This week’s list was a strange one to build. I had a whopping 28 songs I was considering (normally it’s less than 15 by the time I do the actual teeth brushing shortlisting process). There were 4 tracks that were clearly stand outs on a second listen, and then lots of others I was equally happy being on the list – and then, from nowhere (well from my instagram feed actually) a song I didn’t even realise was being released this week just dropped magically into my lap and perfectly rounded out this week’s offerings.
Remember, you can always listen to our Songs To Brush Your Teeth To playlist with all our recommendations from this week and the past couple of months too!
Sam Sly – The Truman Show
Sam Sly’s latest release The Truman Show is such a glorious 80’s inspired synth-pop track. Speaking on the anxieties of feeling like no one really likes you and that desire to want to make yourself smaller and confirm it, the track hones in on an experience that everyone has had at some point in their life. It’s one of those songs you can’t help but dance along to, and what I really loved is how big and bold the vocals are, almost the exact opposite of some of the feelings in the song.
Find out more about Sam Sly here.
Hayley and The Crushers – Jewel Case
“On the surface, Jewel Case is about everyone’s too-wild side… whether you left that party back in your 20s or you’re still living on the edge,” says frontwoman Hayley Cain “Everyone has that moment where they say, ‘yeah, that’s the line. I’m not crossing that one again.’ That’s what this song is about. That moment.” Inspired by a real-life experience of Hayley’s, the track combines raw energy with great storytelling. This pop/punk track has long been a fan favourite at the band’s live shows and the band have finally sought to capture it’s chaotic energy in a studio version.
Find out more about Hayley and The Crushers here.
Queenie – Pearl Necklace
I don’t think it’s any secret that I adore Queenie, and I’m pretty sure she’s featured on this list twice before. I love the sultry sound of Pearl Necklaces and the way the softer, restrained verses build into this short burst of bigger vocals for the chorus. It’s a song that forces you to really listen to the lyrics, and you should because with gems like “if there were a god he’d probably work in finance” it’s a sassy, somewhat light-hearted take on many of the very real issues with men.
Find our more about Queenie here.
Isabella Richardson – Waiting Room
Melbourne born and now London based singer Isabella Richardson released her debut EP recently and we loved the raw simplicity of the song Waiting Room. An emotional track about those moments after a break up when you start to wonder if you’ll ever move on, if you’ve let your soul mate go, and you’re remembering all the good parts of the relationship. It’s a very simple stripped back number, which really allows the emotions to shine through.
Find out more about Isabella Richardson here.
Jeane – Good God (What Have We Become)
Jeane’s latest release Good God (What Have We Become) is hard-hitting in it’s subject matter tackling bodily autonomy, political disillusionment, and the surreal tension between faith and power. Musically, I really enjoyed the layers of the song, they build and build before the track switches into a distorted piano instrumental section, it’s both a different and ambitious release for the band, yet also mimics the tension discussed in the track and that feeling of overwhelm from being constantly online.
Speaking on the journey of writing the track Jazz Johnston shares “I couldn’t shake the surreal feeling of living in your own body yet not having full rights over it as a woman. Writing the song became my way of processing that helplessness about the state of the world. I found myself repeating ‘good God’ like a mantra. Having grown up in the church, I’ve always been fascinated by the tension between religion and politics — especially in the Trump era,”
Find out more about Jeane here.