Neu The Neu Bulletin (Waterbaby, Butch Kassidy, pencil and more!)

It would come as no surprise if fans of waterbaby​’s first EP for Sub Pop (2023’s ​‘Foam’) still belted out the mellow, killer hooks of ​‘Airforce blue’ and ​‘911’ in the shower. And here’s some bad news for their neighbours: the newly released ​‘Beck n Call’ shows that the Swedish artist’s knack for instant classics is no accident. This time, a circular, dangerously catchy piano riff nearly steals the spotlight from waterbaby’s beautiful R&B‑infused indie pop, while guest rapper ttoh injects the track with an unexpected twist. There’s no need to wonder what a SZA hit performed by Clairo would sound like: waterbaby’s music is already here. (Gabriele Naddeo)

Drawing from a more violent and notably post-metal palette, West London’s Butch Kassidy resurface with a swirling cut of contemporary post-rock on ​‘Like Fire’. Furious snares and hi-hats pelt the fabric of banshee guitar screams and moaning druidic voices, creating a whirling bonfire of sound. The storm eventually cracks as waltzing guitar lines sway across the blistering heat of fracturing drums before building up once more with buzzsaw tremolo guitar assaults. Channeling the weight of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and the dexterity of Boris, on ​‘Like Fire’, Butch Kassidy prove their mettle as one of the country’s most exhilarating post-rock acts. (A. L. Noonan)

With new single ​‘Wingman’, London five-piece pencil mark a poignant moment of transition. The track captures both the farewell of departing guitarist Cai Burns and the arrival of Soph Nathan (The Big Moon, Our Girl), with both musicians featuring on the song in a symbolic passing of the torch. Recorded live with Polly Mackey (Art School Girlfriend) and mixed by Luciano Rossi (mui zyu), ​‘Wingman’ reflects on endings, beginnings, and the delicate spaces in between, consolidating pencil’s ascent as one of London’s most vital, emotionally charged new acts. (Gemma Cockrell)

Down Under, it seems, is where it’s at — and Sex Mask may just be Australia’s next hottest export. The much-buzzed-about Melbourne trio’s new single, ​‘Cold’ (taken from their forthcoming EP ​‘Body Broker’) is a brooding yet exhilarating banger that mixes early ​’80s industrial, New York no-wave, and post-punk. Come 2026, you’re bound to hear it blasting in darkened clubs and on festival stages alike. (Attila Peter) 

Dublin alt-folk six-piece Madra Salach return with their second single ​‘I Was Just A Boy’, a sprawling seven-minute journey of reflection and sonic experimentation lifted from their forthcoming debut EP. Anchored in themes of adolescence and emotional turbulence, the track builds from intimate, raw vocals into a swelling, pedal-drenched crescendo that captures the chaos and beauty of growing up. It’s a striking evolution from debut single ​‘Blue & Gold’, showing the band’s growing ambition and command of texture. Their folk roots remain, but here they twist tradition into something cinematic, restless and unmistakably modern. (Gemma Cockrell) 

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