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Each Friday, Consequence staffers highlight their favorite new songs for our weekly Songs of the Week column. This week, we’re jamming to new tunes from BbyMutha, Disclosure, Dry Cleaning, Slift, and more.
BbyMutha — “muthaleficent back”
BbyMutha has been stewing rhymes in her witchy cauldron for more than a decade. On her new album, rent due, the Chattanooga rapper continues to entrance her listeners with hip-hop spells relayed through gritted teeth. The standout track, “muthaleficent back,” sees BbyMutha rapping from a place of hunger. “I’m the one these bitches scared to mention/ If I get hotter than a hoe, she gon’ abort the mission,” she spits in her signature pitch and tone over rugged production. Her delivery here is just as intoxicating as her early work, a confirmation that BbyMutha still shoots from the hip without hesitation. — Kiana Fitzgerald
Stream “muthaleficent back” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Deb Never — “all the time”
Deb Never’s latest song is solemn but rich, using a more minimalist palette but still rendering her sound with emotion. It’s the final single from her upcoming record ARCADE, and it’s just as fraught as the album’s prior offerings; she narrates toxicity and feeling distanced in a relationship with plenty of detail, but when the reverb sets in at the chorus, she drifts off into a doubt-ridden dream pop sound and brings us straight into those knotty feelings. It’s another standout offering from the singer-songwriter, who will finally unveil her debut album on May 8th. — Paolo Ragusa
Stream “all the time” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Disclosure — “The Sun Comes Up Tremendous”
Disclosure are back with the euphoric “The Sun Comes Up Tremendous,” and it’s arrived just in time for warmer weather. Though brimming with warmth and vibrant energy, the song still finds Disclosure in moodier territory; with an orchestral bridge, tightly-wound drums, and a fragmented drop, it’s certainly an immersive turn from the brothers. The vocals from Guy Lawrence sit lower in his register and highlight his soulful baritone, also serving as a reminder of how transcendent he can sound behind the mic. It’s a treat to hear that after a decade-plus making hook-laden electronic pop, Disclosure still know what it takes to make dance music cut straight to the heart. — P. Ragusa
Stream “The Sun Comes Up Tremendous” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Dry Cleaning — “Sliced by a Fingernail”
“Sliced by a Fingernail” starts the way all great songs do — with an interpolation of “Happy Birthday to You.” It doesn’t quite seem like a happy birthday, however, as Florence Shaw’s celebratory wishes are backed by an eerie percussion line and washed-out wails that sound like a nationwide alarm that the big one’s coming (not to mention the getting cut of it all). From there, a crackling, distorted, jump-scare-esque guitar line enters, setting the tone for the rest of the tune. “Sliced by a Fingernail” follows the band’s latest LP, Secret Love, one of the best albums of that month, and whether it’s a leftover from that LP or the band is letting their creative momentum lead them forward, it’s up to the highest of Dry Cleaning standards. — Jonah Krueger
Stream “Sliced by a Fingernail” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Friko — “Still Around”
Chicago indie rock outfit Friko’s upcoming LP, Something Worth Waiting For, is due out April 24th. As we’ve learned since the band’s promising debut album, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go from Here, Friko knows how to make a simple, yet profound message sound louder than life. “Still Around” is the latest bit of proof that the group deserves a megaphone. “There’s hope in every kill/ Home in every hell/ All is not a failure/ You’re still around,” lead vocalist Niko Kapetan wails during the chorus. Toward the end, the song swells into a hell of a hook — “It always starts to come when you need it most” — and then, the clouds part in the sky, revealing the light that’s been there all along. — K. Fitzgerald
Stream “Still Around” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Greg Mendez — “Gentle Love” / “Frog”
Following lead single “I Wanna Feel Pretty,” “Gentle Love” and “Frog” provide fans with the latest preview of Greg Mendez’ upcoming album, Beauty Land. The former comes across like a great Elliott Smith or Alex G tune, with emotive vocals, swaying acoustic guitar, and playful production. (The track also sneakily has a killer bass part, so pay attention to the low end.) After just 91 seconds, it transitions into “Frog,” a more melancholic number that leans on somber electronic piano and a plea for forgiveness. It’s a one-two punch that’ll pull your heart in every which way. — J. Krueger
Stream “Gentle Love” / “Frog” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Slift — “A Storm of Wings”
Slift, the heavy psych band from France, are back with a new album due out on Sub Pop, Fantasia. They’ve offered up “A Storm of Wings” as the lead single, and it’s every bit as mind-expanding, groove-based, and swirling as fans could hope for. The guitars are heavy and squealing, the bass is booming and pushed forward in the mix, and the vocals match the cut’s hypnotic intensity. It’s a dynamic, fantastic journey through the cosmos via fuzz tones and crash cymbals — what’s not to like? — J. Krueger
Stream “A Storm of Wings” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
TheARTI$T — “S.I.M.P.L.E.”
New Jersey-based R&B singer TheARTI$T released her new album, DND, today. The collection of songs are lavish, at times suggestive, and fully steeped in love, or on the way to it. “S.I.M.P.L.E.” finds TheARTI$T at her most carnal. Over stuttering percussive elements, which call to mind Timbaland’s idiosyncratic work with Aaliyah, the vocalist beckons her lover closer: “I’ve been disguising all my needs, through the pointless conversations/ Skip over the part where we go friends to relations.” Throughout, TheARTI$T sensually asks her partner to leave all complications to the side, making for one of the steamiest R&B songs of the year yet. — K. Fitzgerald
Stream “S.I.M.P.L.E.” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
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