Essential Tracks This Week: Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory, Darkside, and more

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Sharon Van Etten and Attachment Theory

We took last week off from Essential Tracks, though ironically it’s because we began the great playlist experiment of our favorite songs of 2024. (Still narrowing down to 100 from [REDACTED].) But this week we’re back, and we’ve got five certified bangers, including the new band from a celebrated singer/songwriter, the return of an always evolving hip-hop artist, a great electronic duo becomes a trio, and more. Turn up this week’s best new songs.


Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory – “Afterlife”

Sharon Van Etten is no stranger to crafting big pop songs wrapped in synthesizers, which were the norm on her 2019 album Remind Me Tomorrow. But “Afterlife” takes that approach a step further. The first single credited to her new band, Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory, “Afterlife” feels both bigger and darker, bringing to mind the haunted art-pop of Bat for Lashes in its atmospheric goth grandeur. There’s an elegance to it that speaks to Van Etten’s songwriting prowess, however, a melody you could just as easily hear played on a lone guitar. But it’s thrilling to hear her approach evolve into something new and unpredictable, something spectacular.

From Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory, out February 7 via Jagjaguwar


Darkside – “Graucha Max”

Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington have brought percussionist Tlacael Esparza in as the third member of Darkside, and while the duo already sounded pretty massive, their groove has only deepened. “Graucha Max” is their first song as a trio, and it’s simultaneously more abrasive and funkier than anything they’ve done before, reminiscent of the ‘80s-era post-punk-dub jams that Can’s Holger Czukay carved out through various solo and side projects. Yet there’s a noisy, industrial edge to it as well, finding the band growing wilder with their creative impulses, and it’s a thrilling sign of things to come. 

Out now via Matador


Tyler, the Creator – “Noid”

Before the month’s up, Tyler, the Creator will release new album Chromakopia, and if first single “Noid” is any indication, it’s bound to be wild. In contrast to the more R&B-heavy grooves of 2019’s Igor, however, “Noid” is definitely rap, but not by any conventional measure. It revolves around a sample from Zamrock group Ngozi Family, and roars with psychedelic fuzz and lyrics that reflect some pretty serious paranoia. It’s intense, and it’s also a massive production, reaffirming Tyler as the kind of singular artist who can reinvent himself every time he steps out of the studio. 

From Chromakopia, out Oct. 28 via Columbia


The Tubs – “Freak Mode”

Last year, the London-based Welsh band The Tubs—featuring members of Joanna Gruesome—made their debut with Dead Meat, a set of bright and upbeat jangle pop that felt like the best kind of throwback to ‘80s college rock. “Freak Mode,” the first single from their second LP does likewise, calling to mind the late-career pop magnetism of Hüsker Dü. Infectious yet autumnal and just a little melancholy, “Freak Mode” is expertly penned and executed pop, complete with mesmerizing guitar harmonies and an endearingly bummed vocal from Owen Williams.

From Cotton Crown, out March 7 via Trouble in Mind


Rosali – “Hey Heron”

Earlier this year, singer/songwriter Rosali released the excellent Bite Down, a rich and gorgeously arranged set of folk-rock and alt-country. And just before the year’s end, she offers another new song, the fantastic “Hey Heron,” released as part of the Cardinals at the Window compilation, a fundraiser for people affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. “Hey Heron” is a marvelous five and a half minutes of country rock, colored by reverb-laden sweeps of slide guitar and “seeking answers to sadness and suffering,” as Rosali said in a statement. It’s just gorgeous, and it’s guaranteed to make you feel something. 

Out now via Merge

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