Neu The Neu Bulletin (Tapir!, She’s In Parties, LIA LIA and more!)

In hazy shades of sonic blue, She’s In Parties deliver dazzling, dreamy melancholy on ‘L Word’. They blend the yearning, adoring spark of early Pale Waves with a masterful knack for weaving emotional intensity through the striking cohesion of lyrical and musical storytelling. From the delicate murmurs of the first verse through to the crackling heights of “I didn’t mean to say that” building and shaking to an emotional peak, She’s In Parties characterise love, panic, and the beautiful, vulnerable intersection between the two. (Ims Taylor)

‘Martyr’ is the newest cut from North Carolina’s LUCI - a former member of Stateside band Defbeat gone solo, she’s the latest addition to the roster of independent label Don’t Sleep and has just announced her forthcoming debut album, ‘They Say They Love You’ (arriving February 2024). All this is happening with good reason, too; infused with the essence of noughties hip-hop in the vein of Missy Elliot, but with added vocal gymnastics, ‘Martyr’ sees LUCI sit somewhere between haunting singing and effortless rap, her seamless bars buoyed by the track’s consistent, propulsive beat. (Daisy Carter)

There may be a preconception that so-called ‘political’ songs generally involve sprechgesang vocals, and maybe a smashed guitar or two, but on ‘Echo In The Chamber’, Brooklyn-based trio Say She She deftly invert the stereotype. Tackling lax gun control laws over a slick, 70s funk bassline, they marry dancefloor-ready, seemingly incongruous instrumentation with some decidedly sober lyrical themes. Complimenting a campaign to support the Background Check Expansion Act - a proposal requiring background checks on all gun sales - ‘Echo In The Chamber’ has firepower in all the right ways. (Daisy Carter)

The latest instalment of their tripartite debut album, Tapir!’s ‘Act Two (Their God)’ is spearheaded by the symphonic ‘Gymnopédie’. Continuing the world-building established by their debut EP - wherein rolling hills abound and mysterious red creatures roam - the Heavenly Recordings-signed six-piece craft a soundscape of gentle strings, swelling brass, and heart-tugging vocals. Their expansive creative vision scopes far beyond the music (to include puppetry, set design, and costuming, to name but a few), and with this second act Tapir! continue to prove that they’re truly one of the most intriguing bands around. (Daisy Carter)

Marking the first chapter of her next era, Gia Ford’s newest single - and debut release for her new label home of Chrysalis - ‘Alligator’ is a hypnotic delight. A slinky, darkly-hued offering that comes inspired by the feeling of yearning for attention - and even manages to nod to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s hefty poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - a shy and retiring track, this is not. (Sarah Jamieson)

Sometimes, we all just need to get a bit existential, but on LIA LIA’s newest track, she’s taking things to a whole new level. “I have a head on my neck, Got two hands, and two feet but no sweat / I think I also have a brain, and blood is running through my veins,” goes the almost robotic introduction to ‘Am I Human?’ before a chorus that’s both deliciously sugary and grungy switches the tempo up entirely. It’s another intriguing glimpse into the half-German, half-Chinese star’s impressive and multi-faceted world. (Sarah Jamieson)

Dublin-born Faith Nico – the girl behind Cruel Sister – has shared the newest cut from her upcoming ‘Turgid’ EP. Held up by grating, wailing guitars and frenetic drums, ‘LENNY’ is a quasi-Jekyll and Hyde tale of chasing palatability, crowned by a smirking, riot grrrl-infused vocal. Accompanied by a choppy, DIY-styled music video, it’s an exciting look into the brooding, angst-driven world that Nico is building. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Tags: Cruel Sister, Gia Ford, J Mahon, Lia Lia, LUCI, Say She She, She’s In Parties, Tapir!, Neu, Neu Bulletin