Russell Baillie
Year Of Trouble
by Stella Donnelly
Third single from sensitive Australian singer-songwriter in advance of her Love and Fortune album out November 7. A spare piano ballad which barely reaches a slow walking pace, it doesn’t seem aimed at radioplay but shows the territory she occupies. Two prior singles - Feel It Change and the acappella Baths – confirm she’s someone comfortable at a house concert. – Graham Reid
My Sister’s Hand In Mine
by Theia featuring Jolie Holland
Although Theia was behind the excellent te reo album Te Kaahu O Rangi in 2022 credited to Te Kaahu, her debut album Girl, in a Savage World (due November 7) seems to have been a long time coming. This tasty if short song (less than two minutes) with famed US singer-songwriter Holland is a mysteriously whisper-sing folksy tribute to sisterhood which – following previous singles including the gentle cabaret whirl of Patupaiarehe and the breathy Pray 4 Me – suggests the album will be accomplished art-pop. Holland has a previous NZ connection, having appeared on the 2012 album Luck/Hope by now Green MP, Steve Abel. – Graham Reid
Smoke and Mirrors
by Weakened Friends
Three minutes of quiet/loud angry post-grunge out of Portland, Maine which unleashes its fury on a manipulative relationship and the vengeful joy of throwing the match, walking away and watching it burn. Frontwoman Sonia Sturino is one not to be crossed. Very powerful and empowering. Previous singles include Nosebleed, Tough Luck and Torn. - Graham Reid
Kiss Goodnight
by Ruthven
Annoyingly addictive electro-shuffle with touch of disco from London’s Sean Nelson, a former fighter apparently, which will delight clubbers not just for its hip-sway but its joyful length which finger-snaps and grooves its way past the five minute mark. - Graham Reid
You Make Me Feel Mighty Real [Soulwax For Despacio Remix]
by Sylvester
And to finish, the fabulous jazzercise epic that is this 11-minute remix of the perennial gay disco anthem from 1978. It’s among the bonus tracks on a new reissue of Steps II, the biggest album by Sylvester that contained one of the genre’s classics that wasn’t much of a hit at the time. The remix is from four years ago and originally created to play on the a vinyl-only sound system co-created by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and the DFA label. Only elements of the original recording were used and it sure goes a long way. – Russell Baillie
