Listen Tracks: Carly Rae Jepsen, Fred Again.., Måneskin and more

Such is the power of Carly Rae Jepsen’s golden radiance that, even when she’s calling a song ‘The Loneliest Time’, even when she’s recruiting swoony crooner Rufus Wainwright on collaboration duties, she can’t help but write an absolutely effervescent, spirit-lifting bop. Soaring skyward with a disco-flecked chorus plucked straight from the classic pop songbook and a Diana Ross-style speaky bit in the middle, Jeppo and Rufus are the fairy godparents by your side, dusting you off, picking you back up again and sweeping you into the heavens on a cloud of soul-nourishing harmonies. Utter old school pop perfection. (Lisa Wright)

The ‘Kammy’ referenced in the title of this latest cut from the third instalment of Fred’s ‘Actual Life’ series of records, is very likely songwriting behemoth KAMILLE, who’s likely responsible for more than a handful of bangers on any discerning pop picker’s playlist. She’s behind the vocal sample around which the track revolves, its repetition becoming hypnotic while the beat ebbs and flows. The most Friday of songs (Bella Martin)

With credits for songwriters who’ve worked alongside the likes of Britney, Katy Perry, One Direction and Little Mix, the level of epic Måneskin were going for here on ‘The Loneliest’ would imagine to be somewhere between Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’, festival finale fireworks and an emotional TV montage. There is, after all, a World Cup looming. Where it ends, however (with or without the ultra-stylish funeral-themed video) is the kind of over the top bombast Creeper might release, had they a six-figure budget and catwalk-ready wardrobe. Lighters in the air ready, rockers. (Emma Swann)

Fever Ray clearly isn’t one to rush things. Having been half of avant-garde Swedish electronic outfit The Knife alongside brother Olof, their last new release as Fever Ray was back in 2017 with second album ‘Plunge’. So while ‘What They Call Us’ can’t really be called eagerly-awaited, it is more than a welcome surprise. A creeping electronic loop pulses through the track, over which Karin’s signature offbeat delivery only amps up the suspense – it’s all beautifully dark. (Louisa Dixon)

Released partially in preparation for Bicep’s really-quite-massive Alexandra Palace dates in December, on the surface ‘Water’ is an immediate bop, Manchester-based singer-songwriter Clara La San’s soft vocals washing over a thumping, immediate beat. Listen closer and it might sound a little more familiar yet: the Belfast duo made use of a synth that uses sounds from old SEGA games consoles. (Bella Martin)

A postscript to May’s ‘We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong’, Sharon Van Etten has saved ample emotion for this curtain call. ‘Never Gonna Change’ is lyrically understated, but musically, nothing short of numinous. Swelling winds of vocal layering, the title feels like a painstaking mantra, ascending as everything slowly melts together to one mystic peak, pinned together by Sharon’s ever-striking delivery. (Ims Taylor)

As luxurious and intoxicating as it sounds, ENNY’s latest is a richly-layered cut. Her flow dictates where the track goes as if roaming an upmarket party, dipping in and out of conversations, moving between murmured melodies and silky bars totally effortlessly. And like a glass of champagne, it doesn’t last quite long enough. (Ims Taylor)

Taking the charming, lo-fi scratchiness that’s come to define their offerings so far, but souping it up with a manic approach that barely stays on the rails, ‘No Way’ finds Atlanta duo Lowertown shaking off the niceties and charging headfirst into chaos. “I hate all the slimy people,” wails Olivia Osby repeatedly as a disorientating frenzy of guitars and drums build to a cacophony around her. It’s not quite black midi levels of madness yet, but it’s closer than you might have expected them to go. (Lisa Wright)

Priya Ragu is totally vibrant on ‘Adalam Va!’ - loosely translating as “let’s dance!”, the artist doesn’t waste a beat, packing energy and life into every second. Bolstered by swaggering, noisy synth and bouncy house inflections, Priya gives a delightfully dramatic performance, brought to life in a comic-book massive music video too, replete with dance breaks, combat sequences, and bubbly power. (Ims Taylor)

Mining all kinds of nostalgic sounds for their fifth album, ‘Tears of Change’ sees Turnover make like The Magic Gang if they’d decamped to the southern states of America instead of Brighton for their formative years, or Whitney with a little less fuzz (or, this time around, precision). Which is to say, this one is a classic, smooth, ‘70s soft rock-borrowing number that occasionally lets out a country guitar sound as it drifts on by. (Bella Martin)

Tags: Carly Rae Jepsen, Listen, Features, Tracks