Stereogum‘s staff has picked five new songs for this week’s edition of The 5 Best Songs Of The Week, and the lineup runs from slowcore melancholy to a garage-rock love story and a track about desensitization. The list draws on work from Nashville musician Maddie Kerr, Father John Misty, Phoebe Bridgers, Emma Ogier, and Tinashe. All five tracks are available to stream on Stereogum’s Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, which updates weekly.
Mercury Pushes Roots-Rock Into Slowcore
Maddie Kerr, who records as Mercury, comes from Nashville and has been working with producer Alex Farrar. The review describes her as one of many artists mining the space between roots-rock and grunge. On “Roar Of The Heliac Goat,” Kerr pushes that sound toward a glacial slowcore direction, a move the reviewer ties directly to the influence of Jason Molina.
But the music isn’t grim. The review notes that Kerr’s songbird vocals and Farrar’s pristine production carry an inherent prettiness. The song glitters like a starry sky, heavy with emotion but offering catharsis with each gnarly riff and moonbeam melody.
“It glitters like a starry sky, heavy with emotion but providing catharsis with each gnarly riff and moonbeam melody.”
Father John Misty Draws Out The Insanity
Josh Tillman, recording as Father John Misty, opens “The X-panded Universe” with a line that reads like a pulp novel: “The chair-bound oracle Dr. Valence can’t believe that this girl is the perfect weapon he was sent here to retrieve.” That’s followed by a clean falsetto hit on the second syllable of “believe,” delivered with honeyed panache.
Tillman has been doing this for years, weaving his layered poetic ideas through the lens of his louche, literary Laurel Canyon lounge lizard persona. The six-minute song includes a goosebump moment: “In the expanded universe, in the crossover event, God is only as good as the villains he invents.” Then comes the slow-motion crescendo where Tillman conjures hosts of voices and trumpets to let listeners know that everyone gets saved on a bad, bad day.
Phoebe Bridgers Expands The Quiet
Alex G helped Phoebe Bridgers with her third album Lost Weekend, and his influence shows up especially on her new Primetime song “On Video.” The track starts as a cryptic, acoustic sprawl before exploding into a distorted whirlwind that swings between quiet and loud.
The review compares the song to Lost Weekend, saying it completely absorbs its listener into its dark, eerie little world.
Emma Ogier’s Garage Rock Is Rusty But Working
“Hands Tied” is a vintage car, according to the review. Emma Ogier delivers a ragged, greasy garage-rock song about a forever love, making it sound lived-in but no less important. The drums begin muted until a veil falls away, then become loud and stomping, their necessity becoming undeniable.
Ogier has a sticky, flowing delivery. Her lyrics pack a dozen intimate moments that expand into a millennium. The review calls the song rusty but functioning and clear, like a love that’s gonna last despite its worn exterior.
Tinashe Captures Desensitization
Tinashe’s Popstar includes two tracks named after internet slang: “Brainrot” and “Crash Out.” The review warns that titling songs after internet slang can come across as an artist trying to keep up with the moment, especially one who has been in the industry for decades. But those two tracks might be the best ones.
“Brainrot” flutters with dopamine-drunk bliss, with Tinashe’s voice swooning over the sticky hook: “Brainrot, I’m nothing but numb/ Brainrot, so sick of fake love.” The song is a glamorous, addictive blip about desensitization and a growing inability to feel fulfilled. For a brief moment, the song fills the void.
The Order Of The Picks
- Mercury – “Roar Of The Heliac Goat”
- Father John Misty – “The X-panded Universe”
- Phoebe Bridgers – “On Video”
- Emma Ogier – “Hands Tied”
- Tinashe – “Brainrot”
Each review offers a distinct reason to care. The Mercury pick praises the brilliant title. The Father John Misty review points to that goosebump moment. The Phoebe Bridgers track is described as a distorted whirlwind. The Emma Ogier review calls her delivery sticky. And the Tinashe track lands on the hook.
The staff’s enthusiasm carries through every track, from the glittering starry sky of “Roar Of The Heliac Goat” to the swooning vocal delivery of “Brainrot.”
Source material: “The 5 Best Songs Of The Week,” Stereogum.
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