We’ve done the work, you reap the rewards. IINAG’s curated list delivers the best new music of the week, just in time for the weekend
Black Country, New Road – Happy Birthday
An eccentrically eclectic assortment of strings, piano and woodwind, ‘Happy Birthday’ is Black Country New Road at their most confident. The second single from their upcoming album, ‘Forever Howlong’, ‘Happy Birthday’ is four minutes of Baroque pop, with bassist Tyler Hyde’s’ velvet vocals detailing the inevitability of life’s plights. Sinister, existentialist lyrics are married with a buoyant sound and cinematic outro in such a way which could only be mastered by the British sextet. ‘Happy Birthday’ is a euphoric crescendo of a single, which aptly and appropriately demonstrates the band’s flourishing creative prowess ahead of their third studio album. – Elizabeth Guest
Panic Shack – Gok Wan
With ‘Gok Wan,’ Panic Shack skewers the era of toxic makeover TV with potent, punk-fueled rage. Driven by a relentless bassline, the track dissects the damage inflicted on young girls by shows like “How to Look Good Naked.” The stark opening line, detailing childhood body-shaming, resonates with brutal honesty. They masterfully blend fury and sarcasm, evoking riot grrrl legends like Bikini Kill and The Slits, with a dash of Amyl and The Sniffers’ raw chaos. The accompanying video amplifies the song’s critique of impossible beauty standards. “Gok Wan” is a cathartic release, a defiant anthem against societal pressures, delivered with infectious, mosh-pit-ready energy. – Katie Macbeth
Car Seat Headrest – Gethsemane
‘Gethsemane’ is the first single from Car Seat Headrest’s long-awaited album ‘The Scholars’, their first in five years. Rather than easing listeners in with a concise rock anthem like ‘Fill In The Blank’, the band dives straight into an ambitious 11-minute operatic journey. This bold return sets the stage for an album exploring the fictional life of ‘Rosa,’ a university student “whose struggles illuminate a loose narrative of life, death, and rebirth”. The song lures you in with Will Toledo’s distinctive vocals over a rhythmic drum beat, but three minutes in, the sound shifts and becomes frantic, with the drums taking over as phase two begins. Gethsemane builds in intensity, chaotic yet captivating. Toledo’s increasingly desperate vocals clash with Ethan Ives’ backing harmonies, suggesting a conflict between Rosa and another character. At nearly 11 minutes, Gethsemane is a daring statement, offering a thrilling glimpse of what’s to come. – Henry Dunn
GANS – I THINK I LIKE YOU
The seventh single from GANS since their formation in 2023, ‘I THINK I LIKE YOU,’ dropped this week. Produced by Ross Orton, who has worked with the likes of Yard Act and Amyl and the Sniffers, this track from the Birmingham duo continues to distort the lines between genres with their alternative and dynamic instrumentation. With piercing lyrics that explore the complex subject of body dysmorphia and its effect on relationships, GANS prove again that they deliver a sound that carries depth on all levels. – Zoe McCormick
M(H)AOL – DM:AM
M(h)aol’s “Something Soft,” out May 16th, arrives with the biting single “DM:AM.” The trio, Keane, Hyland, and Nolan, expose online misogyny, detailing the shift from unwanted DMs to abusive attacks. “DM:AM” is a stark indictment. Post-lineup changes, “Something Soft” rejects conventional softness, exploring intersectional feminism, consumerism, and animal welfare. The album confronts a world devoid of empathy. M(h)aol’s raw post-punk challenges notions of “softness” with unflinching critique. They deliver a potent message, exposing digital harassment and societal ills, marking a powerful evolution for the band. – Katie Macbeth
The post Tracks of the Week: Black Country, New Road, Panic Shack, Car Seat Headrest, and More! appeared first on Indie is not a genre.
