Last.fm's Latest: Sevdaliza, Karen O & Danger Mouse, and more

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By m_x_ 19 Mar 2019, 6:56am

by Chloe Catajan

Spring is on its way, which means days are brighter and flowers are blossoming. But much like nature, the music world also brings new things with the season. Weezer and Foals just put out new records, and now we're anticipating American Football's third LP this Friday, and Lizzo's in April. New Music Fridays will once again be in full bloom.

Since it can get a bit challenging to keep up with all of the new releases, here we explore some recent gems from up-and-comers and longtime favs you shouldn't miss.

Karen O and Danger Mouse — Turn The Light

Music collaborations often come with this surreal feeling of worlds colliding. Lux Prima, the collaborative work of Karen O and Danger Mouse, does this with maximum effectiveness. Karen O, whose hyperkinetic vocals usually take charge in art punk trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs, sounds hypnotizing against the lush and mystical sonic realm created by mega music producer Danger Mouse. On "Turn The Light," the latest single off Lux Prima, the pair keeps a lighthearted rhythm as its lyrics muse on a cosmic love. The rest of the album is just as otherworldly, alternating paces and unafraid of diving into the darker depths of Karen O's and Danger Mouse's newfound universe.

Sevdaliza — Darkest Hour

Sevdaliza has returned with a new song, "Darkest Hour," following her last single in 2018. In the cut, the Iranian-Dutch singer pairs sinister yet soothing vocals with a solemn piano lick. The instrumentals evolve into an electronic supernova, beats cascading and pulsating all at once, as Sevdaliza sings of an otherworldly relationship: "It's a perfect world/ I'm the perfect girl/ You're the nightmare/ I'm the dream." It's a haunting release that has fans eager for what else the singer has in store.

Chloe Lilac — Manic Pixie Dream

On the title track for her new EP, Chloe Lilac stirs up a steamy melody made up of magnetic synthscapes and velvety vocals. Though alluring, the song is meant to encompass how toxic the manic pixie dream girl trope is. Even the first verse demonstrates straight away that the trope revolves around unrealistic standards that lead to romanticizing the idea of someone, overlooking their actual self: "You're so interesting/ It's like you live inside my head/ Lost inside your madness/ Baby, smoke your cigarette." It's one of seven captivating and compelling tracks from the EP, released just in time for International Women's Day.

Shura — BKLYNLDN

English singer-songwriter Shura gets transatlantic and transcendental in returning single "BKLYNLDN." A follow-up to her debut 2016 LP Nothing's Real, the track symbolizes all the change in Shura's life over the last three years—whether related to love, location, or perspective. As she ruminates over a long-distance romance, a sonic shift takes place midsong, as if jumping between time zones. The first part of the track features a slow-burning, electronic groove that reflects Shura's life in London before flourishing into a jazzy outro, symbolic of reuniting with her love in Brooklyn.

Turning Jewels Into Water — Map of Absences

They say that drummers are the backbone of the band. In Turning Jewels Into Water's case, they're also the soul. The New York-based duo, comprised by electronic musicians and percussionists Ravish Momin and Val Jeanty, let their beats speak for themselves. On "Maps of Absences," the title track of their debut album, Momin and Jeanty create a compelling groove that fuses experimental electronic, elements of global genres such as kuduro, as well as traditions from their respective cultural backgrounds. It's a brilliant blend of rhythms that not only come together melodically, but also observe moods that go back and forth between sprightly and somber.