Hey, hi, and hello, everyone. Anthony Fantano here, Internet's busiest music nerd. And it's time for a little delayed weekly track roundup. I was up late with a headache watching the Grammy stuff going on on the internet, so that's what I was doing. I'm a bit behind on this, but still, let's do it and give some thoughts on a bunch of tracks that have dropped over the past week, whether I loved them or hated them or felt somewhere in between.

And let's get into the worst tracks of the week.

I believe we just have one I believe we just have the one. It's the one, just the one track, just the one worst track of the week. Just a single, just a little lonely song.

That would be this "Beautiful Scars" track from Big Sean and Will Smith, which I just don't get, honestly. Like doing this ultra self-serious pop rap team-up with Will Smith, king of the Jiggy era. It's just trying to be super bland, vaguely motivational piano trap. Again, I just don't really get the appeal. It's just basic and uninspired, honestly.

Let's move on to the tracks I was underwhelmed by.

Not blowing me away, but they're not bad either. You might enjoy them more than me. They are as follows.

Starting with the one, the only, not just producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter-singer, but also actor, Tunde Adabimpe, of TV on the Radio fame. He has a new solo record on the way. We have a few tastes of it out and about on streaming platforms, specifically the song "Magnetic" over here, which sounds like a lofi indie rock demo, clearly with some TV on the Radio vibes. It's okay for what it is. I'm hoping that other tracks on this forthcoming album have maybe more panoramic, brighter, more vibrant, crisp sound. I'll say that, even if I do think the raw, rough around the edges style and the vocal performance on the track is solid.

We have Sparks, who have come back with this new single, "Do Things My Own Way". Sparks is most definitely an avant-pop duo who has a history of doing that. That is certainly not a lie, though I will say as far as the musical and aesthetic vibes of this track, it's giving very early Soft Cell – eerie, creepy, weird, off-kilter, new wave music with maybe almost a slight goth twist, I'll say that. Not one of their best tunes, in my opinion, but it's cool to hear them embrace this type of sound and do it with so much accuracy to the original era.

We also have other examples of a throwback here. We have Sleigh Bells, who are giving us this new track over here where they're really getting in touch with their usual smattering of synthesizers and sequenced drums and super fried, heavy, dense rock and roll guitar riffs. "Want to Start a Band" is the name of the track. It sounds quirky. It's very like 2000s indie Internet Millennial core, I'll say, as far as the vibes go. I think they've had better choruses on previous singles, but the energy and the punch is most definitely still there for Sleigh Bells, that's for sure.

All right, moving on from there. Sasami featuring Clairo, "In Love with a Memory". A bit of a lofi, indie pop and rocker. If you enjoy this track, I have good news for you. There is a Strokes album by the name of Angles that you will also love the hell out of because that is pretty much like the songwriting and the production on this track to a T. Outside of that, it's cool to hear these two team up on a song, even if the overall sound and writing of it is pretty derivative.

Also, feeling on the fence with the new Latto track over here featuring Playboi Carti. I feel like as far as a low-key, somewhat repetitive southern hip hop banger goes, it's very cold-blooded It's fine. Latto has some standout bars here and there as well. It's really the Carti feature on the back end that's boring and uninspired per usual, but that's the usual quality level that we're getting from him these days. I'll just leave it there.

We also have over here a team up between Larry June, between 2 Chainz, and The Alchemist. I'm not usually crazy about Larry June's very low-key vibes, but I feel that 2 Chainz does bring a bit of humor and at least a slight touch of bite to this track that it wouldn't have otherwise. Alchemist's typical loopy production is there as well. It's intoxicating, but it doesn't exactly stand out to me in any profound way whatsoever. I'll just leave it there. If you're looking for something that's not going to grab your attention too much and is just passable, I suppose you can give this a spin.

We also have Julien Baker, who has a new record on the way with TORRES. They're teaming up for an entire album. If the initial singles are any indication, it seems like we're going to be in for a pretty cool indie country and alt country experience. "Sugar in the Tank" isn't the most bold or memorable song and sound that you're ever going to hear. But if you're looking for something that is very solidly giving you those alternative country vibes with some decent vocal harmonies and some thoughtful lyrics as well, then give this a spin. Wednesday fans take notice, for sure. I would also say Lucinda Williams fans take notice. Definitely.

We have Courting over here who has a new record on the way. The indie rock outfit is hard at work, still coming out with stuff. They had an album last year. They're dropping one this year as well, it seems. They're back and forth for me in terms of whether or not they're writing tracks that, to me, stand out and are eccentric or are doing an interesting twist on their very boilerplate indie inspirations, or if they are doing something that is just really playing to that blueprint and simply playing to that blueprint. I would say this track "After You" is more the latter. It's got some tight guitars and drums and everything like that. But as far as indie and underground rock goes, this isn't exactly like reinventing the wheel or anything like that.

Moving on from there, though...

We have the best tracks of the week.

They are as follows. Let's hit it.

We have one over here from Weatherday, who has a new record on the way.
"Angel" is a track from it that I would love to point you guys in the direction of. It's this lofi, emo-tinged bedroom-spun rocker that has a really funny, but actually really fantastic and instantaneously addictive chorus. It's, I think, one of the sharpest tracks that has come out of a Weatherday so far. Some mathy guitars here and there on the track as well. I like how raw it is, how rough around the edges it is, again, and yet how nuanced and detailed a lot of the playing and songwriting is. There's definitely a certain method to the madness, even if the presentation of it all is a bit abrasive and noisy.

We have a SPY who has a new EP on the way. One track from it is this track "On the Brink". If you're looking for some just blistering, heavy, riffy hardcore with some awesome vocals and just an overall just crushing sound, then certainly give this a very short and very heavy and a very crushing track, listen to "On the Brink". You'll certainly feel like it after giving it a listen.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, a group that I'm usually on the fence with, but they have really switched it up on this new single – "March On for Pax Ramona" is the name of the track. This sounds like if you took some '80s English post-punk vocals, but put it over some 2000s System of a Down "Toxicity" era riffs, and it somehow just works. It's great. The guitars and drums are insanely tight. Again, I think the vocals work really well in this almost metal context. It's a nice switch up from the band's usually psychedelic sound. A bit of a surprise, but an exciting one at that.

Moving on from there, we have Kelela who's going to be coming through very soon with a record of live performed, unplugged versions of songs. One teaser from it is a version of the track, "Better", which I really enjoyed from her breakout album. How many years ago at this point? I can't quite remember, But it's really awesome to hear this song performed in a way that feels like so warm and so intimate. While I do like that spacey, very cold, atmospheric, alternative RnB production that she really rode in on with a lot of her earlier stuff, hearing the song in this context and hearing her sing it and perform it in a way that feels much more like fluid and in the moment, not quite as rigid as what you're hearing in the original studio release. It's awesome. It really gives you a new perspective on this track, and I'm hoping to also get that same sense from other cuts on this forthcoming project, especially since I was a little underwhelmed by the last album. If a lot of those tracks are being redone in a style that is similar to what we're hearing here, I feel like this is going to be a really cool live album. Really looking forward to In the Blue Light, from Kelela, if you're looking for some left field RnB and neo-soul vibes over here.

We have Jamie XX, who is coming through with some additional tracks from this In Waves era. One particular cut that is making its way onto string platforms right here is "F.U." featuring some vocal snippet bits from the great Erykah Badu. It's not quite a formal feature that you might expect if they were collab'ing in the studio or something like that on a song-song or a melodic lead vocal. It's more of a snippet being thrown into the mix, but it's still an exciting banger, nonetheless, that should get the dance floor moving.

We also have Deafheaven, who is very much back with a new track, "Magnolia", a new album on the way. A bit of a surprising, but also a traditional switch-up from the band. Deafheaven, for years now, has pulled on black metal music as just a huge point of inspiration, obviously, on classic records such as Sunbather and otherwise. While there's always been a fusion element to their approach to black metal, I feel like this new track over here just sees them playing directly with the genre, and that's it. Maybe with some progressive elements in terms of some of the guitar work and song structuring. But this feels like very direct, straight to the point, almost like Spectral Wounds-esque black metal, just plain and straight. The performance is fiery. The vocals are incredible. The production is great as well. I mean, if the band was going to go in a more traditional, more standard black metal direction, they're certainly smashing it by just coming out with a track, coming out with a song with a structure that is killer, that is engaging, that is bright, loud in your face, and pretty badass too. So looking forward to maybe more songs that deliver pretty much this or some switchups deeper into the tracklist of the album. I guess we'll see. But it's cool to hear the band is really sticking to their metal roots, especially given how their last record did depart from them a little bit, and they're sounding great doing it.

All right, next we have Charley Crockett, who's also a bit of a traditionalist himself on this new track, "Lonesome Drifter", giving us another country anthem over here, but this time with some very cinematic storytelling and production. Like listening to this track, you're really going to hear in your head, or you're going to see in your head visions of outlaws, firing guns, lighting buildings on fire, explosions, that thing. It's a very badass cut that I feel like deserves a sink or two. It should be a theme for a Netflix original. I don't know. It's got a lot to it, I think, in terms of just it's a grandiose and soundtrack-worthy vibes. Charley's vocals are still amazing. Even if he is an artist that in an album context tends to paint himself into a corner a little bit, I still feel like he is a talented songwriter, and he's always great for a single. You can bet on that. And "Lonesome Drifter" is a song that I think is very much worth your time.

All right, we have Black Country, New Road, who are really going full swing into this new album cycle, new era, new vocal approach, new single. "Besties" is the name of the track. It is a lush, densely arranged bit of indie pop and rock. It almost sounds like what Belle and Sebastian would be if they were influenced by Wes Anderson's soundtracks and not the other way around. Great harpsichord, very vibrant instrumentation, great vocal harmonies. It's a fun and thrilling and exciting track all around. Really awesome to hear that Black Country, New Road is not missing any steps in this new step forward for their sound and for their music. Banger track. Banger track, for sure.

All right. Finally, shout out to 2hollis and Nate Sib, who have come through with this a little, like, terminally online electro pop cut that sounds very, I'll say, Frost Children-esque. If you're into that duo, I think it'll get a lot out of this track. It's very punchy, it's very homespun, it's very like laptop, weirdo popcore. I'll say that. I'm really enjoying the 2hollis versatility in the singles as of late. We have tracks that are straight up rage cuts. We have tracks that are a little more Drain Gang and almost Bladee-esque. We have tracks like this that are quite punchy as well. It's a solid tune all around. And again, liking how many different bases 2hollis has been able to cover in the past few years with all the new tracks and hopefully a new project on the way as well.

All right. Weekly Track Roundup is in the can. It is done.

Anthony Fantano, Weekly Tracks, Forever.