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Apr 01, 2022 By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone)

Welcome to the thirteenth Songs of the Week of 2022. It was a solid week for new music, with a strong and obvious #1 song. Today we posted an April Fools’ Day joke on our site. Did you notice it?

In the last week or so we posted interviews with Parquet Courts, Kevin Whelan of Aeon Station, PUP, and Destroyer.

In the last week we also reviewed a bunch of albums.

Covers of Covers, our first album, came out at the beginning of March on CD and digitally via American Laundromat. You can stream it here. You can also buy it directly from American Laundromat, via Bandcamp, or on Amazon.

Don’t forget to pick up our new double print issue, our 20th Anniversary Issue (which is out now).

To help you sort through the multitude of fresh songs released in the last week, we have picked the 10 best the last week had to offer, along with highlighting other notable new tracks shared in the last seven days. Check out the full list below.

1. Angel Olsen: “All the Good Times”

On Tuesday, Angel Olsen announced the release of a new album, Big Time, which will be out on June 3 via Jagjaguwar. Olsen also shared a video for the album’s lead single, “All the Good Times.” View the album’s tracklist and cover art here.

Big Time was largely influenced by Olsen’s experiences at the time of coming out. “Some experiences just make you feel as though you’re five years old, no matter how wise or adult you think you are,” she states in a press release. “Finally, at the ripe age of 34, I was free to be me.”

Kimberly Stuckwisch directed the video, and had this to say: “Angel’s story is a gift. It allowed me to visually explore the universal themes of love, loss, and most importantly what holds us back from realizing our true selves.”

Last year, Olsen shared the song “Like I Used To” with Sharon Van Etten. It was #3 on our Top 130 Songs of 2021 list.

In May 2021, Olsen released a new box set, Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories, via Jagjaguwar. The set features Olsen’s albums All Mirrors and Whole New Mess, along with a bonus LP titled Far Memory and a 40-page book. All Mirrors came out in 2019 and made it to the top spot on our Top 100 Albums of 2019 list. Whole New Mess came out the following year and was #39 for our Top 100 Albums of 2020.

In August 2021, Olsen also released a new EP, Aisles, which featured covers of five 1980s songs, via Olsen’s new Jagjaguwar imprint somethingscosmic. By Joey Arnone

2. Everything Everything: “I Want a Love Like This”

British art-rockers Everything Everything are releasing a new album, Raw Data Feel, on May 20 via Infinity Industries/AWAL. On Tuesday, they shared the album’s third single, “I Want a Love Like This,” via a video. Kit Monteith directed the video. View the band’s upcoming tour dates here.

The band collectively had this to say about the song in a press statement: “This song started as a challenge Alex set Jon to demo a ‘4-chord banger’ that he could put through a particular rhythmic processor on his home-made modular synthesiser. It’s another very instinctive and impulsive composition, talking about a new relationship and a feel of optimism and possibility.”

On May 20, Everything Everything are also releasing a limited-edition lyric book, CAPS LOCK ON: Lyrics + Debris 2007-2022, via Faber Music.

Previously Everything Everything shared Raw Data Feel’s lead single, “Bad Friday,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared the album’s second single, “Teletype,” via a video featuring AI-generated faces singing the song. “Teletype” was also one of our Songs of the Week.

For Raw Data Feel the band used an AI (artifical intelligence) of their own making to help create the album’s lyrics, song titles, and cover art, via selected information they fed the AI.

The band’s last album, Re-Animator, came out in 2020 on Infinity Industries and made it on our Top 100 Albums of 2020 list. It featured the songs “Arch Enemy,” “Planets,” “Violent Sun,” and “Big Climb,” all of which were featured on our Songs of the Week lists.

Check out the fourth episode of our Under the Radar podcast, where we speak to Jonathan Higgs.

Read our COVID-19 Quarantine Check-In interview with Higgs. By Mark Redfern

3. Katy J Pearson: “Talk Over Town”

On Tuesday, Katy J Pearson announced the release of a new album, Sound of the Morning, which will be out on July 8 via Heavenly. Pearson also shared a video for a new single from the album, “Talk Over Town.” View the album’s tracklist and cover art here.

Stephens states in a press release, regarding the video: “This video was such a joy to shoot—to meet Katy and work with such an open artist who brought so much of herself to the video was a real treat. She is a brilliant collaborator and an artist set for big, big things.

“I love nothing more than creating visual worlds and designing aesthetics to fit with the sound of exciting new artists. This video became a comment on that, how for recording artists there is pressure to be the face of their music, and to package it up visually. I wanted to shed light on the music video through the eyes of Katy, the joy and also the beautiful bizarreness.”

Sound of the Morning was co-produced by Ali Chant (Yard Act) and Dan Carey (Fontaines DC). By Joey Arnone

4. Sondre Lerche: “Alone in the Night” (Feat. AURORA)

Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche released a new double album, Avatars of Love, today via PLZ/InGrooves. In honor of release day, today Lerche shared a video for the album’s closing track, “Alone in the Night,” a string-swept duet with fellow Norwegian AURORA (who is also in the video). Plus now that it’s out, you can stream the whole album. William Glandberger directed the video and the song was not previously shared as a pre-release single. Stream the album and view Lerche’s upcoming tour dates here.

Lerche had this to say about “Alone in the Night” in a press release: “‘Alone in the Night’ was the first recording I did for the Avatars of Love album. It put everything in motion, and surprised me greatly. I heard AURORA’s voice singing it in my mind one day when I was out running in the sun. So I asked her if she’d sing it with me. It felt extra special, because I had just returned home to Bergen after 15 years of living in the US. And she was one of the first to greet me there. It’s a song about what happens to our bodies and souls when we fall in love, and then again through the passage of time, when we age and die. It’s ultimately about our memories and dementia. How frail we really are, and how heartless the process of aging can be to lovers.”

Back in October, Lerche shared the 10-minute album track “Dead of the Night,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. He later shared “Turns Out I’m Sentimental After All” alongside “Cut” upon the album’s announcement. “Cut” was also one of our Songs of the Week. Then Lerche shared the album’s title track, “Avatars of Love,” via an animated video. “Avatars of Love” was also one of our Songs of the Week. Then in March Lerche shared another song from the album, “Summer In Reverse,” which features Japanese quartet CHAI. It was shared via a video that also featured CHAI. “Summer In Reverse” also landed on the Songs of the Week list.

Avatars of Love also features Felicia Douglass (Dirty Projectors), Mary Lattimore, Rodrigo Alarcon, and Ana Müller.

His last album, Patience, came out in 2020 via PLZ.

Lerche is among the artists featured on our Covers of Covers album, which came out in March via American Laundromat. He covers Mitski’s “Townie.” Check out his track here and stream the whole album here.

AURORA’s most recent album, The Gods We Can Touch, came out in January via Glassnote. By Mark Redfern

5. Rosie Carney: “dad”

On Thursday, Rosie Carney announced the release of a new album, i wanna feel happy, which will be out on May 27 via Color Study. Carney also shared a video for a new album single, “dad.” The video features Outlander actor John Bell. View the album’s tracklist and cover art here.

“I wanted to create the narrative of a young person journeying back to their authentic self after being trapped and lost within this loud world” states Carney regarding the song and video in a press release. “It was emotional watching John relate to this and bring it to life. He choreographed the dance sequence himself and there wasn’t an ounce of his mind and spirit that he held back. It’s become a real testimony to our friendship.” By Joey Arnone

6. My Idea: “Breathe You”

My Idea, the duo consisting of Lily Konigsberg (Palberta) and Nate Amos (Water From Your Eyes), are releasing their debut album, Cry Mfer, on April 22 via Hardly Art. On Tuesday, they shared its third single, “Breathe You,” via a video for the song. Rachel Brown from Water From Your Eyes directed the video.

Amos had this to say about the song in a press release: “‘Breathe You’ was never really intended to be on the album. I made the hook/beat in the middle of a night when I was unable to sleep and sent it to Lily as a sort of ‘check out how ridiculous this is’ joke; she recorded the verses and sent it back within a day. This was during a really difficult time for both of us and we were processing our emotions in very different ways—I buried my sadness inside of humor and Lily wore hers on her sleeve. After it was finished we both forgot about it for months, eventually adding it to the album at the request of a few trusted friends. In spite of the absurdity of the song at a basic level it ended up being as honest and accurate as anything we’ve made, and it took us months to realize that. Usually I hand off my vocal parts to Lily, but this is one of a few moments where my demo vocals remain in the final cut. We are both really really proud of this song. It is not particularly easy for either of us to listen to but we hope that you (!) like it and find some consolation in it (whatever you may be dealing with at this time).”

Previously the band shared a video for the album title track, “Cry Mfer,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared its second single, “Crutch,” which the band described as a “co-dependency anthem.”

Water From Your Eyes are featured on our Covers of Covers 20th anniversary compilation, which is out now via American Laundromat. By Mark Redfern

7. Superorganism: “It’s Raining” (Feat. Stephen Malkmus and Dylan Cartlidge)

On Wednesday, Superorganism shared an animated video for their new single, “It’s Raining,” which features Stephen Malkmus and British rapper Dylan Cartlidge, as well as a sample of Scott Walker’s classic “It’s Raining Today” (from 1969’s Scott 3). It is the latest release from the band’s forthcoming album, World Wide Pop, which will be out on July 15 via Domino.

In a press release, the band state: “We’ve been enormous fans of Stephen Malkmus forever, and we loved the idea of combining Malkmus and Scott Walker into a strange, almost broken-sounding hip hop track. We’d done a remix for Dylan Cartlidge and absolutely loved his flow; we asked him if he’d like to try a verse and he fit so naturally. With Dylan being from the North of England and Stephen in Portland, the rain theme is all the more fitting for them too.”

Upon announcement of the new album in March, the band shared the song “Teenager,” which was one of our Songs of the Week

The band’s self-titled debut album came out in 2018 via Domino. Read our interview with the band on the album. By Joey Arnone

8. Foals: “Looking High”

Foals are releasing a new album, Life Is Yours, on June 17 via ADA/Warner UK Ltd. Today they shared its third single, “Looking High,” via a video for the new song. Kit Monteith directed the video.

Frontman Yannis Philippakis had this to say about “Looking High” in a press release: “This is looking back to a more hedonistic time in my life, and a more innocent time in society in general, pre-pandemic and before the existential threat of climate change. It takes place in an alley in Oxford with two clubs—The Cellar and The Wheatsheaf—that all the city’s nightlife gravitated towards. It was before clubs started to close down and our cities started to change into more corporate, arid places. There’s an element of being haunted by nightlife that’s no longer there.”

Life Is Yours follows the two-part album Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, with both parts released in 2019.

Philippakis had this to say about the album in a previous press release: “We wanted to refocus and do something that shared a DNA throughout the songs: a physicality, a danceability, and with energy and joyousness. It’s definitely the poppiest record we’ve ever made. I feel that with Everything Not Saved… we touched upon all of the facets of our sound up until that point. This time we wanted to find a new way to express ourselves.”

Foals also features Jimmy Smith and Jack Bevan. The album began in a London rehearsal space during pandemic lockdown and was recorded at Real World Studios. Various producers worked on the album, including: John Hill (Portugal The Man, Florence + The Machine), Dan Carey (Tame Impala, Fontaines D.C.), Miles James, and A.K. Paul (co-founder of the Paul Institute with his brother Jai Paul). Manny Marroquin (Post Malone, Kanye West, Rihanna) mixed most of the album, with some tracks mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Coldplay, Muse, Kings of Leon).

The band previously shared album track “Wake Me Up” last November, which was one of our Songs of the Week. That was followed by its second single, “2am,” as well as a video for the song that was shot in Kyiv, Ukraine with an entirely Ukrainian crew.

Check out our interview with Foals on their 2019 album Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 1. By Mark Redfern

9. Hater: “Far From a Mind”

On Tuesday, Swedish shoegaze quartet Hater shared a video for their new single, “Far From a Mind.” It is the latest release from their forthcoming album, Sincere, which will be out on May 6 via Fire.

Upon announcement of the new album in January, the band shared the song “Something,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. They later shared the album track “Hopes High.” By Joey Arnone

10. C Duncan: “Bell Toll”

Scotland’s C Duncan (aka Chris Duncan) is releasing a new album, Alluvium, on May 6 via Bella Union / [PIAS]. Today he shared the album’s fourth single, “Bell Toll,” via a lyric video for it.

In a press release, Duncan had this to say about the song: “‘Bell Toll’ is about uncertainty and companionship and finding comfort in uncertainty. It explores the idea of security and assurance juxtaposed with the exhilaration of not knowing what’s to come.”

In November, Duncan shared the album title track “Alluvium,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. In December he shared the album’s “The Wedding Song.” When the album was announced in January he shared its third single, “Heaven,” also one of our Songs of the Week.

Duncan is featured on our Covers of Covers compilation, where he covers Angel Olsen’s “Acrobat.” Stream the whole album here, but also check out his “Acrobat” cover here.

Duncan’s last album, Health, came out in 2019 via FatCat. Health followed 2015’s Mercury Prize-nominated debut, Architect, and 2016’s Twilight Zone-inspired sophomore album, The Midnight Sun.

Read our 2019 My Firsts interview with C Duncan.

Also read our positive review of Health.

Read C Duncan’s article for us on his favorite Twilight Zone episodes.

Read our interview with C Duncan on Architect. By Mark Redfern

Honorable Mentions:

These songs almost made the Top 10.

Kate Bollinger: “Lady in the Darkest Hour”

Liam Gallagher: “C’mon You Know”

iamamiwhoami: “don’t wait for me”

Ibeyi: “Lavender and Red Roses” (Feat. Jorja Smith)

Tim Kasher: “Forever of the Living Dead” (Feat. Laura Jane Grace and Jeff Rosenstock)

Marci: “Entertainment”

Kelly Lee Owens: “Sonic 8”

Toro y Moi: “Déjà Vu”

Weird Nightmare: “Lusitania”

Here’s a handy Spotify playlist featuring the Top 10 in order, followed by all the honorable mentions:

Other notable new tracks in the last week include:

Advance Base: “Little Sable Point Lighthouse”

Bloods: “I Like You” (Feat. Laura Jane Grace)

Beach Bunny: “Fire Escape”

Florence + The Machine: “My Love (Dave Glass Animals Remix)”

Flume: “Sirens” (Feat. Caroline Polachek)

HAAi: “Purple Jelly Disc” (Feat. Obi Franky)

Mick Jagger: “Strange Game”

Japanese Breakfast: “Skinny Love” (Bon Iver Cover)

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: “Magenta Mountain”

Margaret Glaspy: “Heart Shape”

Lola Kirke: “Pink Sky”

James Krivchenia: “The Science of Imaginary Solutions”

La Neve: “Soft Power”

Lyle Lovett: “12th of June”

Moderat: “MORE LOVE”

Kevin Morby: “Rock Bottom”

Nick Mulvey: “A Prayer of My Own”

Marissa Nadler: “Cold Wind Blowin” (David Lynch Cover)

Willie Nelson: “Tower of Song” (Leonard Cohen Cover)

Kelly Lee Owens: “Olga”

Peace Ritual: “Tears of Joy”

Pink Mountaintops: “Nervous Breakdown” (Black Flag Cover)

Red Hot Chili Peppers: “These Are the Ways”

Screaming Females: “On My Radio” (The Selector Cover)

Sparks: “It’s a Sparks Show”

Sports Team: “R Entertainment”

Harry Styles: “As It Was”

Tank and the Bangas: “Why Try”

Yann Tiersen: “16 15 21 12 12. 2 15 10 5 18” and “11 5 18 2 5 18”

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs: “Blood in the Snow”

TV Priest: “Bury Me In My Shoes”

Warpaint: “Stevie”

Patrick Watson: “Height of the Feeling”

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