The Mic Recs are back in full swing this week with plenty of reviews of new tracks for you to check out. Check out our thoughts on new tracks by Metallica, Fall Out Boy, hidingthehurt, and more.
Screaming Suicide – Metallica
Slap on your headphones and plug in your speakers, Metallica just dropped a new instant classic that is sure to get that head moving! Metallica is no stranger to artistry within their works, and this piece is no different. Powerful lyrics are matched by beautiful stylistic choices, conveying the story of a struggle with persistent suicidal thoughts. A poetic journey through Metallica’s own past is present throughout the song, engaging a riff akin to the style of the Hardwired album from the very beginning, transitioning to a hybridisation with the familiar Death Magnetic style. Later, references are visible to the famed Black album, especially after the solo. It’s reasonable to say that these throwbacks are to contextualise to the listener that suicidal thoughts may always be present for those who suffer from them, which with the modern understanding of mental health is a very important message. It is honestly impressive how so much meaning is packed into this single piece while maintaining the strength present in Metallica's discography. It would be refreshing to see some more ambition from the group in future, but that is not the purpose of this song, and for now, it is something that we can all enjoy. Adam Gunton-Jones
Be On Your Way – Daughter
Daughter have always conveyed intense melancholy with their music, arguably in a way that few other bands are able to. In 2013, they released their debut If You Leave, which introduced their ambient and nocturnal style of indie folk, characterised by Elena Tonra’s hushed vocals over spidery, enigmatic guitar lines. One year after the 2016 follow-up, Not To Disappear, their sound became less intimate, and more expansive with 2017’s Music From Before the Storm: the soundtrack to the acclaimed video game Life is Strange: Before the Storm. The stylistic evolution that the trio undertook on that project largely informs Be on Your Way, the first single from their upcoming record Stereo Mind Game. This is the trio’s most cinematic and optimistic song yet; bright sweeping strings, which make you think of sunlight through the clouds, overlay a strident drum beat. Tonra is also less swamped in reverb than on past records, as she sings stirring lyrics about moving on, “I won’t hold you back, time throws us around / our lifetime dreams aren’t bound.” Stylistically, nobody’s holding Daughter back, but there’s no less of the emotional intensity that characterises them as one of the past decade’s best indie folk acts. Caradoc Gayer
Gasoline – Måneskin
If six is for sexy, then track number six from Måneskin’s newest album Rush! makes a whole lot of sense. Måneskin have created an untouchable and fierce look for themselves ever since their overwhelming success from Eurovision 2021. Many admirers and media outlets have placed their vent-up sexuality onto the band, leading to many questions and speculations about the members’ private lives, especially concerning sex and relationships. Rush! has all of this at its core, acting as the most iconic, sexed-up response to the inappropriateness that they’ve faced the past two years. Gasoline is a stand-out track for me because it has a gothic-ballad charm to it, something we’ve not seen from the Italian foursome. It’s also, simply, a powerfully platonic track that focuses on triumph and power, and even the art of dance and movement – things that have previously been sexualised. It’s safe to say I’ve already found one of my top albums of 2023, and I’m so very glad it’s written by such fascinating and relatable people. Roxann Yus
Ultraviolet - As Everything Unfolds
Kicking off their most recent song with an abruptness that is at odds with the previous one, As Everything Unfolds are not here to play. Latest single and title track of their upcoming album, Ultraviolet is a nu metal-inspired banger that seethes and froths with vitriolic emotion. Featuring all the hallmarks of good nu metal, including an electronic backing track, record scratches, a simple downtuned riff and some lyrics that are very easy to sing along to, this song is painting a very attractive picture for the future of the Buckinghamshire band. Whilst the album won’t be out until April 21st, there’s plenty of time for another couple of singles, so with any luck, we won’t be waiting long for another dose of female-fronted riffage from the exceptional As Everything Unfolds. Jake Longhurst
the record – boygenius
The holy trinity of the sad girl genre returns with three new tracks ahead of the release of their first full-length musical project. Emily I’m Sorry, True Blue, and $20 serve as a testament to the unwavering genius of three singer-songwriters who share the ability to emotionally bulldoze listeners with their deceptively delicate harmonies and lyrical melancholia. Emily I’m Sorry sees Bridgers take the reins with a sense of woeful regret, as she sings of love on the brink of inevitable collapse, despite a desire to hold it all together with her own two hands. Phoebe Bridgers’ shy, yet assertive, lead vocals are gently coddled by the delicate, trembling harmonies of Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, resulting in a track that makes you feel as if there just isn’t enough air in the room. Baker unleashes her unapologetically dynamic vocals in $20, while True Blue gives insight into the unbeaten lyrical genius of Lucy Dacus. Devastatingly talented artists in their own right, this trio promises a debut album with an almighty, emotive punch. Madelaine Dinnage
Love From The Other Side – Fall Out Boy
Five years (minus one day) since the release of their last studio album MANIA, Fall Out Boy kicked off the year in style with new single Love From The Other Side. Whether you look back on your emo phase with pride or regret, this track will take you straight back to the era of Tumblr blogs and buying skinny jeans from the women’s section (so listen/avoid at your own discretion). Aided by production from Neal Avron, who worked with the band on their genre-defining albums From Under The Cork Tree, Infinity On High and Folie à Deux, crunchy guitars and pounding drums punctuate the song with an energy somewhat lacking in the band’s post-hiatus discography. Signs of modern Fall Out Boy are certainly still there, melodic strings in the intro and a piano-led bridge prove this song wasn’t written in 2008, but they blend well with the rock elements to give the band’s classic formula a glossy 2023 relaunch. I can’t stop listening to it. Sam Christelow
Weightless – Arlo Parks
Nearly a year after her last release, Softly, Arlo Parks is back with her new single Weightless. Maintaining the glittering sorrow of her previous works, Parks’ intimately detailed lyricism continues to impress, creating music that is best described as “making rainbows out of something painful.” Similar to Portra 400, the final track on her debut album, Weightless incorporates a rhythmically different, spoken-word element in the bridge of the song, something which I hope will become a regular feature in Parks’ music, as this refreshing variation really lifts the song in its second half. Parks recently announced that her upcoming album, My Soft Machine, will be released in May, and the project promises to be as vulnerable as ever, tackling issues such as PTSD and watching your loved ones struggle with addiction. Despite these darker issues being addressed, Arlo Parks aspires to analyse love and the self in this highly anticipated project, providing some wisdom which we welcome in this new year of music. Tabitha Smith
Cave World (Deluxe) – Viagra Boys
Viagra Boys’ deluxe edition of their latest album Cave World boasts the addition of 4 tracks to their discography, offering a unique array of sonic creativity, each more distinct from the last. It Ain’t Enough presents Carls’ saxophone mastery at its most erratic, accompanied by the familiar sheer lunacy of Murphy’s vocal delivery and lyrical content. The track delivers a driving intensity similarly found in the band’s previous albums, a cacophony of controlled chaos to accompany the band’s manic presence in the post-punk scene. Stretch My Arms follows, a sombre yet familiar melancholic note to contrast the previous track’s ferocity, reminiscent of the album highlight, Worms, from their debut effort. Murphy convincingly demonstrates the act of overthinking and desire with honest simplicity through the track's lyrics, making Viagra Boys’ ability to switch between musical styles so effortlessly seems even more admirable. Milk Farm finds the Boys’ recklessness back in full force, with Murphy’s comedic storytelling again rearing its head. The track is drenched in synthesisers and baselines, a distinguishable categorisation of the band, accompanied by Murphy’s incomprehensible yelling and yelping. Only Friend presents something entirely different in the band’s discography. A simple, stripped-back refrain oozing in ominousness and dread drives the ballad, one that wouldn’t seem out of place in a Spaghetti Western from the 60s. Sombre desperation, a contrast to the satirised silliness of the album itself, leads the band in an exciting unfamiliar direction, with the closing track on this deluxe edition increasing anticipation and curiosity about their next full-length album. It is more than understandable the praise this post-punk powerhouse continues to receive, with their upcoming UK and US tour accompanied by this latest release of tracks undoubtedly only adding to the exhilaration this band continues to deliver. Luke Bower
Third Class Citizen – Calva Louise
Calva Louise have been one of my favourite bands for about two years now. I fell in love with their fusion of culture and music, something that isn’t seen much in rock music. This track takes this fusion and makes a fire. It’s angry, purposeful, and political. On top of that, they situate this angst within a dystopian storyboard, marking how deeply backward society is on the issue of migration and acceptance. They’re an extremely talented group: they create such meaningful music whilst pairing it with the art of film and special effects. I look forward to the next opportunity I have to see the band live and discover whether they have found a way to include all of their endless talents into their live performances. Roxann Yus
Simplicity - hidingthehurt
Mixing pop-punk and hyper-pop into an upbeat catchy mix hasn’t been something I’d ever have thought would be right up my alley, especially with the simple, heartfelt lyrics about love, and yet this song really hit me in all the right places! Even better is that the artist who could manage it is a Nottingham local who goes by the moniker hidingthehurt, who’s been releasing consistently good hyper-pop adjacent music for just over two years. The song is short and sweet, at once filling the time it’s been intended to whilst absolutely not overstaying its welcome. Frankly, I could’ve happily had a longer version of the track with a little instrumental in the middle, whether a solo or a breakdown or otherwise, and would’ve enjoyed it just as much! Again, this isn’t typically a style I go for massively and I have a tendency to enjoy songs that are double or triple the length of this, so I’m as surprised as you might be as to how much I enjoyed this! hidingthehurt has put out great songs before, and this is another fine addition to his catalogue of tunes. Jake Longhurst
Edited by Roxann Yus
Cover image courtesy of Arlo Parks via Facebook.