Song of the Week delves into the new songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more in our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Sigur Rós makes a great comeback with “Blóðberg”.
Even at its best, post-rock can be a very singular genre. As we discovered in our list of the 10 Best Post-Rock Albums of All Time, long, meandering, and sonically funky songs aren’t exactly the kind of songs you’d sprinkle into a party playlist. But for isolated, semi-spiritual experiences, this genre can’t be beat. Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Rós have proven a lot over the decades, and for their comeback single “Blóðberg” they deliver one of the most seductive tracks of their career.
Jump to “Blóðberg” and the rest attaComes with quite a bit of baggage. Beyond the inevitable comparisons to their most sacred works – albums such as Ágaetis byrjun, which are considered genre-defining classics—it’s also the first new music from the band in a decade. For fans, it will likely be a perfect storm of unrealistic expectations.
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So, will Sigur Ross combat such expectations with a major reinvention? Perhaps an overambitious, piecewise epic to song? No. Instead, “Blóðberg” strips the band down to its basic essentials (which, Yes, the 41-piece orchestra is, in fact, essential). With no explosive crescendos, surging guitars, or even any kind of percussion to hide behind, the track dares to rely on the beauty of the melody and orchestrated background alone.
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On paper, the smallest thing might seem boring. In practice, however, Sigur Rós transports the listener into a state of extra reality, making its seven-minute-plus running time seem much shorter than it really is. It’s ethereal, transgressive, and a fitting throwback to avant-garde rock giants.
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– Jonah Kruger
Honorable Mentions:
Slaughter Beach, Dog – “Freak Weather”
While the 2017 track “Acolyte” may be TikTok’s favorite Slaughter Beach song, Dog (which is He is Great Melody), Jake Ewald’s songwriting has only strengthened with each subsequent release. The latest from the Philadelphia indie, simple and sweet “Weird Weather,” continues the upward trend. With electric piano and bluesy guitar, “Strange Weather” takes an almost country rock angle to Slaughter Beach, Dog’s usual indie formula. What the track does have in common with Ewald’s previous work, however, is how it strikes the perfect balance between singular lyricism and poetics. We hope Slaughter Beach has more songs like this one coming sooner rather than later. – J. Kruger
Sedona – “Domino”
Sedona returns to ring in a sad summer with “Domino,” her second single of 2023. The song takes after the ’90s-inspired “Sharkbite,” a song from 2021 that saw the New York songwriter embrace a darker, more straightforward style. All the while, Sedona laments her disappointment in the relationship, using her clear voices to contrast the disappointment she sings about. Compared to their first five years ago (the irresistible “Call Me Up”) “Domino” feels like the top of a completely different mountain for Sedona, and all eyes are on what she does next. – Paulo Ragusa
Coach Party – “Born Leader”
Coach Party’s new single “Born Leader” is awesome for so many reasons. A great introduction to the shoes of the Isle of Wight group, each member of the band is firing on all cylinders, splitting the difference between rock full of reverb and rock full of riffs. But perhaps the biggest part of “Born Leader” is the instantly memorable chorus, with vocalist Jess Eastwood’s desperate, soaring riffs giving the song a boost of energy. She sings in the second verse: “I always question myself.” There may be some skepticism and insecurity in the song’s lyrics, but “Born Leader” still oozes confidence. – Public relations
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Girl Scouts – “Boy in Blue”
It’s their seventh song – seventh song ever – but you wouldn’t know it. Catchy, electric, and refreshing, Girl Scout’s “Boy in Blue” infuses a song about frustration and ghosting with the lightness and wit the band has become known for in such a short time. With a harmonious chorus reminiscent of Best Coast and a slanting xylophone breakdown to keep you on your toes, “Boy in Blue” is indie rock and embodies it yet again. – Maura Fallon
They replied – “Can I speak for myself?”
This past January, Letitia Tamko announced the release of her third studio album Sorry you didn’t call me, the follow-up to her popular album. Her latest single, “Can I Talk My Shit?” is an upbeat pop number that effortlessly demonstrates her versatility as an artist. Vagabon also showcases her rap chops, continuing to explore new grounds on this record, building the diverse sound of the project’s lead single, “Carpenter.” – Sun Noor
Song of the Week Single Artwork:
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Top songs playlist:
