Listen Tracks: Chvrches, The National, Deb Never and more

While the themes of previous album ‘Screen Violence’ saw CHVRCHES dealing with the more fantastical end of fear’s spectrum, it’s on their newest track - and standalone offering - ‘Over’ that the trio begin to bring the dread of the present world back into focus. As ever, soaring electronics and glistening synths back the kind of earwormy chorus you’ll be singing for days, while its shadowy message of compassion fatigue, doom scrolling and societal failures (“I try my best to turn down the noise / And I tell myself that boys will be boys / It’s getting harder to breathe / So, baby, put me to sleep / Till it gets better”) sneakily gets its hooks into you. Forever experts when it comes to creating that eery bright-dark dynamic, CHVRCHES have nailed it again. (Sarah Jamieson)

Arguably, the best thing about ‘New Order T-Shirt’ is the accompanying merchandise: of course the New Yorkers have brought out a play on perhaps the most iconic of the Manchester legends’ designs, the ‘Substance’ art. The song itself is classic National: wistful lyrics (“I keep what I can of you / Split-second glimpses and snapshots and sounds”) create a hook around which a library of memories are framed: Matt’s famous alarm clock-as-bomb incident; being in New York during 9/11, while understated instrumentation - including an almost breezy guitar - soothes. (Louisa Dixon)

The first cut from a forthcoming EP, ‘Momentary Sweetheart’ builds on the intimacy of Deb Never’s bedroom pop aesthetic - and clouds it in a layer of distortion. Lyrically angsty (“But you don’t care at all / No you don’t care at all”) and sonically a sugar-sprinkled take on the return to big grunge riffs that’s threatening to take over, it’s marking Deb’s next releases as ones to look out for. (Bella Martin)

South London soul-rap kingpin ENNY is back spreading her gospel on ‘No More Naija Men’. At a fleeting 2 minutes, the track marries ENNY’s ceaseless flow with a soft elegance, seeing her mull over her recent experiences in love. She spits the bittersweet hook “Every sentence leaving your lip I would hang on it / Thoughts of walking into the sun but our hands don’t fit” with ease and relief, acknowledging her rose-tinted glasses were perhaps part of her downfall. Lifted by a snappy tempo and a spirited saxophone solo, ENNY proves once again she is the queen of this sound. (Alisdair Grice)

You’d be forgiven for wondering if strict lockdowns had returned on seeing the accompanying video to Role Model’s latest; ‘a little more time’ was directed by Tucker alongside his girlfriend, influencer Emma Chamberlain. A case, perhaps, of them saying ‘home video’; us seeing ‘stay-at-home video’. The song itself is a light, borderline-jangly guitar-led pop number, ideal, perhaps for their fancy, sun-drenched garden we see in the visuals. (Bella Martin)

Laid back, with a stripped-back groove, ‘Nadja’ is built around a drum loop and subtle guitar work, offering a contrast of sorts from the outfit’s usual fare. Shifting in gear during the second half – with an extended guitar solo to boot – UMO’s latest shows off their versatility. (Christopher Connor)

Sharing a name with the 2006 animated penguin comedy starring the voices of both Elijah Wood and Robin Williams, ‘Happy Feet’ only mentions the titular movie in its closing moments, letting the listener dig a bit deeper into what this track is really about. Their first music since 2021’s ‘Glueland’, Do Nothing’s return is noticeably more melodic and, dare we say, more uplifting? Accompanied by an oddball video that sees vocalist Chris Bailey engage in a synchronised dance that he seems to be visibly troubled by, this a welcome far cry from 2019’s breakout hit ‘Lebron James’, replacing the spunky post-punk cadence with a far more casual, easygoing momentum. Hearkening the floating melodies of Declan McKenna and the danceability of The Strokes, Do Nothing are definitely preparing for something new, and we’re listening. (Alisdair Grice)

There’s something about ‘Every Heart But Mine’ which skirts the line of dated. On one hand, its peppy immediacy brings to mind the energy of breakthrough Katy Perry: pure pop, yes, but the kind that’s not likely to object to shots of Jägermeister at lunchtime. On the other, it’s occasionally like the classic rock rulebook that’s being pilfered from is one left over in a hotel room by One Direction writers a decade ago. When 2020s pop icons are turning it up to eleven on every which way, sonically at least, here Dylan is twirling around, arms stretched, gaze skyward on an unidentifed rooftop. (Bella Martin)

Tags: CHVRCHES, Listen, Features, Tracks