With a release perfectly timed to the first Friday of spring, I couldnât stop smiling on my first listen of Benny Singsâ Young Hearts.
Fans of Rex Orange County will recognize the breezy sound of this earnest Dutchman from his feature on âLoving Is Easy,â the 2017 soft rock gem. His jubilant new album continues that collaborative spirit â all ten tracks are produced by Kenny Beats, influential beatmaker for artists like Dominic Fike, Vince Staples, Denzel Curry, and more. Here, Kenny applies his signature bounce with a much lighter touch to match the singerâs loungey vibe. Rising star Remi Wolf joins the party too, supplying the earworm hooks of âYoung Heartsâ and âPjyamas.â Take a stroll and turn it up!
But if Bennyâs cheesy, simple tunes arenât your thing, have no fear â Iâve got more albums, songs, and playlists for ya. As always, you can find them all in the Hear Hear playlist.
Atmospheric electro-pop: Caroline Polachek. After her indie-pop rise with the band Chairlift, Polachek became a force as a solo artist with 2019âs Pang. This yearâs strong sequel features tracks with delightfully âtwisted, irregular structuresâ as Cat Zhang writes in her Best New Music review for Pitchfork: âWithin the span of one song, Polachekâs voice will smear like paint, swoop like a crane, and bubble like lava.â Thatâs especially true on âSunset,â where her âwoo-oooâ wailing recalls the wild White Lotus theme. [Top tracks: âBlood And Butterâ // âFly To You (ft. Grimes and Dido)â // âPretty In Possibleâ]
Retro soul with a modern twist: Omar Apollo. Apollo âhas been on a meteoric rise since he uploaded âUgotmeâ to Spotify a mere five years ago,â writes Sharlene Chiu, covering his sold-out Kings Theater shows last autumn. If you watch his Tiny Desk Concert itâs easy to see why â Apollo is immensely talented and charming. Following his debut full-length in 2022, new single â3 Boysâ is a modern slice of doo-wop that has me excited for whatever comes next. [Top tracks: â3 Boysâ // âTalkâ // âEvergreenâ]
Folky, open-air ambient rock: runnner. With shades of Pinegroveâs emo twang and Katy Kirbyâs inventive bedroom pop, the LA-based musician Noah Weinman makes extremely compelling, catchy songs under the stage name runnner. His new album is a chill, free-flowing, warm hug. [Top tracks: âi only sing about foodâ // ârunning in place at the edge of the mapâ // âchess with friendsâ]
Sweet, existential coffeehouse pop: Joy Oladokun. Building on her growing collection of thoughtful, gentle folk songs, Oladokunâs latest track is an anthemic sing-along in collaboration with another talented rising songwriter, Noah Kahan. Together, they sing the chorus with a joyful irony: âweâre all gonna die trying to figure it out.â [Top tracks: âWeâre All Gonna Die (ft. Noah Kahan)â // âChangesâ // âKeeping The Light Onâ]
New songs from Hear Hear favorites
âSmog,â Indigo De Souza. After making my favorite album of 2021, De Souza is readying her next record for April 28 and shows no signs of slowing down. The first single, âYounger & Dumber,â is a wonderful slow-burn piano-and-guitar ballad â but Iâve been more drawn to the buzzing synth-pop of the follow-up track, âSmog.â Excited to hear the rest.
âcoogie,â dijon. As Jordan Coley writes for Pitchfork, dijonâs intimate sound seems âto invite listeners to a late-night session in a smoke-filled room.â
âNaturallyâ and âCrooked Creek,â Bonny Doon. More âpropulsive indie-pop twangâ from the Waxahatchee collaborators, as Stereogumâs Chris DeVille writes, as they sign to a new label ahead of their upcoming full-length in June.
âOver,â CHVRCHES. Another addition to lead singer Lauren Mayberryâs catalog of effortless, soaring choruses.
âWinslow Gardens,â Ben Folds. Just in case this issue didnât have enough corny, earnest music from an artist named Ben! After many years away, itâs nice to hear Folds again with his trademark brand of piano-power-pop.
2 spring playlists worth following đˇđ§
Forever Spring, longstanding indie rock classics curated by expert playlister Adam Sharp. // ft. Dr. Dog, Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Alabama Shakes, Wilco
Love Songs for the Coming Springtime, Vol. 3, a romantic mix of seasonal tunes curated by cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. // ft. Dijon, Mereba, Liv.e, MICHELLE, Frank Ocean, Mary J. Blige, Hellogoodbye
Pop culture corner đżđş
Ted Lassoâs latest episode closed with the recognizable strings and vocals of Andrew Bird â a nice song from his 2020 album that I didnât know, called âNightâs Falling.â
Creed 3 is a treat, made even better by its booming soundtrack from J. Coleâs Dreamville label â including artists like JID, Ari Lennox, Kehlani, Baby Rose, Tierra Whack, SiR, Syd, Mereba, Big Sean and more.
The best Q1 strategy report youâll see đđ
(Because itâs actually a new music video from Tanlines.) After a long 8-year hiatus, the synth-pop duo has returned with a catchy single and clever take on corporate strategy presentations â informed by the real-life marketing career of percussionist Jesse Cohen.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/09plqsfNEU16dhKdJKz99V