It’s been over four years since Alt-J released a new album, but the wait will soon be over: âThe Dreamâ, the trio’s fourth studio album, will finally arrive in February. The new record is being led by the single âU&MEâ, which captures the bliss of friendship and togetherness after months of isolation and pain.
As well as âU&MEâ, NME Radio has also added plenty of new tunes this week: there’s âDiE4uâ by genre chameleons Bring Me The Horizon, the aching âValentineâ by Snail Mail and Pa Salieu‘s high-energy âLitâ.
Check out whatâs new on NME 1 & 2 below.
On the A List
Alt-J
‘U&ME’
Summer festival season ended nearly as quickly as it arrived this year, but if youâre not ready to let go just yet then Alt-Jâs new single âU&MEâ will help soothe your post-festival blues. Keyboardist/vocalist Gus Unger-Hamilton has said that the serene song is âabout being at a festival with your best friends, having a good time, togetherness and the feeling in life that nothing could be any better than it is right nowâ. With its sprawling harmonies and guitar riffs, this woozy track is sure to take you back to that warm, blissful feeling of effervescent summertime fun. – Qistina Bumidin
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the B List
Bring Me The Horizon
âDiE4uâ
Bring Me The Horizon showcase their musical versatility on âDiE4Uâ, kicking off the second phase of the quintetâs series of âPost Humanâ EPs. The synth-heavy track strays largely away from their deathcore/metalcore days, notwithstanding the occasional screams of frontman Oli Sykes throughout. In a statement, Sykes said the song tackles âtoxic obsessions, vices and things you canât kickâ. The bandâs signature dark-yet-catchy lyrics are still one trademark that remains unchanged, though: âLet me see my halo, even though itâs painful / Iâm prepared to lose / You know that Iâd die for, Iâd cry for / You know that Iâd die for youâ. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Snail Mail
âValentineâ
Snail Mail channels the highly dramatic emotions of teenage break-ups in the cathartic âValentineâ. The US indie rocker born Lindsey Jordan expresses her undying devotion for a past lover in a set of cinematic, orchestral verses before erupting into cries of betrayal over angst-fuelled guitar riffs. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Hana Vu
âKeeper’
‘Keeper’ is the latest preview of Hana Vu’s upcoming debut album âPublic Storageâ. The LA-based artist drifts between tender reflections and soulful frustrations, mirroring the whirlwind distress of loneliness against strobing, hazy synths: âOh, all the people you hurt for arenât for you / Oh, all the love that you ask for isnât for you.â – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the C List
Metronomy x Pinty
âHalf An Inch’
The opening track of Metronomyâs surprise collaborative project âPosse EP Volume 1â, âHalf An Inchâ is an infectious number that sets the projectâs eclectic yet cohesive sound. âBeing so close yet so far from something â everyone can relate to that,â London rapper and guest artist Pinty has said of the track. âHalf an inch off of six foot tall / Does God pity this fool?â he contemplates over Metronomyâs plucky, disco-funk synth. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Pa Salieu
âLit’
âLitâ, taken from Pa Salieuâs new EP âAfrikan Rebelâ, definitely lives up to its title. The British-Gambian rapper taps into a blend of Ghanaian drill, grime and in-your-face lyrics to create a revolutionary, immersive listening experience. This assertive banger is just more proof of Pa Salieuâs unstoppable rise in the UK rap scene. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Self Esteem
‘Moodyâ
Having âgood vibes onlyâ is exhausting in our increasingly bleak world, and Self Esteem totally gets it. As sheâs said of âMoodyâ, the fourth single from her highly anticipated new album âPrioritise Pleasureâ: âIâd love to be sweet and happy-go-lucky, but Iâm afraid Iâm too tired to be most of the time.â Rebecca Lucy Taylor belts out cheeky lyrics (âSexting you at the mental health talk seems counterproductiveâ) over a catchy, funky beat here while embracing her inherent âmoodinessâ: âYou know I-I-I’ll be moody for life (It’s up to you if you want to try)â. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Joesef
âFireâ
Glasgowâs very own Joesef is back with a heartfelt, slow-burning banger. In a statement, he explains: ââFireâ is about trying to escape the emotional weight that places and people sometimes carry after too much has happened, but realising nothing ever really leaves you in the end anyway.â Over jazz-inspired lo-fi pop beats, Joesef delivers earnest lyricism that tugs at your heartstrings: âThatâs why I had to burn my house down just to forget the way / Youâd stare at me and say that you could watch me all dayâ. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Damon Albarn
âRoyal Morning Blueâ
Damon Albarn turns up the tempo on âRoyal Morning Blueâ, the fourth track from his upcoming solo album âThe Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flowsâ. Still keeping to the albumâs melancholic and atmospheric theme, the single is backed by a driving drum beat as it shifts between light and dark soundscapes. Much like the albumâs motif of âthe beauty and chaos in the natural worldâ, âRoyal Morning Blueâ continues Albarnâs evocative exploration of the ebb and flow of life. – QB
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
The post NME Radio Roundup 27 September 2021: Alt-J, Bring Me The Horizon, Self Esteem and more appeared first on NME.
