Neu The Neu Bulletin (hemlocke springs, Fat Dog, Jalen Ngonda and more!)

Is it a post-punk track? Is it a distorted dance number? No, it’s the debut single from South London’s Fat Dog - the unsettling, undulating, seven-minute epic ‘King of the Slugs’. A song with at least three different acts, we veer from a pumping electronic bassline, to a folk-tinged frenetic breakdown, to a finale which could easily soundtrack the apocalypse (in the best possible way). Having celebrated ‘King of the Slugs’ with a by-all-accounts utterly debauched launch party at Brixton’s Windmill, Fat Dog are on the cusp of a flying trajectory. (Daisy Carter)

Juxtaposing a bouncing beat with heartfelt, yearning vocals, on ‘enknee1’ hemlocke springs marries seemingly incongruous elements to create a track which is infectious and emotional in equal measure. Otherwise known as Naomi Udu, the young artist blurs the boundaries between 80s pop and dance, channeling the turbulence of adolescence into a sound that couldn’t be further from your typical ‘teen angst’ music. With four out of seven tracks on her debut EP ‘going… going… GONE!’ already out in the world, hemlocke springs certainly isn’t holding back. (Daisy Carter).

With eerie vocals layered over a relentless drum machine, Zooey Celeste’s latest track ‘Restless Thoughts’ is an interesting play on contrasts and conflict. Made as a kind of theme tune for the character of Zooey Celeste, seen as a kind of shaman figure, this track leans heavily into hypnosis as the wailing vocals and woozy sounds spiral around the percussion. Merging tastes of punk, slacker rock and lo-fi, with elements of chamber-pop thanks to its almost religious feel, the mix-up of sounds makes for a unique listen. A track that’s dark and hazy, dreamy yet lucid, relentless but wavy - it’s pretty captivating. (Lucy Harbron)

After spring’s incendiary ‘Stick Dat’, Frozemode return with a similarly refined racket in the form of ‘Vermin’. A dark, sharp electro backdrop sets the scene for the rousing verses and calamitous choruses, but leaves plenty of room for extra groovy inflections. A boppy bassline here, a glossy production flourish there, all contained by the spit and swagger of the vocal. After a supremely successful festival season, Frozemode are clearly already ready to fire up for what’s coming next, and ‘Vermin’ raises anticipation to the max. (Ims Taylor)

Leeds collective Gotts Street Park join forces with BBC Sound of 2022 winner ENNY on their latest track ‘Mountains’, a sauntering, rap-soul cut that slinks between understated percussion and languid guitar flourishes. Its jazz-lounge instrumentation and pared-back production allow ENNY’s guest vocals to take centre stage; it’s a collaboration that expertly showcases the best of both artists. (Daisy Carter)

Alex Amor channels dreamy nostalgia on ‘Like The First Time’, and she does so expertly. Joining the beabadoobees and the Holly Humberstones of this world, she tugs at heartstrings like it’s second nature with storybook-tragic lyrics, naive hopefulness, and gleaming pop instrumentals to get even the most stoic swaying with their eyes closed. The production feels at once intimate and hugely expansive, and the emotions Alex is singing about feel both soft and all-encompassing - the duality is the recipe for an excellent, expertly crafted pop song. (Ims Taylor)

Stripped almost to its bones, the latest release from New York and Hamburg-raised dery has all the woozy, rose-tinted retrospection of an afters party. The acoustic track – led by its guitar but backed up by drums, trombone, and a flugelhorn (kind of like the trumpet’s mellower cousin) – is a breakup song with none of the usual bitterness; instead, dery wishes her ex well. Or, at the very least, that they’re “better than fine”, which is still more mature than most. (Caitlin Chatterton)

The most recent cut from Jalen Ngonda’s debut album, ‘Come Around And Love Me’, is a tender croon of affection to sweep you off your feet. ‘So Glad I Found You’ sways through three breezy minutes of cinematic strings and percussion, its already captivating chorus uplifted by the backing vocals. Jalen’s voice is naturally the main star, though, sliding to the top notes with ease. This track is soothing, entrancing, and glorious. (Caitlin Chatterton)

UR EX BF unveil a debut single that weaves a myriad of musical strands into one strutting, beachy bop, laden with tongue-in-cheek delivery and hazy atmospherics. The lyrics are about an imagined dream girl, so the instrumental rises to the task of creating a suitable tone for her story of adulation to be spun around. A surreal, nostalgic tone from 2000s indie grates pleasantly against the enticing croon of the vocals, which is somehow both classic and coolly contemporary - think Stephen Sanchez, if he was the frontman of Alvvays. (Ims Taylor)

Tags: Alex Amor, Dery, ENNY, Fat Dog, Frozemode, Gotts Street Park, Hemlocke Springs, Jalen Ngonda, Sans Soucis, Zooey Celeste, Listen, Neu, Neu Bulletin