Neu The Neu Bulletin (Miso Extra, Dora Jar, Crawlers and more!)

On '2nd Floor', Miso Extra continues to do what she does best: interact with the musical zeitgeist, trends in production, and the cultural landscape; merge that in with her own personal specific and super-varied influences and interests; and tie all that up not-quite-neatly in a fabulous art-pop parcel. '2nd Floor' is breathlessly catchy, her vocal line providing the addictive hook at a tempo that just pushes it beyond effortless. The instrumental is sparse, at moments glitchy and industrial, at moments lush and organic, and it goes between the two at whiplash pace. It's a characteristically intriguing, exciting, and offbeat offering from a truly distinctive songwriter. (Ims Taylor)

Her first new track in more than a year, Dora Jar’s return arrives in the form of a cathartic cry for agency that suggests some deep thinking has likely gone on in the interim break. The wide-eyed sense of wonder that’s always threaded its way through the LA-based singer’s work remains via stuttering verses that dance around Dora’s vocals, bright and youthful at the centre of it all. But as the chorus payoff emerges - “I’m the puppet, can you help me cut my thread?” - there’s a soar of freedom that suggests she’s already mentally snipped it for herself. (Lisa Wright)

Liverpool four-piece Crawlers are gearing up for the release of their long-awaited debut album, ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’, due for arrival in February. Their latest cut from the record is the melancholic grunge ballad ‘Call It Love’. Lamenting a toxic relationship, Holly Minto’s vocal is more reserved than the brash anthems they’re known for, but it’s a maturity that suits them. The track is a perfect soundtrack for autumnal early morning commutes (starring in your own music video, eat your heart out) and promises big things from the rest of their project. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Freshly signed to cult indie label Nice Swan Records (who can count English Teacher, Sprints, and Sports Team among their alumni), Belfast trio Chalk are hitting the ground running with  latest cut 'The Gate'. Pairing post-punk's staccato vocal delivery with the raw vitality of electronic music, the track's relentless, runaway train percussion builds an atmosphere of suffocating tension - bolstered by its nightmare sequence visual - that lingers even after 'The Gate''s three minutes are up. (Daisy Carter)

Scottish-born newcomer Kaeto has shared her latest single ‘Little Me’; it’s a follow-up to last month’s ‘No Body’, her debut single as a Polydor signee. ‘Little Me’ is a slinking, dripping-in-synths cut that comes with Kaeto’s own self-produced, through-the-looking-glass music video. It’s an impressive feat for anyone, let alone an artist only on their third ever single, and confirms Kaeto as someone who’ll be frequenting your headphones for a long time to come. (Caitlin Chatterton)

As hard-hitting as it is euphoric, Phoebe Hall captures the multifaceted experience of androgyny in bedroom pop banger ‘Like This’. “Maybe I would feel much lighter / Replicating faces in the room” the York-born singer lays out in the first verse. Wrestling with the all-consuming pressure to fit in with those around you, the introspective track places gut-wrenching lyrics against a landscape of cascading riffs and driving beats. Arriving just a month after electro-infused number ‘Codependent’, ‘Like This’ offers an exciting glimpse into Phoebe’s forthcoming EP. (Emily Savage)

A stunning, sparkling cut of 2000s coming-of-age film, chin-jutting swagger: SPIDER’s 'straight out the oven !' is as peppy as it is powerful and playful, packing self-love neatly alongside cool confrontation and infectious lyrical motifs. The guitar riffs glimmer and gleam through their dreamy production haze, all the instrumentals blending into one atmospheric mush of technicolour nostalgia to back up SPIDER’s versatile, hypnotic delivery. Whether she’s murmuring deadpan moments or belting to the heavens, she’s spinning a story you need to be a part of. (Ims Taylor)

If you’re always in the market for the next camp banger from someone who looks like they know their way around a disco ball, Vanity Fairy has you covered. Her new single ‘Love of My Life’ is, according to Instagram, about “all the lightness and sweetness of finding someone you just want to spend all your time with”. It’s also a twirling, shimmering, floating slice of 70s synth pop. The visuals are fabulous, the music video is great fun - Vanity Fairy is not to be overlooked. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Cathartic, resonant, and (ironically) anthemic: Beren Olivia makes a dazzling comeback with ‘Drown It In Grey’. Given the current state of the world, it can often seem like we’re stuck in some sort of bleak inbetween state, and the latest from the London-based songwriter perfectly encapsulates this feeling. Providing three minutes of pure release through soaring vocals, feral guitars, and crashing drums, it’s an undeniably therapeutic listen. With a sound reminiscent of fellow pop-rockers Dylan and Charlotte Sands, ‘Drown It In Grey’ kickstarts a promising new era for Beren Olivia. (Emily Savage)

Tags: Beren Olivia, Chalk, Crawlers, Dora Jar, Kaeto, Miso Extra, Phoebe Hall, Spider, Vanity Fairy, Listen, Neu, Neu Bulletin