Music Week's guide to the most essential tracks of the moment.
ELLIE GOULDING
Flux (Polydor)
Ellie Goulding tussles with life and love, teasing out acrobatic vocal lines over piano and strings. It’s an earthy, back-to-basics return, stripped of the dancey gloss she previously dabbled in.
Contact Carl Fysh
carl.fysh@s-414.com
SOLANGE
Almeda (Saint Records/Columbia)
Jazzy, slow and inspired by her roots, Almeda is a highlight from Solange’s When I Get Home. Playboy Carti’s guest spot adds to an enjoyably loose mix.
Contact Sarah Hall
sarah.hall@sonymusic.com
MAC DEMARCO
Nobody (Mac’s Record Label)
Mac’s first self-release is a threadbare delight, with some of the quietest instrumentals he’s ever done. New LP Here Comes The Cowboy drops in May.
Contact Jodie Banaszkiewicz
jodie@staygoldenpr.com
SAM FENDER
Hypersonic Missiles (Polydor)
Sam Fender comes on like a Morrisons car park Bruce Springsteen (in a good way) here, on a desperate expression of the frustration of youth.
Contact Jon Lawrence
jon@chalkpressagency.co.uk
FREYA RIDINGS
You Mean The World To Me (Good Soldier)
Here’s some happy house from Freya Ridings. Only joking! This is deeply emotional, a message for someone special delivered over teary piano.
Contact Kat Bawden
kat@dedikatedpr.com
LOYLE CARNER (FEAT. JORJA SMITH)
Loose Ends (AMF)
The London rapper gets dreamy on a laid-back track that explores feelings of being let down and longing. Jorja Smith contributes an airy chorus.
Contact Sinead Mills
sinead@practisemusic.co.uk
CHRIS COHEN
Sweet William (Captured Tracks)
Chris Cohen specialises in effortless melodies that move by like a warm breeze. This beauty is from his eponymous third album, out March 29.
Contact Nisa Kelly
nisa.kelly@goodmachinepr.com
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