Neu The Neu Bulletin (Brògeal, TTSSFU, Ebbb and more!) 

Just as we’ve come to expect from Falkirk’s Brògeal, their latest single — and the title track of forthcoming debut LP, ​‘Tuesday Paper Club’ — is a cracking contemporary take on traditional Scottish folk, imbued with a modern indie feel. There’s a real wry sense of humour coursing through its veins, written as it is about inter-generational bitterness and hypocrisy; as frontman Daniel Harkins put it: “[old people] can be so bitter about us as if they weren’t doing the same, if not worse when they were younger”. A rollicking slice of foot-stomping fun, it truly captures what the band are all about. (Chris Connor)

TTSSFU (the musical moniker of Wigan-born artist Tasmin Stephens) creates a shroud of haunting mystery in the opening bars of ​‘Call U Back’, a shady maelstrom of echoing sound which gives way to gorgeously-gritty bass guitar notes and then the singer’s own dreamy vocals. As the track unfolds, we’re drawn into something perhaps more reflective of Stephens’ nightmares than pleasant dreams: her vocals dissolve into a reverb-drenched scream, and we’re lost alongside her — chasing, searching, groping in the dark. Nevertheless, there’s an enduring, gritty determination to this hard-to-pigeonhole song, and it’s one which isn’t easily forgotten. (Phil Taylor)

Returning with their first single since 2024 EP ​‘All At Once’, ​‘Manners’ sees London’s Ebbb replace the hazier, jutting late-night introversions of their preliminary offerings with a lighter, more lucid palette that maintains all of the former’s transportative allure. Signature choppy vocal samples give way to crisp, angelic melodies, and the hooky refrain ​“the way I feel when you are near” imprints itself neatly into your subconscious as a later earworm to flavour life’s mundanities. Carving out a wholly unique sound that combines the pulsing vitality of techno with a spellbinding dream-pop ethereality, on ​‘Manners’ Ebbb explore the push and pull of romantic entanglement with deft nuance. (Hazel Blacher)

Hailing from Stockholm, this returning single from Lover’s Skit — the duo of vocalist Nathalia Aránguiz and producer Ove Jerndal (also of Clutter) — places them firmly at the vanguard of the current wave of Y2K nostalgia: think mid-2000s, electro-infused alt-pop that’s loaded with irreverent swagger and dripping with glamour, excess, and liberating hedonism. Put simply, ​‘Bad Lyfe’ is a bop — one that sounds as if Azealia Banks’ ​‘212’ and ​‘Arular’-era M.I.A stocked up on wholesale orders of wrap-around shades, hot pants and studded belts and went roller-skating around the city looking for kicks. (Elvis Thirlwell) 

Translating from Irish as ​‘freedom’, ​‘Saoirse’ is Maruja​’s latest debut album preview, and a powerful statement of solidarity with Palestine. Opening with a subtle and atmospheric interplay between saxophone and guitar, the track evolves into a vibrant and cinematic crescendo of rolling drums and string arrangements. Frontman Harry Wilkinson’s raw, poetic vocals — layered over the band’ signature, energetic jazz-rock — are a poignant invitation for introspection and unity amidst our volatile world’s current divisions, making for an authentic and utterly immersive listen. (Finley Kesteven)

Lifted from her just-dropped latest EP ​‘it’s like I never left’, ​‘When The Rain Stops’ is another stunning showcase of rising star Nectar Woode​’s multi-faceted sound. Here, her vocals blend seamlessly with jazz-influenced guitars and the track’s almost trip-hop beat, creating such a sense of unbridled positivity that it’s hard not to have a smile on your face while listening. (Chris Connor) 

‘Good Grace’ is one of those no-nonsense, rowdy, fuzz-infused rock tracks that makes you both jump and think all at once. Nieve Ella has never been one to hold back, but here she’s properly unleashed the full force of her punches, hitting out at toxicity, mistreatment, and patronising talk in a cathartic release of years of pent-up anger and frustration. They say the best music is born of real emotion, and this comeback single is a prime example — all hail the 22 year old’s return. (Phil Taylor) 

Following up their Strokes-esque Rough Trade debut, ​‘SWEAT’, LA-based six-piece The Sophs are back with a second offering, ​‘DEATH IN THE FAMILY’ — but don’t let the title fool you. Far from being as bleak as it sounds, the track is a throwback to mid-’90s power pop hits: frontman Ethan Ramon switches between sprechgesang and falsetto for a vocal take that comes off sly, not sombre, while its hook is one not even Weezer could improve upon. And that guitar solo at the end? Well, it’s to die for. (Attila Peter)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, Brògeal, Ebbb, Listen, Lover’s Skit, Maruja, Nectar Woode, Nieve Ella, The Sophs, TTSSFU, Watch