After last year’s almost-year-topping lone single, R U Mine, I’ve been well excited for new Arctic Monkeys material. Suck It And See was a grower; initially it seemed to lack anything interesting but eventually the true quality (of the latter half, especially) shone through. Do I Wanna Know continues their recent trends of:

• colloquial, questioning titles
• fitting ‘summat’ into every song
• travelling further down the road of guitar-focused rock

Stomping almost as much as Tame Impala’s Elephant, the new track is certainly a far better first single than Suck It And See’s Brick By Brick, which was arguably the weakest track on that album.

Everyone’s favourite Blue Mountaineers, Cloud Control, are back in business with a killer track, Dojo Rising. These guys lit up Vivid Festival in Sydney a few nights ago with a power set at the Opera House, proving that albumo numero uno was no fluko as their new material blew away their older songs, which I love more than I love my dog, even when she’s wearing a hat. The new album, Dreamcave, comes out in Australia in mid-August. Give it to me.

(That last line is a lyrical reference, not ammunition to the argument that Gen Y these days are governed by a spirit of entitlement)

As someone who still regularly listens to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, the prospect of a soundtrack to The Great Gatsby — which to me stands as one of the greatest novels of all time — is utterly enticing. What we have here is a stellar lineup of musical talent supplying the sonic backdrop for one our age’s boldest auteurs, Baz Luhrmann. Bringing the album’s highlights are Jack White and Florence And The Machine, with the latter especially delivering a chorus so heart-wrenching it’s easy to feel like Gotye, who contributes his classic, Hearts A Mess, to the table. This film already promises to be one of the most talked about events of the year, as well as one of my favourite films ever. Absurd though it may be to anticipate such a development, surely my impregnable appreciation for Luhrmann, Leonardo DiCaprio, the casting of Tobey Maguire in his character, the soundtrack and all the trailers render the prospect of disappointment unlikely? Right?

The album’s available to be streamed over at NPR.

Foals’ propensity for incorporating oceanic content into their music is one idiosyncrasy that hasn’t been lost since they burst onto the scene as the new prey of that sly predator, British hype. While 2008’s Antidotes was all raging river, acquiring its flow from the weaving reciprocity of interlocking guitars, Total Life Forever was a vast lake of expansive resonance. In a strong affirmation of their eagerness to search for new direction, Holy Fire adds waves with a splash of grimy funk; more of a progression than a shift.

And like the sea, the record begins with a startling ferocity that isn’t quite sustained. With Yannis Philippakis screaming ‘I can’t get enough space!’ Inhaler roars with a heavy
urban angst that doesn’t paint an accurate picture of the album’s landscape, an unusual choice reminiscent of ‘This Orient,’ the corresponding first single on Total Life Forever. But for the first time, Foals are not trying to make a record with anything near a uniform sound. The smudged, insouciant guitar solo in ‘Late Night’ signifies their greatest departure yet from Antidotes, which was strictly compact and firm in its direction. Holy Fire is far more open-minded, a symptom of the confidence that would naturally be a product of a second critically acclaimed album.

It’s this willingness to search for new ground within the record that ensures Holy Fire doesn’t lose its pull in its latter half, as Foals have been prone to do on their earlier releases. Providence comes closest to matching Inhaler for aggression, as Philippakis insists relentlessly over grungy guitars, ‘I’m an animal just like you.’ The track’s lengthy onslaught of chaotic fury cements its place as the first album highlight since Antidotes’ ’Two Steps, Twice’ to appear at the back end of a Foals’ record.

But it’s not just aggression at which they prove they’re adept. My Number bounces with a pop simplicity wholly more accessible than anything to which they’ve yet turned their adroit hands. And while those oohs in the background can feel slightly grating, it’s refreshing to be surprised by something so light from a band with a previous tendency to opt for lyrics cryptic in nature.

As exploratory as it is in parts, Holy Fire doesn’t entirely shun the foundation established by Total Life Forever. ‘Everytime’ and ‘Bad Habit’ could both slot seamlessly into the first half of that album, perfectly capturing its characteristic grooving pulse and melodic smoothness. ‘Out Of The Woods’ takes that sound and adds a jangly, tribal component while Philippakis expresses his gratitude for having progressed to a more comfortable point in his life: ‘I’ve never felt better when I’m on my way out for good.’ It’s a lyric that’s about as personal as Philippakis gets, but still represents a mammoth departure from his humble beginnings in which attaching any shred of meaning to a line was an achievement.

The obvious criticism of Holy Fire is that its highlights don’t quite match the quality of those from their previous albums. There is no track that swiftly draws you in yet sustains that engagement as ‘Blue Blood’ did, and there is no track that perfects a progressive build as ‘Spanish Sahara’ did, although here ‘Late Night’ threatens to before disappointing with an underwhelming climax. Also, as in their current live set-list, there is no ‘Cassius’, a song which, if cut, would likely bleed pure energy and excitement. However, losing the sublime individual tracks has been compensated for by a greater sustained quality across the album. Foals’ newfound consistency in diverse excellence ensures Holy Fire is their first true whole.

Some might call The National cynical, others would say they’re simply realistic. For me, the melancholic wash is somewhere in between — Matt Berninger’s steady concentration on disillusionment is a personal response to a universal situation. Their new track, Demons, is framed by their characteristic honesty, and for a band that probably has never released a poor track, the new album is sure to continue to conquer.

Talk about prolific. Sigur Ros are back with a new album, Kveikur, out on June 17th. Apparently it’s ‘more aggressive’ than what they’ve done before, and this song has a few ounces of that. Still classic Siggie though.

I wish I had more time to write some words about these songs but, instead, here they are, on the new minimalist I Heard A Song Today:

That band that have so much fun that they’ve been found to namedrop themselves, March of the Real Fly, are back with another killer. Recent lineup changes mean Tim Fitz has joined the band, that guy who’s battling Lena Dunham for the title of New Jerry Seinfeld as Mr/s DIY. His musical influence doesn’t really shine through here (there could be a power struggle going on), but those blessed with optical capability might glimpse him in the video clip, and you should be as excited as me to hear how he imprints himself on the band’s aesthetic in the future.

The song itself is great; every sharp jab of ukelele and keys is another injection of ecstasy into your bloodstream, and Cam’s voice is exuding love, joy and happiness like a pre-school before the iron fist of OH&S infected this nation. In fact, the guy in the high-vis vest in the video clip is probably an OH&S officer, so they hate music too, which only amplifies my anger. If you’re angry too, or if you’re fine, listen to 53 – it’ll improve things.

James Blake resurfaced again recently with a stunning track called Retrograde. I had some doubts about how he’d go with this second album, given the standout songs from his first record were a cover and a song written by his father, but this first glimpse at his new album put those fears to rest; Retrograde is sublime.

The Strokes’ timeline is an interesting one. Is This It (2001) is one of the best albums of the century. Room On Fire (2003) has Reptilia, so its existence is justified. The same can be said about First Impressions of Earth (2005) in regards to You Only Live Once. Then came Angles (2011).  Hated by some members of the band but enjoyed by many, including myself, it gave people a chance to see a side of their versatility, much like Derek Zoolander in a calendar. 

And today they dropped One Way Trigger, the first single from their upcoming album. Already dividing fans, it’s a light, jangly thing, and probably comes closer to the genre of pop than anything they’ve done before. The direction they’re taking certainly seems to be much closer to Angles than anything before that, which is good, because no-one wants them to attempt to make Is This It for the fourth time.