The past two weeks’ worth of mp3s have been among the finest of the year so far. In complete honesty,
if you were to make a list come December of your songs of the year, a least a few of these would be in serious contention of aiming for the upper half of the countdown. Take the finest, most pristine example of minimal pop to date for example, with Jessie Ware’s ‘110%’. Also take note of a highlight on Beach House’s forthcoming record, alongside the true standout track on Echo Lake’s debut and perhaps the best song Outfit have put their name to.
Sitting pretty in this stellar line-up is the glorious gift of new Hot Chip, placed right next to a song some critics are labelling as a masterpiece; Neneh Cheery & The Thing’s ‘Dream Baby Dream’. Plus there’s my personal favourite from Chromatics magnum opus, as well as stunning efforts from newcomers Michael A Grammar, Forrests and Soft Arrows.
