NME Radio Roundup 7 June 2021: Wolf Alice, Easy Life, Billie Eilish, CHVRCHES and more

Wolf Alice are unstoppable right now. ‘How Can I Make It OK?’, a single from their five-star album ‘Blue Weekend’, is a tour-de-force that showcases the London rockers at their most dynamic: a synth-led ode that explodes into a potent dance-ready stomper. It’s testament to their versatility – or as NME’s Rhian Daly put it, the key to an album that cements “their place at the peak of British music”. – JX Soo

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On ‘Homesickness’ Leicester’s favourites wistfully yearn for how relationships used to be over gentle synth arpeggios and pulsing grooves. The nostalgia laced cut is cheeky soundtrack to sentimental thoughts, with vocalist Murray Matravers sighing: “Switch for me like Nintendo / And here I’ve done it again though / The usual crescendo / And whilst I’ve got your attention / For my basic animal instinct / Everything is stupid.” – JXS

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The latest single from Billie Eilish‘s upcoming second album ‘Happier Than Ever’ sees her abandon a disappointing past romance, and instead find power within herself: “Thought you had your shit together, but damn, I was wrong / You ain’t nothin’ but a lost cause / And this ain’t nothin’ like it oncе was / I know you think you’re such an outlaw”. With minimal, jazz-flecked instrumentals that support Eilish’s sultry vocals, it’s another stellar cut from the teenage superstar. – JXS

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Greentea Peng’s powerful calls for liberty echo throughout the hypnotic groove of ‘Free My People.’ “This for my people, yeah / Free all my people, yeah / All my people, yeah,” she sings alongside Simmy and Kid Cruise on the song’s hook. Tasteful arpeggios and guitar licks colour the track’s trance-inducing vocals to form a hazy, mesmerising experience. – Isaac Chiew

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As CHVRCHES edge towards their fourth record ‘Screen Violence’, they’ve already got the ultimate collaboration in the bag: a track with their all-time hero, The Cure’s Robert Smith. Over dark and pounding production, Lauren Mayberry and Smith dive into the darkness: “It’s better if I make no sound / I will never escape these doubts / I wasn’t dead when they found me, watch as they pull me down,” they sing together. – JXS

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‘People, Let’s Dance’ is an apt title for Public Service Broadcasting’s latest. Drawing from clear-cut influences that include Depeche Mode and David Bowie, the track runs EERA’s ethereal vocals over rhythmic guitars, lush synthesisers and infectious dance rhythms, and it’s brilliant. – IC

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Sigrid’s latest uptempo bop ‘Mirror’ is a joyous ode to self-love and confidence. With her crystalline voice cutting through the track’s sprightly production and a massively catchy chorus, it’s an exciting glimpse of the artist’s next project. – IC

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Demented character studies fill Black Midi’s brilliant second album ‘Cavalcade’, but on ‘Marlene Dietrich’ the London experimentalists dial back their signature chaos. Wielding a mystical folk-based palette, they craft an oddly beautiful tribute to the screen icon: “But her hands loosen all and her voice brings you youth / Her cheeks cradle the holy breath that pumps the lungs of her Mackie Messer,” Geordie Greep grandly sings. – JXS

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Enny fuses silky-smooth flows with thumping dance grooves on ‘I Want,’ her brilliant new single that boasts impeccable house-leaning production from Paya. “But I want what I want and I want when I want it / I paved the way for you to make a move so get up on it / Keep holding yourself back you can’t make up your mind,” she croons on the captivating hook. – IC

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Stuffed full of propulsive drum and bass grooves and slick beats, Jungle’s latest single ‘Talk About It’ is an irrepressible smash. For the second taste of their upcoming album ‘Loving In Stereo’ the duo have reunited with Inflo, who they last worked with on ‘Casio’, the runaway favourite from previous album ‘For Ever’ – and their collaborative magic has been recreated here. – IC

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