I won’t lie, this has been a very uninteresting week in music, there’s only one song I really really liked off the bat and that’s only because I’ve heard live a couple times and it’s finally getting its full release. But as per, here are some songs for your consideration, maybe one of them will surprise me and make it to my regular playlist. Enjoy!

Click here for the Spotify Playlist

Au/Ra – Dance in the Dark

I think this could use a little bit more going on in the background, the sound feels a little thin somehow, but on the whole I like how quickly it draws you in and I like the “da- dance in the dark” refrain and the overall vibe is tribal-spooky which I can get down with.

Best bit: The whispered bridge

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Blithe – Masochistic

A lot of these random pop songs I chuck in here every week are samey-samey and few of them stick, like I felt like I know just how the chorus was gonna go after knowing the name of the song and listening to the first five seconds, I just can’t figure out if that’s a bad thing because it reduces their individuality or it is smart because it’s much easier to learn. Masochistic is the latest in a long, long line of really nice pop songs – tried and tested patterns, catchy little chorus, and in this case an easily memorable vocal.

Best bit: the fast-flowing pre-chorus

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Ed Sheeran – BLOW (feat. Chris Stapelton & Bruno Mars)

You know that scene in friends when Rachel is cooking thanksgiving dessert and the pages get stuck together and she ends up making a beef-and-custard monstrosity? This is that in song form and I’m still trying to figure out if I’m Joey or everybody else that was in the room. [also, I didn’t care much for Sheeran’s other new song with Yebba, but if you like his slower stuff then might be worth checking out.]

Best bit: ummm

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Gabriella Cilmi – Ruins

This is like so cheesy and breezy and sounds like it was written and recorded in about 2002 and has only just been slightly remastered and I’ve just had it on loop for ten minutes because it’s such easy listening.

Best bit: that sweet n easy lil melody

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Gostan + RIIVER – Big Jet Plane

I have just learned upon looking up the lyrics so I get them right that this is an EDM-ified cover of a song by Angus & Julia Stone. I like the bit where it sings over and over “Gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane.” So inspired.

Best bit: “GONNA TAKE HER FOR A RIDE ON A BIG JET PLAAAAANE”

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Jaden + Willow – Summertime In Paris

The Smith kids have gotten together for a track on the former Karate Kid’s new album and it’s a big sad one and it’s so perfectly pitched that I actually really like it, like I feel like he’s on route to be a big formidable force in music? It’s so moody and neo-emo and Willow sounds so good too, like, a long way from Whip My Hair. Very excited to go and listen this album.

Best bit: Jaden’s vocal is just 100%

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Lily Moore – Over You

It’s far from groundbreaking, but I think that on a purely “this vocalist is nice to listen to I could throw her on in the background” kinda way, Lily Moore really works.

Best bit: When she sings: “I wish that I could say you’re a fucker”

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Louise – Lead Me On

Fun n dancy and that’s all I have to say about it tbh.

Best bit: those steel drums

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Ryan Ashley – GUESS MY FRIENDS WERE RIGHT

This song as far as I can discern is just one line over and over and it’s got a 00s boyband melody to it and I played it when I was on the treadmill this morning and I swear time disintegrated.

Best bit: that time when he sings “Guess my friends were right”

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Sam Fender – Will We Talk?

I was a bit so so on this song the few times I heard it live, but now that I’ve heard the full recorded version I can firmly say that it’s a belter. Something about Fender’s voice just gets me y’know, like I’ve heard him full pelt roaring and a little bit affected but here you can tell that he’s just a geordie boy not trying to pretend he’s anything else and telling a story and I’m into it.

Best bit: the whole chorus is on point

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Sid Batham – Vices

A lil bit dancy and fun, kinda reminds me of my boy Tim Chadwick. Into it.

Best bit: The bridge is a good un

Westlife – Dynamite

I gotta give it to Westlife for plugging away and pumping out arena-ready bangers, it’s not hard to imagine this clichéd easy-banger overlayed over a “buy  a copy of this live tour on DVD now” advert. Can you believe that Ed Sheeran was a co-write on it?

Best bit: that key change

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