Neu The Neu Bulletin (Blossom Caldarone, Bel Cobain, Witch Post and more!) 

Blossom Caldarone is one of those artists who just has a knack for taking a deeply personal situation and making it relatable to anyone and everyone. Her latest single ​‘Wreck’ finds Caldarone at what feels to be her most vulnerable; there’s a quiet anger to her vocal, and a cinematic quality to the dramatic strings of the sweeping instrumental. The track sucks you in enough that you really feel the power of her candid lyrics, too, as she reflects on a situation in which the cards dealt to her were clearly the makings of a losing hand. (Minty Slater-Mearns)

Is ​‘Am I Dumb’ built on one of the most memorable percussive instrumentals you’ll hear since the first two SAULT albums? Or is that the nervous cadence of Bel Cobain​’s racing mind? The Hackney singer’s debut single for Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings is peak R&B, constantly wrestling between real groove and emotional outfall. This is what it must be like to throw insults at the mirror with the grace of Jamila Woods, all while an Inflo-like beat plays in the background. (Gabriele Naddeo)

There is something charmingly melodramatic about Witch Post​’s sound, romantic with a touch of gothic gloom. ​“I’ve done everything right, so why is everything wrong?” asks their latest track, ​‘Worry Angel’, blending fuzzy grunge guitars and melodic vocals. Described by the Scottish-American duo as both ​“not real” and ​“all real,” the song is, above all, about loneliness, and Dylan Fraser and Alaska Reid reinforce this eerie feeling by intertwining their voices until the line between them blurs. (Lorène Bienvenu)

This new track from RIP Magic — produced by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy — develops the dance punk chaos of their 2025 double single ​‘Loot/​Dox’ into something more epic. ​‘5words’ starts with a fried and noisy swagger, motorik drums and bass cut through with electronic wails. Then, around the halfway mark, singer Marco Pini’s mantra of ​“I said 5 words, I’m living in it now” starts to take on an anthemic quality, as jangly guitars and glittery synths propel the song towards a soaring climax. RIP Magic are renowned for their explosive live sets, but this song feels like the strongest showcase yet of their prospects as a great recording band. (David Addison)

Ironically — or perhaps not — it’s hard to imagine how this track could be any cooler. All the ingredients are here: the throbby, earworm-ready bass line; carefree beats; fly-by guitars; and of course Nxdia​’s mellow but upfront vocals. The DIY Class of 2026 member may have dialled back the riotous energy for this one, but their bold aesthetic and self-awareness are still just as strong. ​‘Cool’ is a laidback, lightly acerbic track which skirts and pushes alt-pop boundaries, full of both midnight energy and light-of-day introspection. (Phil Taylor)

Built around an insistent bassline and danceable beat, Holly Head​’s ​‘No Country Is An Island’ moves with a formidable sense of urgency before stripping itself back to reveal vocals teetering on the edge of despair. Thrashing guitars channel the familiar chaos of the band’s live shows, but are tightly controlled and never allowed to spill over, lending the track clarity and a sense of focus. There’s an innocence to the delivery, too — particularly in lyrics like ​“what you hate me for” — that reflects the young band’s passion, as they strike a knife-edge note that mirrors the tension and uncertainty shaping the current national mood. (Harvey Thibault) 

Breaking back into the world of music is frightening, but even more so when striking out alone; however, Evelyn Gray​’s debut offering, ​‘Clotheslines’, carries all the wholesome sonics and iconography of her previous band Tapir!, and marries it perfectly with a distinctive first-person perspective. ​‘Clotheslines’ came to be after Gray worked as an inspector of an abandoned apartment block that was soon to be demolished, filling her with a flourish of ideas about the people who had lived there (which all inform her upcoming project ​‘I Am Building A House’). It’s a gorgeous tune that springs to life with a spirited guitar line, and which paves the way for what is set to be an exciting year for Gray. (Peter Martin)

We’re still in a boom period for country-inflected indie rock, and Dutch Interior remain one of the most consistent and interesting bands operating within this new wave. Their latest single ​‘Ground Scores’ — about ​“stumbling through the end times into something good” — foregrounds a romantic vocal melody, backed by a dusty instrumental which shifts gently, like slow changes in a landscape seen through a car window. The band are unafraid of leaning into their country influences — this track features wistful pedal steel and the unmistakable ​‘boing’ of a jaw harp — but they’re equally willing to innovate: a flamenco guitar periodically surfaces, and the track is underlaid by a dreamy keyboard bed, hardly noticeable until the very end of the song. (David Addison)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, Bel Cobain, Blossom Caldarone, Dutch Interior, Evelyn Gray, Holly Head, Listen, Nxdia, RIP Magic, Watch, Witch Post