The best new tracks, picked by our staff
Rated by THE FACE: a playlist featuring Miley Cyrus, d4vd, Bar Italia and Navy Blue.
Music
Words: Davy Reed,
Olive Pometsey
Photography: Nick Walker
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Miley Cyrus – River
Miley’s finally followed up Flowers with a new banger. River is a “nasty” dancefloor-tailored track that blends a disco throb with 80s gloss and a fuzzy acid bassline. Get ready to hear this one a lot. DR
d4vd – Worthless
Numbers aren’t everything. But you can’t look at d4vd’s Spotify streams (over 436 million for his biggest tune) and not conclude that he’s smashing it. Having peddled a style of snappy dream pop that brings to mind the trendy-in-the-2010s Brooklyn band DIIV, Worthless is a scuzzy anthem that would probably go off at a big festival. He’s still only 17 as well. DR
Bricknasty – Fashion
Bricknasty are an intriguing new band from Dublin. With the help of fellow Dubliner KhakiKid, Fashion straddles the line between alt hip-hop, oddball R&B and wonky neo-soul, an eclectic mashup that keeps you guessing with cowbells and spooky theremin sounds. The message, lyrically and musically, is loud and clear: these guys don’t give a shit about fitting in. OP
Navy Blue – Chosen
Alongside his skating career and his presence in the fashion world, Sage Elsesser has been consistently releasing excellent rap music as Navy Blue for a few years now. Although he’s part of a network of uncompromising hip-hop artists that don’t seem to care about commercial appeal, he’s marked a new record deal with Def Jam records with Chosen – which is taken from a forthcoming album. The glossy, retro production comes courtesy of LA-via-London producer Budgie. DR
RXK Nephew – On My Mind
According to RXK Nephew’s recent interview with THE FACE, his new album Till’ I’m Dead is the first project he’s recorded sober. So while it isn’t quite as unhinged as his most attention-grabbing material, it does feel like we’re getting know the real Neph a little better. With its emotive production on and heart-on-sleeve lyricism, On My Mind is a highlight. DR
Bar Italia – Nurse!
Scratchy guitars, melancholic voices and lyrics that make romantic turmoil sound cool – it can only be Bar Italia, one of THE FACE’s favourite new bands. DR
NiNE8 – London Outta Luck
Reckoning with the disillusionment that often comes with life in the big city, here the NiNE8 collective take it in turns to rattle through the aches and pains of London life. “You can be a lover, you can be a pain /What a shame,” sings Lava La Rue over the chorus. Don’t we know it. OP
