Neu Bulletin The Neu Bulletin (Baby Queen, CMAT, Greentea Peng and more!)

A self-confessed “uncomfortably honest” offering, the latest track from Baby Queen is an unflinching and powerful statement on escapism, and its cost. “I don’t wanna do drugs anymore / If you saw me through the eyes of a bathroom stall, your skin would crawl,” Bella Latham sings candidly for the opening of ‘These Drugs’, against a backdrop of warm guitars and soothing synths, which enhance the redemptive feel of the track. An ethereal lesson in learning to discover your boundaries and draw a line in the sand, this one cuts deep. (Sarah Jamieson)

Dubliner CMAT describes the intentions for her latest as “ABBA doing a spaghetti western soundtrack”, yet while the shimmering swing of ‘I Don’t Really Care For You’ does give that notion unexpected legs (or should that be hooves?), we’ll take it and raise her ‘Father John Misty does Irish-Americana’. Filled with wryly hilarious couplets (“I just spent seven hours looking at old pics of me, tryna pinpoint where the bitch began/ Somewhere after The Passion of Christ and before I got an Instagram”) and a sort of wistful-yet-cynical nostalgia, you can imagine Josh Tillman writing this and patting himself firmly on the back - as well he should. (Lisa Wright)

With her long-awaited debut album finally announced, Greentea Peng has delivered up her dazzling new single ‘Nah It Ain’t The Same’ to get us excited for what’s to come. Described by Greentea as “an expression and exploration of my utter confusion and inner conflicts amidst shifting paradigms,” the lush track pairs her sharp and slick bars with a woozy neo-soul R&B-flecked backing. A gorgeously rich display of the gems she can conjure, if you’re not backing Greentea for big things, it’s time to start now. (Elly Watson)

Sure, there’s much to appreciate about a slow build, but god bless the track that barely even intakes a breath before charging in. Such is the case with the slightly-horribly-titled ‘Wet Eyes’ - the first single from Social Haul (fronted by TRAAMS’ bassist Leigh Padley). Barely one note in and Padley’s already barking about the actually-quite-liberating acknowledgement of being a cog in the machine over the kind of spiralling, spiky punk that brings to mind underrated noughties Northerners Black Wire. No shitting about. (Lisa Wright)

Accompanied by a VERY good ‘21st June visualiser’ video (aka a compilation of the most arseholed people ever caught on film), London trio deep tan’s newest might bear the minimally sleek, dead-eyed hallmarks of their previous output to date but it is, they say, “an unashamed tribute to the sesh”. It proves that they can deliver a cheeky side as well as a strong line in spidery bass lines and slight intimidation: a new angle that can only help win people’s booze-sodden hearts. (Lisa Wright)

Tags: Baby Queen, CMAT, deep tan, Greentea Peng, Social Haul, Listen, Features, Neu, Neu Bulletin