Welcome to Sound Station, where we’re highlighting the best new tracks that came out this week. Head into the weekend with songs from PinkPantheress, Fousheé and more.
PinkPantheress teams up with her idol KAYTRANADA on “Do you miss me?”
Not every artist gets to collaborate with their idol — let alone just a little over a year after their debut. But, clearly, viral-breakout, bedroom-pop singer PinkPantheress isn’t like most other artists. One of the 21-year-old’s major influences, experimentalist KAYTRANADA, co-produced her latest, “Do you miss me?” The result is every bit as effervescent as you can imagine. In her signature bubblegum voice, PinkPantheress pines over a relationship that was once built on infatuation and ended in heartbreak. Mirroring the dizziness of her feelings, the track bubbles with everything from synths to bells and woodblocks. A glistening little song, you’re sure to miss it when the brief two-minute runtime is through. —Sadie Bell
Fousheé and Lil Uzi Vert create a subtle rave with “spend the money”
Fousheé has created an irresistible anthem with her new single “spend the money.” Produced by Miguel Angeles, the dark dance track features the bold vocalist and Lil Uzi Vert exploring guarded love, feeling numb and, like the title suggests, indulgence. Fall in love with Fousheé’s ambitious debut album, softCORE, out now. —Neville Hardman
Weyes Blood creates soft, stunning chamber pop on “God Turn Me Into a Flower”
Just ahead of the release of her new album, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow (out now via Sub Pop), singer-songwriter Weyes Blood dropped the third and final single earlier this week. A sparse chamber-pop song, with support on keys from Daniel Lopatin of Oneohtrix Point Never, it’s simply stunning. On the ballad, Natalie Mering sings of wishing softness and vulnerability were more valued, or seen for all of their beauty — like that of a flower. Beneath her vocals, the track grows into an array of organic sound. She may be yearning to turn into a flower, but this song is a whole garden of emotion. —Sadie Bell
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness’ “VHS” is a shiny synth-pop gem
Ever since his Something Corporate days, Andrew McMahon has become an expert at crafting bewitching melodies while continuing his own pop-punk legacy. On his latest single “VHS,” a meditation on the necessity of spontaneity, McMahon crafts a cinematic synth-pop sound that evokes the whimsicality of Maggie Rogers’ “Alaska” and furthers the exhilarating tone he’s channeled on recent singles “Stars” and “Skywriting.” —Ilana Kaplan
notfortheo’s “down” deals in heady introspection
notfortheo have a unique ability to make chill songs with hefty meanings. The lethargic sound that consumes “down,” off their debut EP half-life, belies its darker subject matter, which references drug comedowns and addiction. Once you understand the song’s gravity, suddenly everything feels more somber and poignant. The band say the track is “the sound of someone’s heart and mind slipping away from them, yet also accepting the miles ahead on the road to recovery to get things right again.” —Neville Hardman
44Blonde lives in the now with his new single “Like You Love Me”
44Blonde doesn’t have many singles to his name yet, but that’ll soon change. Championed by lil aaron, the alt-rock artist is on his way up. With his latest song “Like You Love Me,” 44Blonde determines that nothing lasts forever, so why not live in the moment? In the accompanying visual, images of weed smoke, late-night beach hangs and lazing around in the company of a loved one drive that sentiment home. —Neville Hardman
triton.’s “Orchids” is a testament to the power of musical freedom
On triton.’s latest single “Orchids,” singer-songwriter Scott Murphy has paired the post-punk and new-wave ethos of New Order and The Cure with a touch of ‘90s emo-revival (think Modern Baseball, the Front Bottoms). The result is a pulsating track that vibrates through its lively, meandering basslines courtesy of Tim Payne (Thursday, L.S. Dunes), as well as commanding drum patterns, ambient synth textures and warm vocals. “Orchids,” which was co-produced by Geoff Rickly (Thursday, No Devotion) captures the essence of experimentation and collaboration brilliantly. —Alessandro DeCaro
Grace McKagan pours empathy into garage-rock tribute “Jimmy (Lookin’ like Trash)”
On “Jimmy (Lookin’ Like Trash),” Grace McKagan delivers a commanding garage-rock tribute to New York punk icon Jimmy Webb, an ode to a rock ‘n’ roll soul that balances the retro tilt of Nancy Sinatra with the punch of The Kills. With her latest single, McKagan, who is the daughter of Guns N’ Roses bass player Duff McKagan, pairs vulnerable songwriting with her signature, syrupy lilt. —Ilana Kaplan
