“Better”
ZAYN
Released Sept. 25
RCA Records
ZAYN’s “Better” is a gorgeous combination of an electric guitar with simple drums. The result is a sweet, albeit typical, love song. But what’s not to love about romance stripped down to a few instruments and ZAYN’s smooth vocals?
“Icarus”
Fana Hues
Released Sept. 25
Sweet Virtue
Driven by a sharp drum beat similar in confidence to “When the Night is Over” by Lord Huron, “Icarus” shifts its focus between Fana Hues’ strong–yet–subdued vocals and its poised electronic sound. Beautiful and melodic, Hues is the dynamic center of this hazy dream.
“Drippin”
Jany Green
Released Sept. 23
Jany Green
Jany Green’s half-sung, half-spoken verses match the song’s upbeat tempo, a bass-driven melody that’s groovy and memorable. His lyrics, too, are excellent, and though they sometimes take a back seat to the song’s background instruments, the bass and drums take the spotlight when the lyrics can’t.
“Somewhere”
Hauskey
Released Sept. 24
slowplay/Republic Records
“Somewhere” is close in sound to Rex Orange County’s music, with its bright piano and energetic, snappy drums. Hauskey himself sounds like Rex Orange County — whose real name is Alex O’Connor — though Hauskey’s vocals are more raspy and quiet compared to O’Connor’s.
