Sweet Sounds of Heaven
By the Rolling Stones with Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, bless her, has always been kind to the old people, what with all those duets with Tony Bennett. Now, her good deeds for seniors continue with the Rolling Stones, her backing vocals on their new single adding a touch of Gimme Shelter to a song that might have been You Can’t Always Get You Want in a former life. So, yes, it’s an extra-Stonesy kind of Stones song, even with Stevie Wonder on the keyboards, though he’s not exactly poking out of the mix. It’s rock-gospel according to Mick ‘n’ Keef on a stirring slow-burner that will be the closing number to – and bodes well for – the forthcoming album, Hackney Diamonds. And its lyrical sentiment may lend itself to a few fan funeral playlists. – Russell Baillie
Atomic City
By U2
The band have just begun a two and half month Las Vegas residency playing their Achtung Baby Live show inside the Sphere, the only concert venue in the entertainment town with the capacity for Bono’s ego. This is the single seemingly celebrating their arrival in Vegas town, a throwback to the sort of forgettable stomper they would put on the front of their post-Achtung albums, with guitar riffs that owe a bit to the Clash’s London Calling and a hook that owes rather a lot to Blondie’s Call Me. – Russell Baillie
Got Me Started
by Troye Sivan
The Australian YouTuber turned pop powerhouse has now taken a turn for the best into dance tracks, leading strong with Rush and following it up with Got Me Started for his third album, Something to Give Each Other. It’s an equally groovy, equally queer song that samples the hook of Bag Raider’s 2008 mega hit Shooting Stars. Sivan says the fellow Aussie artist had never bfore approved a sample use of the catchy hook, making the new song as exclusive as it is instantly recognisable, particularly for a younger generation where its melody was made a much-shared meme. At the same time, Sivan makes Got Me Started his own with his soft vocals and angelic ambience as applied to all his best work. – Alana Rae
Modern Girl
by Bleachers
Bleachers bridge the gap between 80s rock and trending pop, something consistent from the American rock band led by and, confusingly, also the official solo stage name of Jack Antonoff. Modern Girl references killer queens with a style like that of Bryan Adams, but, for the most part, it’s just a fun time, with Antonoff calling out members of the band and other random but calculated things à la We Didn’t Start the Fire. He also calls himself a “pop music hoarder”, seemingly referencing his frequent, very public work as a producer with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Lorde and the 1975. It’s almost impressive how little Bleachers have changed artistically over time. From Rollercoaster in 2014 to Modern Girl almost 10 years later, it’s hard to spot the difference, but that’s timeless pop for you. – Alana Rae
Concubine
By No Cigar
Running counter to conventional pop wisdom in the world of instant gratification, this local alt-rock group anticipate their forthcoming Great Escape sophomore album with this slowly building, slide guitar-driven single – their third from Great Escape – which throbs into life over a chipping riff. Already road-tested in live shows, Concubine sounds more like a deep cut than a single, but grips after a couple of plays. – Graham Reid
Doesn’t Really Matter (ft Bexy)
By Macey
The most recent single from the debut album The Lovers by Auckland’s Macey (formerly performing and releasing songs as Harry Parsons), this well-constructed piece shifts from quiet intimacy into pulsating dancefloor pop, but has a world-weary tone ideally suited to Macey’s tired-sounding delivery. Good album, too, incidentally. – Graham Reid
Compute
CamelPhat
Blip-driven electro-dance by long-running UK DJ team of Mike Di Scala and Dave Whelan, who spend time getting award nominations and here announce little more than “I can make you dance” over retro-minimalist beats, upbeat computer sounds from the days of Frogger mixed with a little sonic washing to add colour. Annoyingly catchy and the final single off their new Spiritual Milk album, which pushes their envelope much more. – Graham Reid
Boys Light Up
By ChillinIT
A hip-hop rehash of Australian Crawl’s 1980s pub-rock/reggae classic? Why hasn’t anyone done it before? The song’s writer James Reyne always denied it was about dope. By the sounds of it, Sydney rapper ChillinIT strongly disagrees. So does his video. – Russell Baillie
Chausson, Chanson perpétuelle, Op.37
By Emerson Quartet with Barbara Hannigan (soprano) and Bertrand Chamayou (piano)
Formed in 1976 by four Juilliard students, the Emerson Quartet have been near the top of the chamber music tree ever since. But the group have called time and gives their final concerts this month. Their new recording, with soprano Barbara Hannigan, is one heck of a parting gift, and features music by Berg, Schoenberg and Hindemith, and this gorgeous rarity from Chausson. – Richard Betts
