TOP INDIE SONGS - WEEK 48

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! That's right, it's that magical time of year when families up and down the country gather to “gobble, gobble” glorious food, show gratitude, and, of course, argue about the impeachment hearings. If you're like me and expecting a lot of “okay, boomer” moments this Thursday, then fear not as the team and I have just the thing to drown out your racist Uncle Jim: the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Top Indie Songs. Just make sure to save us a slice of pie in return for compiling the following tracks from HAIM, Beck & Sky Ferreira, Maggie Rogers, and more.

-

HAIM – HALLELUJAH

This is divinely gorgeous. HAIM touch on love, loss, and everything in between on “Hallelujah.” Written about the death of Alana Haim's best friend, it's an acoustic ballad that emits a sense of lilting warmth despite the tragedy behind the words, with HAIM reminding us of the importance of telling our nearest and dearest just how much they mean to us.

BECK & SKY FERREIRA – DIE WAITING

Beck and Sky Ferreira? It doesn't get much better than this, let me tell you! Featured on Beck's recent album Hyperspace, “Die Waiting” is a gauzy lullaby that unites Mr. Hansen's proclivity for both folk and dance music, with Pharrell Williams delivering a production that's as funky as it is floaty, while Beck and Sky sound utterly featherlight together.

DENM – ALRIGHT

We live in dark times, no doubt about it, but We Are: The Guard favorite DENM is looking to the future with hope in his heart on his latest single “Alright.” “I got a feeling we'll be alright/We'll be alright,” sings Slum Beach Denny on the uplifting, reggae-tinged bop, which genuinely leaves you with the feeling that, maybe, everything will be okay!

SOCCER MOMMY – YELLOW IS THE COLOR OF HER EYES

Following on from the release of “lucy” earlier this year, Soccer Mommy returns today with the gleaming “yellow is the color of her eyes.” Clocking in at just under seven-and-a-half minutes, it's a slow-burningly beautiful opus about missing her mother while on the road, with Sophie Allison delivering perhaps her most challenging compositional work to date.

TR/ST – IRIS

Earlier this year, TR/ST dropped “Iris,” a punishing yet pristine piece of music that filled listeners with a sense of clubby rapture as much as it did after-the-after-party despair. Today, Robert Alfons continues to tap into this dichotomy in the official video – a strobe light-laden exploration of human connection and loneliness as directed by Muted Widows.

JAKE BUGG – KISS LIKE THE SUN

Jake Bugg is back, baby! Two years on from the release of Hearts That Strain, the Brit act returns today with “Kiss Like the Sun.” Produced by Andrew Watt, it's an energetic, raucous blues-rock stomp about sex and desire, with slide guitar-driven sections giving way to psychedelic interludes that prove that there's more to Jake than meets the eye.

MAGGIE ROGERS – LOVE YOU FOR A LONG TIME

Having gone from viral sensation to Grammy-nominated Best New Artist in three years, Maggie Rogers gets reflective on “Love You for a Long Time.” “Came in like a vision from the old west wind/Like a bright new dream that I was stepping in,” sings the folk chanteuse on the dusky sunset of a song, which Maggie reveals is a tribute to her most loyal fans.

GINGER ROOT – B4

Introducing Ginger Root, purveyor of so-called “aggressive elevator-soul,” who's bringing some much-needed funk to our Monday with “B4.” Fans of Omar Apollo and Ariel Pink are sure to give two thumb-ups to this lo-fi slice of disco-pop, which bends elasticated, Philly Soul grooves around smeared-out vocals for a cut that goes straight to the hips.

DES ROCS – GIVE ME THE NIGHT

Dancing shoes at the ready, as Des Rocs is back and bringing the swagger to his latest single “Give Me the Night.” It's a room-shaking ode to the underdogs that drips with fuzz, sweat, and distortion, with the New York City act – who recently dropped his Marty Parade EP – taking center stage like the commanding rock-and-roll demigod that he is.

ELIZA THORP – UNRAVEL THESE DAYS

And so we conclude today with “Unravel These Days,” a song that was submitted to us through Fluence by Eliza Thorp. It's a stunningly, stunningly gorgeous folk tapestry that appears on Eliza's recent EP Queen of the Sea, with the track evoking a real homely nostalgia as tender lyrics weave their way through a lush blend of strings and piano. Enjoy!

-

Don't forget to follow We Are: The Guard's Weekly Chart on Spotify for more! x

Photo by DANNY G on Unsplash

Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.