New Music Friday: Denzel Curry, WARPAINT, Yard Act and more

Our picks for the past week’s best music releases for you to get your ears around. Check out what we have to say and give them a listen.

New Music Friday: Denzel Curry, WARPAINT, Yard Act and more

Want to hear all our previous New Music Friday picks? You can check them all out on our Spotify playlist, found here.


Denzel Curry - Walkin’

One of the more lauded rappers from the US, Florida native Denzel Curry has consistently pushed boundaries over the past few years, and has seen huge success for his unconventional style, hard-hitting beat selections and his lyrical complexity. The rapper has opted for a somewhat less aggressive tone on his newest single, ‘Walkin’, and really gets to hone in on his technical rhyming and his unique cadence, thanks to a more traditional hip-hop beat. Curry’s musical influence shows throughout the track, utilising almost boom-bap style instrumentals whilst rattling off lyrics in a fashion akin to old-school greats. ‘Walkin’ still gives that modern edge though, as the second-half of the track sees the instrumentation warp into Denzel’s more signature hard-hitting style. Curry is leaning into his natural talent on this new song, whilst harkening back to what inspired him, and yet again giving the impression that he will never stagnate in evolving his sound.

WARPAINT - Champion

Los Angeles based band WARPAINT have been highly acclaimed by critics for their output over the years, and are yet to disappoint. The band haven’t released a new album for six years, despite the release of multiple other tracks here or there. However, this week they released the newest track from their upcoming record, Radiate Like This, titled ‘Champion’. The new single sees the quartet shimmering still, with a relaxed, spacious feel and glistening harmonies. The instrumentation is complicated, but in a way that is casually mellow, and innately smooth. Lyrically, the track is about confidence in yourself, and is beautifully conveyed through the band’s nonchalant harmonisation in the song’s forefront. 

Skunk Anansie - Piggy

‘90s alt rock veterans Skunk Anansie are about to embark on their 25th anniversary tour, and have just unleashed their newest track titled ‘Piggy’, a ferocious punk rager that takes aim at our government. The song is an accessible but incredibly abrasive rampage, fuelled by the anger the group have for UK’s political direction. It exhibits snarling vocals that send a brusque message of disdain, backed by frenzied, distorted instrumentation that keeps the adrenaline high throughout. Rhythmically, the song pounds its way past, with a slimy bassline and rattling drums that never let up. ‘Piggy’ is sure to set the band’s live shows aflame, and on record proves a powerful statement from a renowned and respected group who are known for their progressive ideals, showcasing their pure resentment and bitterness alongside blisteringly immediate, almost hardcore punk instrumentation.

Yard Act - The Overload

Yard Act took the end of 2021 by storm, after releasing a set of post-punk tracks that resonated well thanks to the growing appeal of the genre and expertly crafted songs. This week, The Overload has hit shelves and streaming services, and is going down a treat critically. As the first song on the record, the titular track released last year perfectly sets the tone of what is to come, and is a gripping one at that. Dissonant screeching greets the listener straight off the bat, which quickly erupts into a shuffling, bouncy and frenetic romp, full to the brim with lyrics that flit between catchy chanting in choruses and spoken word in each verse. Frontman James Smith creates an approachable and conversational aura with his vocal style, whilst sarcastically commenting on societal norms. Instrumentally, the track is constantly evolving, injecting a sense of fun and personality at every turn, with impressive, complex performances that compliment Smith’s sometimes frenzied vocal inflections.

The Weather Station - Endless Time

Off the back of her critically acclaimed album Ignorance last year, Tamara Lindemann, otherwise known as The Weather Station has released a new track titled ‘Endless Time’ this week. The track comes as a taster single prior to the release of her next record, How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars, due in March. Lindemann has curated her own band of jazz musicians for the next record, but with the striking absence of drums, in ‘Endless Time’, the skeletal instrumentation gives ample space to the slow moving, calming track. ‘Endless Time’ is predominantly composed of Lindemann’s deeply gloomy and sedative vocals alongside the twinkling of piano slightly varying in tempo as the song progresses, its stripped back approach allows for an immersive and beautiful experience. Lyrically, the track is existential and retrospective, with Lindemann describing the feeling of living life day-to-day whilst understanding that all we know is crumbling away, “It’s only the end of an endless time” she croons, encapsulating her dissociative emotion perfectly.

Header Image Credit: "Denzel Curry" by thecomeupshow is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Author

Ash Edmonds

Ash Edmonds Kickstart

A graduate of Music Journalism from BIMM Brighton – where he now lives – Ash has been writing about everything creative for the past few years. An avid audiophile, he spends a lot of his time searching streaming platforms, record stores and live shows trying to find his next musical obsession.

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