We’ve reached the last Friday of the month, which can only mean one thing: Another edition of Noteworthy Nods – our monthly roundup of the 20 tracks in constant rotation around the office.
As ever, the playlist pulls together an eclectic mix of brand-new discoveries, reader recommendations, and recent releases from longtime favourite artists of ours. And if you’ve got suggestions, please do keep them all coming HERE.
This month’s selection leans into huge riffs, more reflective turns, and a few artists stretching into new creative territory. Below are a handful of highlights to give you a sense of what’s in the mix this month.
Rotherham indie rockers The Reytons lead the charge with “Jukebox,” a scrappy, floor-filler anthem arriving alongside news that the band will take their hyper-local vignettes on an ambitious, five-continent world tour. Lifted from their upcoming fourth LP, A Love Letter To A Broken Town (out July 24), the track is steeped in the stale-ale realism of working-class life, reclaiming the low-ceilinged clamour of local pubs and working men’s clubs where music, commotion, and connection once defined the night.
Elsewhere, Muse return with “Cryogen,” another preview of their forthcoming tenth studio album The Wow! Signal (arriving June 26). A gothic space-rock surge built around a riff that resurrects the hyperactive fretwork of “Plug In Baby,” the track is predictably massive – already a victim of the inevitable viral gestation of grainy live leaks that left fans clamouring for an official release. The album is said to explore cosmic mystery, existential hope, and the idea of contact with something far beyond ourselves, and this single leans fully into that vision.
Big Special also confirmed details of a new EP, O’Joy! (due June 5 via SO Recordings), alongside the release of the starkly introspective “Only Free When Sleeping.” The duo – Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – describe the project as a companion piece to their recent breakthrough, put together from what they dub the “fallen parts” of their first two albums. The single is a sparse, observational track; a self-described “head-down walking song” that channels the weary claustrophobia of modern life and emotional fatigue.
Alt-rock newcomers thistle. delivered a burst of frenetic momentum with “pylon,” taken from their upcoming backflip EP (out May 29 via REX RECS). It’s a blistering track reportedly fueled by necessity and incalculably caffeinated circumstance, with the band joking it was “very much powered by Monster Energy.” Raw, restless, and instinct-driven, the track captures the unvarnished urgency of creating whatever you can, wherever you are – which, in this case, happened to be Cardiff.
Also, Basht. shift between restraint and release on latest release “Perfume,” a sprawling, emotionally charged harbinger of their upcoming debut long player, Poor Advice (set for October 9 via LAB Records). The track balances introspection before crescendoing into a cathartic surge, setting the tone for an LP that ranks among our most anticipated of the year.
These are just a handful of our picks for the month. Whether you’re seeking quietude or a much-needed jolt to the system, the latest Noteworthy Nods playlist brings together an eclectic mix of tracks we’re confident will tide you over nicely until we’re back at the end of May.
Alongside our weekly track picks, Noteworthy Nods also brings you regular videocast interviews with the artists we’re genuinely excited about. You can catch every episode on the playlist HERE, featuring everyone from The Enemy and Kula Shaker to Stanleys, The Subways, Lottery Winners, The Slow Readers Club, and Shed Seven, alongside a deep archive of essential voices.
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