Neu The Neu Bulletin (Night Tapes, bb sway, Westside Cowboy and more!)

Night Tapes’ ​‘storm’ drifts in like a slow-motion wave, all shimmering synths curling around hushed, spectral vocals before breaking into something vast and luminous. It’s a song that feels both intimate and cinematic, balancing the warmth of human connection with the tension of approaching turbulence. Layers of analogue textures ebb and flow, conjuring the quiet courage it takes to step into discomfort; to face the storm, rather than avoiding the tidal wave. Like the album it heralds, ​‘portals/​/​polarities’, ​‘storm’ is less a track than a place – immersive, elusive, and charged with restless beauty. (Gemma Cockrell) 

Melbourne-based artist bb sway rounds off their three-track project ​‘Becoming You’ with the gorgeous ​‘Road’, a straightforward mid-tempo ballad with a timeless feel. Complete with harpsichord and strings, the song could have made the cut on any ​‘70s soft rock album (if Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker had been around to take on production duties, that is). ​“Your eyes are set on the road in front of you”, bb sway sings in a whispery voice, wrapped in hazy pop bliss. We can’t wait to find out where that path will be taking them next. (Attila Peter) 

The final single from Westside Cowboy​’s debut EP, ​‘Drunk Surfer’ is absolutely brimming with life and totally intense, the intermittent pauses which punctuate its gritty guitar melodies only adding to the already anxious atmosphere created by Reuben Haycock’s lyrics, which recount a time in his life that he’d otherwise rather forget. And, as the guitars continue building into an almost feral release, Haycock lets out a yell that can only be described as a moment of full blown catharsis. Gnarly. (Minty Slater-Mearns) 

On latest single ​‘We Really Done It This Time’, Will Paquin channels a sun-bleached dynamism, one which threatens to blister or char as the track attempts to build to pandemonium. Taking cues from psych-rock contemporaries like Thee Oh Sees and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the track centres around a swampy guitar riff and a breathy vocal motif. Its ripping bass and hot production beg to be heard live, and act as a strapping tonic to the lyrics that coat the track. With a few more oblique left turns and fun artefacts, Paquin’s on his way to hitching a ride that’s sonically his own. (Ross Williams) 

From the first beat, the title track of Vanity Fairy​’s upcoming EP could have stepped straight out of 1984: think neon glow, Linndrum punch and synths so sharp they could slice through hairspray haze. It’s pure, unapologetic funk, channelling the slick precision and playful swagger of Prince’s golden era, right down to the piercing lead lines. You can almost picture rival dance crews squaring up under flickering club lights, blinded by the brilliance. Bold, irresistible and brimming with groove, it’s a track that doesn’t just nod to its influences – it struts right alongside them. (Gemma Cockrell)

‘No Reasons’ is not your average break-up song: there’s no slow, mournful lament or blasts of pure rage here. Instead, Low Girl express confusion and frustrated potential through a mix of rhythms, tones, and front-loaded lyrics. Sarah Cosgrove’s vocals appear immediately but, as she reflects on an untidy end to a relationship, her voice begins to be overtaken by increasingly intense beats. Fuzzy guitars provide solidity and, pushing back on the potential chaos, ultimately lead the song to an empowering conclusion. It’s an exhilarating, genre-jumping approach which is typical of this fast-rising quartet. (Phil Taylor)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, bb sway, Listen, Low Girl, Night Tapes, Vanity Fairy, Watch, Westside Cowboy, Will Paquin