New songs for August 26th, 2024

 here they are:


"Beaches" by beabadoobee:  I thought beabadoobee wouldn't achieve mainstream success again after the bubbly, Regina Spektor-esque song, "The Perfect Pair," made it onto both my local alternative station and my local smooth jazz station about two years ago, but the eclectic indie sensation made huge waves yet again this year with her summer smash, "Take a Bite," which might mark the first time that she topped the adult alt radio charts, even though she has been featured on said charts many times before. beabadoobee seems to have a fondness for '90s alt-rock, and it shows on her latest song, "Beaches," which has echoes of some of the softer No Doubt songs like "Don't Speak" and "Simple Kind of Life." "Beaches" tries to rock out with its grungy distortion and its electric guitar solo towards the end, but it still very much a breezy, post-summer soft rock tune for the indie generation. The lyrics also echo sentiments of '90s alt-rock, being laced with uncertainty and self-consciousness. Gwen Stefani's 30-year-old self from the late '90s would have been proud! 

"Bright Lights" by The Killers:  Their song from earlier this year, "Spirit," found exclusively on their latest greatest hits collection, was more of a miss than a hit. However, their latest song, the slightly Springsteen-esque "Bright Lights," should make up for that! "Bright Lights" is probably about The Killers' hometown in none other than Vegas, and it romanticizes Sin City the same way that The Boss does for Jersey! The song's mixture of tinkling synths against both shimmering acoustic guitars and anthemic electrics (and even a brief Clarence Clemons-esque sax solo) is a winning combo. The almost gospel-like backing vocals on the song are the cherry on top of this ice cream sundae of a song. Truly a welcome treat for Killers fans who missed how they used to sound in the mid-'00s!

"Coast" by Kim Deal:  Kim Deal is one of the most powerful women in alternative rock! Being both a backing vocalist on the now legendary Pixies and the lead singer of The Breeders (best known for their potent '90s alt-rock smash, "Cannonball"), she was pivotal for both women in alt-rock and the alt-rock movement at large. So where does her first solo single find her?! Doing...light jazz/folk-rock?! Not what I would have expected, but it works here! Her latest song, "Coast," is a surprisingly breezy song led by a trombone, of all things. It's a fun, sweet song that fits perfectly for anyone taking a vacation! Kim also seems to pay a slight tribute here to another woman who trail-blazed alt-rock, Debbie Harry, as the song's chorus bears slight melodic resemblance to Blondie's "Sunday Girl."

"Giving Up" by Michigander:  Typically one of the more melancholy groups in the recent indie-pop boom, Michigander now have a surprisingly upbeat song with "Giving Up." Despite the song's title, there really isn't a lot of pessimism in the song, except maybe in the chorus. Most of it seems to be about going on a road trip. The song comes off sounding like a more contemporary version of Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" from its C major key to its rather specific beat. Not the first thing I'd think of when someone mentions Michigander, but somehow, they make it work here!

"Nobody's Soldier" by Hozier:  A song like this one could be viewed as a musical "grandchild" of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" in terms of its lyrics, and its sound is just as fiery and charging as the aforementioned CCR song, although it uses both more horns and more synthesizer than that one does. Irish alt/indie sensation, Hozier, concocts an incendiary protest song for the 2020's with his latest offering, "Nobody's Soldier," with lyrics about not giving in to waging war, crackling with blazing guitar riffs among the blaring horns that serve as a call to action to save the nation!

"Old Tape" by Lucius (featuring Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs):  It's not the first time Lucius has joined forces with The War on Drugs (that would be 2021's "I Don't Live Here Anymore"), but it is the first time a collaboration of theirs is credited to Lucius instead of the WOD, despite sounding more like the latter than the former. It's clearly Lucius' lead singer, Holly Laessig, on the fronting vocals, but the production of shimmering synths and chugging guitars is more Adam than Holly. Amidst the song's bright, upbeat sound is a message of negative self-talk. This is what the "old tape" in the title of the song refers to: a voice in one's head telling it pessimistic messages. However, when Holly says she'll "turn it off and just live instead," she assures her listeners she's not giving in to what the voice is telling her!