Hi. Hello, everyone. Anthony Fantano here, Internet's busiest music nerd. I hope you are doing well. And it's time for another Weekly Track Roundup. My thoughts, my opinions, my feelings on a bunch of songs that have dropped over the past week or so. Whether I loved them or hated them or felt somewhere in between.

All right, worst tracks of the week.

We have this Yola track. "Amazing". Someone whose work I was really pleased and impressed with out of the gate. But I feel like a song like this is indicative of this just weirdly synthetic, overproduced direction Yola's approach to pop soul has been taking. I really loved the stuff that she did with Dan Auerbach not too long ago, but I feel like taking the vocal production, taking the instrumentation in the direction that this song goes, it just makes her music feel, frankly, a little soulless and plastic and just missing that human touch that I feel like her last record came out of the gate with, frankly.

Following this, we have also Tommy Richman, "Miami", a new single from Tommy, and I'm not too crazy about it. It feels like Tommy continues to write himself into a corner with the falsetto vocals, with the one-dimensional production. It's just really lacking in anything new, interesting, or all that catchy as well, in my opinion.

We've also got a new one from Maroon 5, "California" is the name of the track, and it's just like your stereotypical millennial low-key pop ballad. It's just absolutely formulaic and gross at this point.

I could also also say that to a degree for the new Black Lips single "So Far Gone". I feel like the band is trying to bring back their classic scuzzy sound, but they're doing it in a way where the performance is not tight, the guitars are slovenly to the point where they're not really giving the song much oomph, which is a shame because I sense the song at the core of this one is actually pretty decent. But if it was actually given more lively performance and the band actually sounded together enough, I mean, obviously, the band's most classic recordings are a little wild and loose and punky. I mean, that's the Black Lips appeal. But I feel like it's so far gone – to build off the title of this track – and to the point where it just needs a little bit more tightening up, and it would actually sound pretty sick.

We also have a new one from AJR, "Betty", and they are sounding as obnoxious and cheery and grating as ever, especially with the downpitched group vocals on the chorus, which I don't quite get the appeal of at all, especially for them.

All right, meh, the tracks I was on the fence with.

But still worth shouting out, and you may be into them more than me. They are as follows.

First off, we have this new one from Zach Bryan. "Madeline" is the name of the song featuring Gabriella Rose, and pretty standard, acoustic duet type ballad from Zach Briyn. Better than his last single, though. Definitely better than his last single, but still scant and lacking a bit of heart on the vocal front from Zack anyway. I think Gabriella does give a captivating performance on this one, but it feels like Zach is a little underwhelmed by his own tune over here for some reason. But maybe he's building back up to a more stupendous song.

We also have FKA twigs over here, giving us a bit of a non-album single, post-album rollout. And this one over here "Perfectly" is a really chill dance tune. I don't think it's the best or boldest of this current album cycle that twigs is in the midst of. If it was, I feel like it would have made it onto the record. It's okay. If you're looking for some throwback '90s dance that's really synthy and even a bit trance-inspired, give it a listen, but it's not mind-blowing per se.

All right, we have a Renee Rapp over here, hitting us with this over-the-top pop ballad with a pretty strong vocal performance. Yeah, a little formulaic, but still strong vocals on it. "Why is She Still Here?" This one's a decent listen.

Also, Nine Inch Nails, sounding very Nine Inch Nails, sounding very Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor sounding very Trent Reznor on the forthcoming Tron soundtrack, which apparently his fingerprints are all over, which I feel like his sound and his aesthetic does work for that movie franchise, which is why he gave us a very stereotypical Nine Inch Nails type song on the lead single, the lead teaser. And yeah, it's fine.

All right, we have a new one over here from Diplo with Juicy J and Project Pat, "Flash", and it samples Radiohead, which is crazy. I mean, I wish it was longer. I feel like there could have been more structure to the track, just like a minute and change or so. But I mean, it's a cool, fresh idea, this Radiohead classic Southern classic, pretty much like Memphis rap combo, but it's still lacking a bit of length and depth, I suppose you could say.

Moving on from there. clipping. has decided to give us a deluxe edition of their latest record, Dead Channel Sky, some extra tracks, so on and so forth. This one over here featuring Counterfeit Madison and Kid Kola, the legend Kid Kouala. "Night of Heaven" is most definitely one of the more out there tracks I think clipping. has ever put together between the arrangements and the vocal jazz passages, which are very theatrical, mind you, and the noise shots and the static popping in there and Daveed's rap style, continuing down those themes of tech dystopia. Again, very, very, very odd combination of sounds that I don't think any artist has ever put together quite like this before. I mean, it is so far out there, I am like, Does any of this really work? But I mean, I feel like clipping. is the group – if anybody's going to make it work, they're going to get the closest to it. Man, just some wild genre combinations on this track, and I'll just leave it there.

David Byrne, hitting us with the second single from his fourth coming album. "She Explains Things To Me", really a track all about a love, a romance, a relationship where the other person in many ways is like your guiding light and helping you understand the world. The vocals are a little weak, unfortunately, but the ballad still has a lot of heart to it.

Animal Collective hit us with a new single as well, "Love on the Big Screen". There are elements of it I like, even a bit of some throwback rock elements crossing over from the latest Panda Bear record, I would say. But some of the whooping synthesizers and instrumentation on this one are a little grating, unfortunately. I'm hoping the next single is a bit more pleasant to listen to all around.

The best tracks of the week.

We have a bunch of those, and they are as follows. Let's hit them.

One, Yeat and BNYX, like peanut butter and jelly, coming back with a new single titled "I'm Yeat", and Yeat is getting goofy on it. I just feel like the guy is feeling himself and getting quite conceited and quite silly on this new one. And his vocals are very over the top. I like that he's not merely just phoning it in on the same exact flows and the same exact production that he has in the past. It does seem like he and BNYX, too, are pushing themselves a little bit to do something a bit quirkier than their usual trademark chemistry on some of Yeat's biggest projects and tracks that we've heard up until this point. Just seems like they're getting a bit more crazy on this one. And I'm liking the loose wild energy that both of them are bringing on this one.

Also, The Last Dinner Party, The Pyre, forthcoming album. The band is back, and they're hitting us once again with that theatrical, very glammy brand of pop rock music that they do so so well. "This is the Killer Speaking" is the name of the track. It's got some great transitions, some wonderful vocals, a catchy chorus as well. And again, it's theatrical, theatrical, theatrical. It's what the band does best. And it seems like after such a successful debut, they are sticking to their guns with, at the very least, the first single. And I'm looking forward to seeing how this continues to play out because I do think they're one of the most solid new bands out there right now.

Sudan Archives. Who coming back with a new record. God, how long ago was it? Sudan Archives' last album, which I love that record, such a long, versatile, all over the place LP. But the tracklist for this forthcoming one, it seems like it is going to be a bit tighter, and we have a few new singles from it, both of which are bangers, in my opinion: "YEA YEA YEA" and "MY TYPE". "MY TYPE" I think is especially funny and witty and clever. Hitting us with bigger groove, I would say more mainstream groove, but actually still continuing to wow us with her production chops, obviously her very deep and very musical influences from pop to R&B, to hip hop, to classical music, too, because you know that Sudan Archives always got that violin in tow as well. The new singles been sounding hot, been sounding fantastic so far. I'm really I'm excited for the record, so shout out to Sudan. All right.

We have freaking Skepta over here. "Round 2". Latest diss track in the midst of his beef with Joyner Lucas, which we have not been covering on the channels. I apologize. A lot was happening this past week, especially with the new Clipse record that I was just focused in on, zoomed in on, wasn't paying quite as much attention to the rivalry going on between not just Joyner and Skepta, but there's a miniature American/UK rap war battle going on right now. Lots of people jumping in, but primarily, the big focus here is Skepta. The Skepta diss is a banger. It makes a lot of fair points about Joyner on the songs, some funny ones, frankly. And while it's not the most mind-blowing diss I've ever heard, and Skepta makes it pretty clear in the track that even he himself is not really that invested in this and sees Joyner as a bit of a pusher. I still think this is the best track that we're going to get out of this beef. It's highly unlikely Joyner is going to put together a more impressive track than this, in my opinion. So shout out to Skepta. I guess I'm just a sad that if there was going to be a big America/UK beef off, that we would have had generally just better representation than Joyner Lucas, but whatever. I feel like, and the UK knows this, American hip hop speaks for itself. I don't know if we really need an international battle going on, but whatever. Moving on from there.

Essex Honey, the fourth coming coming album from Blood Orange. We've had some very interesting and impressive features listed out from the singles so far. This latest one, "Mind Loaded", is a beautiful and otherworldly tune with not just Caroline Polachek on it, and Mustafa as well, but Lorde, too, is in the mix. Spacey production, lovely vocals, just pretty beautiful and enchanting all around. Really looking forward to this one.

Also looking forward to this new Ninajirachi record. "Info Hazard", is the track to drop from it as far as singles go. It starts as this very pretty, a bit of a, I would say, trance meditation with the atmosphere and the synthesizers and the really lovely lead vocals. Then it evolves into a full electro banger with the rough bass and the bump and beats. It's a killer progression and a great energy, too. Liking the Y2K influences, so on and so forth. If you've been listening to any hyperpop or any of the current pop that's really on that vintage Y2K trend, you're going to appreciate this quite a bit, I'd say. All right.

We also have LustSickPuppy. Shout out to LustSickPuppy, who's been treating us to some singles as of late. This one over here is one that's bringing together a lot of different influences. "Make Ya Mmm" is the title of the track. It's featuring Kill Altars. Man, some wild genre switches on this cut. You've got some industrial hop, sorry, industrial hip hop influences, of course, which is LustSickPuppy's bread and butter. But beyond that, you've got passages where the vocals go into just full noise punk, scream, Britney Spears-inspired pop cleans, and rap flows that remind me of Gangsta Boo back in like Three 6 Mafia's heyday. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's more to this song than that. So there's some real zaniness going on with this cut, but it's an outright banger, in my opinion, and some of LustSickPuppy's most interesting work so far.

Also, shout out to Joey Bada$$, who has hit us with this "ABK" track, some great beat switches, flow switches, double entendres, solid bars. Joey has given it to us once again on this one.

We also have over here, a shout out to Guerilla Toss, "You're Weird Now", their forthcoming album. We have our third taste from it, and that is with the track, "Life's a Zoo", which these crazy "You're so cool" vocal drops, pop-ins throughout the track, just make this zany rock song all that much more funny and hilarious. The band's sense of humor is just going off with this new record, and I'm loving it. It's adding a lot of character to their already full of character brand of zany experimental pop and rock.

All right, we also have a Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist. Alfredo 2 is on the way. Alfredo 2. Our first single from it is "1995", and it's sounding like classic Freddie and Alchemist. You have the vintage loops and chops and beats. The rhythms are a little dusty, a little lofi. Freddie's vocals have a bit of grime on them, too, and the flows are sweet and sharp, per usual. No surprises there. I mean, we've heard proof of this concept on Alfredo, the original Alfredo, years ago, and it just seems like these guys know what they're doing at this point, and they are coming through to go even harder now that they have basically laid the groundwork for a follow-up for a sequel record.

All right, we have also over here, shout out to Daphni, "Clap Your Hands". A great left field dance bop on this one, really liking the grooves here as well. Dude continues to be one of the most interesting electronic dance music producers out there today. But Daniel Snaith has created music under a lot of different names and continues to be creative and use his veteran status to just put out great work.

Spiritual Cramp over here, who are going to be hitting us with their second full-length LP, Rude. Very soon. We have our first single from it, "At My Funeral". It's a very funny cut, which directly references what's going to happen at the protagonist's funeral. Nobody crying, so on and so forth. It's very over the top. It's very nasty. It's very quite funny. It feels like there's a lot of ironic, post-ironic and self-effacing post-punk and punk rock out there these days. It's really throwing out a nice, sharp, edgy sense of humor. I'm really appreciating Spiritual Cramp adding to that trend in a very tasteful and creative way.

And shout out, finally, to Alice Glass, legend of the blogosphere in the indie scene back in the day, who, for years since splitting off from Crystal Castles, has been putting out solo stuff and dropping singles here and there. But this new one over here, "Catch and Release", actually stopped me in my tracks because it is giving us those classic, aggressive blog era electro grooves with the distortion on the lead vocals and that shout, that banshee shout that Alice has continues to sound fantastic to this day, especially on this cut over here. I just wanted to shout this track out because it is giving me some throwback vibes in the best way possible.

And that is going to be everything that I mentioned. That has been the Weekly Track Roundup. Hopefully, you got some good recommendations.

Anthony Fantano, Weekly Tracks, forever.