Doja Cat, ‘Jealous Type’
Shiny synthesizer tones, larger-than-life drum sounds, bell tones and handclaps all revive the 1980s pop of Michael and Janet Jackson in Doja Cat’s single “Jealous Type,” from an album due Sept. 26. With the thumping, gleaming backdrop, Doja Cat sings about wondering whether she’s overreacting to a boyfriend’s social life: “I can’t decide,” she coos. But when she switches to rapping, it’s clear that she’s fed up. Her voice turns cutting as she spits out, “You wanna do what now with who?”
Wolf Alice, ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’
“Do you want me to show you who I am?” Ellie Rowsell demands in “Bloom Baby Bloom,” a volatile, shape-shifting song about the uneven path to self-affirmation on “The Clearing,” the new album by the British band Wolf Alice. The song is propelled by a repeating, almost Minimalist piano line and punctuated by drum salvos and explosive, self-conscious choruses: “Look at me trying to play it hard,” Rowsell croons, then repeats as a scream. She’ll prevail, but the song reveals the struggle.
Laufey, ‘Mr. Eclectic’
What a pointed put-down: “You think you’re so interesting,” Laufey sings to a well-read poseur in “Mr. Eclectic” from her new album, “A Matter of Time.” With Tin Pan Alley elegance, she also rhymes “eclectic” with “poetic” and “pathetic.” The song is her latest sly, neatly constructed and quietly caustic bossa nova about 21st-century romance. She’s equally supple, tuneful and ruthless.
Flock of Dimes, ‘Afraid’
Jenn Wasner, who records as Flock of Dimes, steadfastly faces down fear and separation in “Afraid.” It’s a plain-spoken declaration — “I did not enter this world afraid / And I refuse to leave it that way” — set to a serene march that subtly takes on depth and texture. Behind Wasner’s resolute melody, sounds waft in and out. There are children’s voices, a piano, a guitar, choral harmonies, a string arrangement. It’s as if her quiet strength is summoning a community.
Lila Iké, ‘Too Late to Lie’
The Jamaican reggae singer Lila Iké keeps her tone clear and contained in “Too Late to Lie,” from her new album, “Treasure Self Love.” But she’s still implacable as she silences a sweet-talking deceiver. “Don’t raise your voice, please don’t speak my name,” she warns. “Just say goodbye.” The production summons near-subterranean bass and drums and a distant, retro-flavored guitar loop, and Iké laments, “All these sad memories were once good times.”
Sunny Sweeney, ‘Diamonds and Divorce Decrees’
On her album “Rhinestone Requiem,” the songwriter Sunny Sweeney upholds the straightforward sound of old-school, honky-tonk country: a sharp-voiced singer backed by a twangy, realistic-sounding band. In “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees,” the singer can’t wait to make her split official. Until the papers come through, she’s “Stuck between ‘I do’ and ‘I’ll never do that again’ / Between happy ever after and the cold hard bitter end.” Her band sounds as rowdy and impatient as she does.
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