This weeks installment of 5 New Songs We Like takes you through a myriad of musical styles. Whether its ghostly grooves of Warpaint, the coffee house folk of Fossil Collective, the euphoric pop of Claire, the ambient R&B of Autre Ne Veut & Fennesz, or the triumphant soundscapes of Tycho, you are bound to find something you enjoy. Some artists may be familiar to you others may be new terrain, all showcase top notch craftsmanship within their respective genres, which is what makes them the 5 New Songs We Like. 

Warpaint “Love Is To Die” 

Warpaint remains true to form on their new single “Love Is To Die.” Though the quartet have enlisted legendary producer Flood to man the boards this time around, they are still the same group we left off with on their excellent 2010 debut The Fool. Like most Warpaint songs, “Love Is To Die” features beautifully haunting melodies that glide over hard hitting rhythms. This may not be foreign territory for the group but the results are gorgeous and chilling nonetheless.

 

Fossil Collective – “Half Light” 

Fossil Collective makes coffee house ready indie-folk that could calm the jitters of just about any espresso buzz. “Half Light,” a standout from their latest release The Water EP, is a beautifully crafted folk ballad. Instrumentally, the track consists of gentle acoustic strumming, melancholic Rhodes piano, and a touch of slide guitar for good measures. This limited palate allows singer David Fendick’s ascend to Fleet Foxes level of prettiness.

 

Claire – “Roll Down Run South”

Munich-based trio Claire creates hyper melodic synth-pop that is ready to take our shores (and airwaves) by storm. As the title of their new album,The Great Escape, suggests Claire’s brand of electro-pop is euphoric and dreamy. Album highlight, “Roll Down Run South” is bursting with massive hooks and glimmering with studio sheen. If the track had been released a few years earlier it would have been an ideal candidate for the for the Drive soundtrack.               

 

Autre Ne Veut & Fennesz – “Alive”

In honor of indie label Mexican Summer’s five year anniversary, bedroom R&B artist Autre Ne Veut has teamed up with Austrian ambient guru Fennesz to create “Alive.”

While Autre Ne Veut has the tendency to go over the top with his singing, on “Alive” his vocals during the verses are well controlled. This restraint makes his voice sound more explosive when the towering chorus kicks in, where his vocals are forced to soar over the flurry of atmospheric noise that Fennesz brings to the table.

 

Tycho – “Awake” 

San Francisco based producer Scott Hansen delivers another stunning soundscape under the moniker Tycho, entitled “Awake.” “Awake” revolves around punchy post-punk bass lines and guitar work reminiscent of the xx. Though the tracks tone is generally uplifting, underneath the blissful array of shimmering guitars and synths lies a tension that is never released.