Angry
by the Rolling Stones
In the recent past, original singles by the Stones — Doom and Gloom and One More Shot (2012), Living in a Ghost Town (2020) — arrived with little fanfare and disappeared quickly. Pity, because Living in a Ghost Town wasn’t bad and, although recorded earlier, captured something of the pandemic mood. With the still-standing Stones announcing Hackney Diamonds, their first album of new material in 19 years out on October 20, there’s been serious attention given to this first single. Pity, because despite delivering signature Richards’ riffing (as per Start Me Up), Jagger squeezing out mixed emotions and humour, and Keith’n’Ronnie’s guitar weaving, there’s not a lot going on and it exhausts its small idea quickly. Cool video though, reminds us of who they once were. – Graham Reid
So True/ Koia Koe
by the Black Seeds
Spearheaded by The Listener’s cover star Hinewehi Mohi, The Waiata Anthems project has now become more a showcase for up-and-coming te reo artists than one of ye olde Kiwi hits getting a Māori makeover. But the latest batch also includes the Black Seeds’ 2005 chestnut So True rubbing noses with songs from the present. It’s a nice bookend to band frontman Barnaby Weir’s Family Tree from Fly My Pretties becoming Tō Kātua Whānau being a standout among last year’s anthems releases for te wiki o te reo Māori. – Russell Baillie
Flesh It Out
By Proteins of Magic
Proteins of Magic (Kelly Steven, formerly Kelly Sherrod) creates interesting video art for her sometimes off-kilter synth-Goth songs. She’s also opened for and performed with Shayne Carter’s Dimmer (on bass) and he considers her in the lineage of Nina Simone, Nico and Bjork: “the real deal”. She’s an acclaimed figure in some circles but still on the margins for most, despite being a finalist in last year’s Taite awards. Flesh It Out, located somewhere between haunting Kate Bush and the disconcerting blues surrealism of Tom Waits, packs a lot of lyrical strangeness into its two-and-a-half minutes yet emerges as a sliver of seductive, optimistic left-field pop. Maybe this is her mainstream moment? – Graham Reid
Unchained
by Erny Belle
After last year’s debut album, Erny Belle (Ngāpuhi) is known for her “gothic South Pacific storytelling”, and Unchained certainly sticks to that sound. The single marries her calming voice with a slightly unsettling chord progression. The lyrics speak to an uneasiness in a relationship, but the production does most of the storytelling. The end drops the isolated strumming in favour of layered electric guitar picks, and some spoken rather than sung moments.
Out of the Night
by Racing
The second most Rolling Stones stuttered riff of the week is at the front of this rousing guitar-chugging anthem, which also suggests an alternative universe where Th’ Dudes era Dave Dobbyn ended up in a slightly less twitchy, groovier Dance Exponents. It’s the first release for the Auckland band (featuring two former Checks) since Must Be the Moon, their terrific debut album of a year ago. – Russell Baillie
Divine
by Borderline
The teen indie pop quartet from Tāmaki Makaurau have just released their debut EP Perfect Movie Scene. It contains singles they’ve released over the past two years, including the fun and danceable Divine. Sticking true to the chill, rocky nature of Kiwi bands, they seem set on the same trajectory as that of Drax Project or, if they capitalise on some darker, more layered sounds, that of Australia’s 5 Seconds of Summer. Give Divine a listen to relive the innocence and sincerity of teenage love. – Alana Rae
Stormy
by Dallas Tamaira
The voice of Fat Freddy’s Drop swaps his dub-funk frontman day job for some lounge soul moonlighting on the second track of his second solo EP, due out in early November. Yes, there is some FFD honking going on out back but its languid lushness is deeply pleasant, enough to make you stop wondering if those meteorological lyrics aren’t more easy-breezy than stormy. – Russell Baillie
I Like to be Alone
by Mermaidens
The final, five-minute song Priorities on Mermaidens’ 2019 Look Me in the Eye album suggested perhaps a move towards progressive, psychedelic folk-rock by this classy local trio. But this tidy indie-pop in advance of their new, independently released, self-titled album (due November 3) finds them closer to melodic indie-pop with just enough guitar abrasion to retain the link with their former label Flying Nun. Radio programmers should be pleased. You can sing along at home or when waving the phone in the air at a gig. Two birds with one song. – Graham Reid
‘Kreutzer’ Sonata, first movement, by Beethoven
Performed by Bella Hristova and Michael Houstoun
Michael Hill competition winner Bella Hristova has been performing here with our own Michael Houstoun, on the back of their almost-certainly-released-by-the-time-you-read-this album of Brahms’ violin sonatas. Be sure to look that up, but in the meantime listen to the pair’s recording of Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata, a masterpiece dedicated to violinist Rudolphe Kreutzer, who promptly refused to play it. More fool him. – Richard Betts
