CAUSTIC COMMENTARY: Cheekface, Purr, Teezo Touchdown, North Americans, Mudhoney & More

It’s that time of the week again folks, the day that makes everything leading up to it seem small and irrelevant. New Music Friday crept up on us this week and brought with it a collection of unforgettable singles to soundtrack your upcoming weekend. This week is one of the most jam-packed weeks in recent memory, it seems like every genre sent out its best representatives to release new music in some sort of unspoken Eurovision-esque competition. Except in this race, the real winner is us as we’re able to update our playlist and shift our decision of the best album of the year around. 

Check out Glide’s picks for the best new music from the past week: 

Cheekface – “Popular 2” 

Single

Coming off the praise of the band’s 2022 album, Cheekface returned with an infectiously fun single. Released while Cheekface is currently touring last year’s Too Much to Ask LP, “Popular 2” features the signature vocals of the band glazed over pop-adjacent tempos with just enough sharp guitar chords to give the new single just enough edge. 

SBTRKT – “DAYS GO BY” (Feat. Toro Y Moi)

The Rat Road 

It has been quite some time since the world heard from the eclectic electronic producer SBTRKT, the mysterious artist has been laying low since their 2016 LP. Earlier this year, SBTRKT officially announced his return and has since been prepping his new LP. The Rat Road is set to be released on May 5 and the latest single from the upcoming release is the producer’s best of the year. SBTRKT enlists Toro Y Moi for “Days Go By”, a futuristic track that warps and shifts at the artist’s will. Moi’s voice fits perfectly over the nuanced beeps that make the track feel otherworldly. 

Teezo Touchdown – “Familiarity” 

Single 

Over the past year or two, the eccentric artist Teezo Touchdown has been slowly taking over the hearts of music fans with his joyous approach to his borderless style. His hype continues to build as this week saw Touchdown release “Familiarity”, the groovy single that has the vocalist stretching their voice over an uptempo bounce. The funky single seems to be the start of some sort of rollout for Touchdown’s debut album, so stay tuned to see what one of the most exciting acts in years has in store next. 

High Pulp – “Never In My Short Sweet Life” (Feat. MonoNeon)

Single 

Along with the announcement of some west coast tour dates from Seattle’s ever-expanding collective High Pulp, the genre-benders dropped off a brand-new single to bring on the road with them. “Never In My Short Sweet Life” features the syncopated nature of High Pulp with each new rhythm or groove added to the track breathing new life into these textured melodies. With the help of eccentric bass player MonoNeon, High Pulp crafted a cosmic song that sounds larger-than-life while still keeping two feet planted in reality. 

Redveil & JPEGMAFIA – “Black Enuff”

Playing W/ Fire – EP 

This is the second time in recent weeks that we have seen the refreshing flows of Redveil meet the complex industrial-style production of JPEGMAFIA. After Redveil’s appearance on JPEG’s recently released collab LP with Danny Brown, the two reconvene for the latest single from Redveil’s upcoming EP. Playing W/ Fire is set to release on April 19. The pair demonstrate their chemistry with an explosive song that doubles as a clinic in pure energy and skill. 

Purr – “Drift” 

Who Is Afraid of Blue? 

Three years after their incredible debut album was released and showered with praise, the duo known as Purr is gearing up for the long-awaited follow-up. Who Is Afraid of Blue is set to release on June 2 via Anti Records and will feature the collection of singles the band has been dropping since the start of 2023. Along with the announcement of their sophomore album, Purr released “Drift”, the minimal yet potent single that features stirring drum patterns and the band’s gentle falsettos. 

Fly Anakin – “Affirmations” (Feat. Pink Siifu) 

Skinemaxxx (Side A) 

This week saw Virginia’s latest gift to hip-hop, Fly Anakin, and the ever-impressive skills of producer Foisey release the first half of their Skinemaxxx double album. The album has the chemistry between the long-term working partners on full display as Anakin continues to find new means to deliver his slick rhymes over spacious, jazz-tinged loops from Foisey. “Affirmations” has the vocalist reuniting with Pink Siifu for a smooth display of lethal pen work. 

Mayhem Lauren – “Midnight Silk” 

Champagne For Breakfast 

With the help of two of the greatest producers of the modern day, New York’s Mayhem Lauren has crafted the best album of his career. Champagne For Breakfast combines the distinct production styles of Madlib and DJ Muggs to provide Lauren with a collage of dense textures for his tales of grandeur. “Midnight Silk” sticks out on the LP due to its minimal production that adds just enough of an anchor for Lauren’s colorful flows and songwriting. 

Worriers – “Warm Blanket” 

Warm Blanket 

The latest offering from Lauren Denitzio’s brainchild, Worriers has released their most intimate album to date. With Denitzio taking full control for the first time in the Worriers discography, Warm Blanket acts as a collection of personal stories set to sparse yet gorgeous arrangements that give the album its distinct sonic direction. The title track has Denitzio’s poetry on full display with lyrics that are hesitant about the future while still approaching it with a fearless attitude. 

Mudhoney – “Severed Dreams in the Sleeper Cell” 

Plastic Enternity 

For a band entering its fifth decade of recording and releasing pivotal albums, Mudhoney has never sounded more focused. This Friday (April 7) sees the band releasing their latest addition to their storied discography with the distorted riffs of Plastic Enternity. The album sees the historic Seattle-bred rockers finding a new groove even after decades in the business. “Severed Dreams in the Sleeper Cell” features Mudhoney’s signature skepticism over a wall of fuzzy guitar. 

Brandee Younger – “Livin’ And Lovin’ In My Own Way” (Feat. Pete Rock) 

Brand New Life 

Jazz is a genre that will never stop evolving and Brandee Younger is etching their face into the history book of innovators with their new LP. Brand New Life sees the harpist plucking away over different eras of the genre while still pushing the genre into exciting new directions. “Livin’ And Lovin’ In My Own Way” is the Pete Rock-assisted track that beautifully blends the worlds of hip-hop and jazz in a refreshing spurt of beautiful string melodies over neck-breaking drums and DJ scratches. 

North Americans – “The Nighthawks Are Out” 

Long Cool World

North Americans have been turning the world of folk on its head with a collection of albums that select the best parts of the genre and strip them down to their most minimal version. Long Cool World has the band leaning on ambiance like never before for an LP filled with sparse arrangements that evoke the feeling of a sunrise. “The Nighthawks Are Out” has the band’s signature guitar plucking cuddling up next to droning synths that create textures that are more akin to tree bark than anything else we’ve heard in the past few years.