Each Friday, our recurring column Songs of the Week spotlights the best new tracks from the last seven days. This week, we’re bumping new tunes from CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Miss Grit, Drug Church, and more.
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso — “Goo Goo Ga Ga”
After recruiting Sting for their last single — and introducing a bizarre new storyline centered on a (fictional?) wellness retreat — CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso have tapped Jack Black for their new song “Goo Goo Ga Ga.” Moving away from the rock-tinged strut of “Hasta Jesús Tuvo un Mal Día” and reprising a jazzier, bossa nova-based approach, “Goo Goo Ga Ga” is CA7RIEL and Paco at their sweetest. But much more absurd is the presence of Jack Black, who provides his signature exuberance with a little “Rigi goo goo ga ga” refrain. The song also arrives with a bonkers music video where CA7RIEL, Paco, and Black undergo a “Cryo-Cerebral Rebirth” and regress to childlike states to heal their emotional wounds. It may be a bit ridiculous, but it’s more evidence that CA7RIEL and Paco are on an incredibly creative run leading up to their new album FREE SPIRITS. — Paolo Ragusa
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Cavalier & Quelle Chris – “Holding On” (Feat. Navy Blue and Denmark Vessey)
Most hip-hop posse cuts are based on high-octane energy (think: A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario,” B.G.’s “Bling Bling,” or Noreaga’s “Banned from T.V.”), but sometimes we need to hear a group of MCs wax poetic about the delicate nature of life. That’s the exact mission of Brooklyn-born, New Orleans-based rapper Cavalier and prolific, multi-talented underground artist Quelle Chris. Per Cavalier, the song is “about the quiet work of staying present — through grief, fatherhood, memory, and the weight of becoming someone new while carrying everything you’ve been.” Also featuring the gifted rappers Navy Blue and Denmark Vessey, “Holding On” is a patchwork of carefully-constructed feelings, about the big and small moments that make us who we are. — Kiana Fitzgerald
Drug Church — “Pynch”
Drug Church frontman Patrick Kindlon said their new song “Pynch” is the closest the band has ever come to writing a love song. With the surprisingly sweet, poignant lyrics, it makes sense why he’d feel that way. All the while, though, fans shouldn’t go into the tune expecting some sappy ballad — and thank god for that. “Pynch” sees Drug Church just as sonically huge, blood-pumping, and catchy as ever, with heavy guitars, a melodic bass intro, and Kindlon’s signature deranged vocals. It’s less “punch drunk love” and more “punch, drunk, and love.” — Jonah Krueger
E L U C I D & Sebb Bash – “The Lorax” (Feat. billy woods)
E L U C I D and Sebb Bash’s collaborative album, I Guess U Had to Be There, is out now, and “The Lorax” is already a frontrunner for standout track. Bash’s production is both dense and airy here, thanks to singing whirrs that bleed in and out of aural focus. With an assist from fellow cerebral MC billy woods (whose long-running Backwoodz Studioz label released I Guess U Had to Be There), E L U C I D uses “The Lorax” to swim in complex metaphors and multilayered knowledge. “The machine runs itself/ You may know the language but not enough to live,” E L U C I D raps toweringly near the end of the track, reminding us to be our own person as we navigate exceedingly-trying times. — K. Fitzgerald
Gouge Away — “Figurine”
Now on Run for Cover Records, Gouge Away are back, and they’re coming out swinging. Their latest, “Figurine,” immediately hits you square in the jaw with distorted, punky guitar chords and the screamed vocals of Christina Michelle. It then settles into a more melodic, Pixies-esque verse, setting up for the fireworks that is the return of the aggressive chorus. It’s going to sound fuckin’ great live when they’re opening for Foo Fighters later this year. — J. Krueger
Lip Critic — “Jackpot”
Former CoSigns Lip Critic are set to return with the wild, conceptual new album Theft World come April. Following the bananas “Legs in a Snare,” “Jackpot” arrives as the project’s second single, and the insane factor has not dialed back in the slightest. Underneath the madman vocals of Bret Kaser is an instrumental made up of crushing low-end, the bell-like chiming of slot machines, and ear-shattering percussion. If the casino were this much fun, I’d go more often. — J. Krueger
Miss Grit — “Mind Disaster”
“Mind Disaster,” the latest preview of Miss Grit’s upcoming album Under My Umbrella, is a perfect demonstration of their majestic, hypnotic approach. The beat is unrelenting, pounding beneath their autotuned croons and rising in power like waves in a sea storm; the track oscillates between vaguely threatening and cathartically relieving, never losing the potential for unpredictability. It’s a pretty epic turn from the New York artist, who continues to mine the spaces in between with infectious confidence. — P. Ragusa
Robber Robber — “Pieces”
Once again, Robber Robber have dropped yet another killer single for their upcoming record, Two Wheels Move the Soul. In comparison to the tunes that preceded it, “Pieces” is moodier and more methodical. The rhythm section drives the mid-tempo groove, while the guitars serve to add slightly ominous textures between wailing feedback and a repeated phrase that almost sounds like the “Freak on a Leash” lick if it had been written by people with ironic mullets instead of people with white-dude dreads. At once, it’s blissful and chaotic, crafting a unique tone that brings us back again and again. — J. Krueger
sadie — “Wash”
Following her great single “Arms Wide,” sadie is back with “Wash” along with the announcement of her debut album Better Angels. Reprising the naturalistic palette from her last effort, sadie embraces a more melancholic expression for much of “Wash.” But she doesn’t simply let the song wither away; around the 1:45 mark, she flies in with “I think I’ve had it up to here,” the drums crashing and the guitars ringing out with warmth. She’s got quite the intriguing sound, disarming and emotionally potent all at once. — P. Ragusa
