As another week of incredible new releases concludes, here are the IINAG team’s favourite tracks of the week for you to indulge in this bank holiday weekend.
Panic Shack – Girl Band Starter Pack
Panic Shack are back with another single – this time, ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ announced their long-awaited debut record. It’s a terrifically bouncy number, encapsulating the hype and freedom of finishing work, meeting your mates in a beer garden and getting nicely fucked up with people you love. The cut is built around its bassline – reminiscent of the debut era Arctic Monkeys, the rest of the track grows around this monolith of a bass part. ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ is barely over three minutes long, but it is so utterly infectious and outrageously evocative. – Charlie Brock
The Beths – Metal
The Beths’ “Metal” is a shimmering jangle-rock gem, echoing the classic Kiwi sounds of The Chills and The Clean. Penned by vocalist Elizabeth Stokes after a demanding tour cycle and health struggles, the track carries an undercurrent of resilience beneath its bright melodies. It’s a testament to finding strength amidst exhaustion, translating personal experience into an infectious, subtly powerful anthem. The band’s signature harmonies and driving guitars make “Metal” an instantly engaging and deeply relatable listen. – Katie Macbeth
Nilüfer Yanya – Cold Heart
“Cold Heart” is the new single from Nilüfer Yanya, an artist who has quietly built one of the most compelling discographies since her 2019 debut, Miss Universe. Ethereal and understated, the track floats on a delicate melody layered over a steady drumbeat. Nilüfer’s voice, both fragile and resolute, ties it all together as she confesses, “I don’t want to bear this burden, ’cause it hurts like hell.” – Henry Dunn
Car Seat Headrest – The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)
The next act of the upcoming Car Seat Headrest rock opera, The Scholars, has landed – clocking in at a fairly concise five minutes, ‘The Catastrophe’ is still a grandiose epic. Similar to the previous numbers, this cut is a boisterous rock n roll number: frantic middle eights and pounding verses encompassing touring melancholia and small-town America. It’s like a Springsteen number at double speed. There are some excellent backing vocal ‘oo-oo’s, a danceable breakdown with a great spoken word portion before an anxiety-inducing build and release. It is Car Seat Headrest at their swaggering best. – Charlie Brock
Pup – Olive Garden
PUP’s final pre-album single, “Olive Garden,” delivers a noisy yet undeniably melodic account of an awkward encounter. Starting life as an acoustic demo, the track explodes into PUP’s signature raw energy. Stefan Babcock describes it as capturing the discomfort of a difficult conversation, channelled through their infectious hooks and powerful instrumentation, leaving listeners both energised and slightly uneasy. It’s a potent taste of what their upcoming album promises. – Lauren Moreton
Real Farmer – Mislocated
“Mislocated” is a potent art-punk blast from their new RF II EP. Following BBC 6 Music support, the Dutch band channels societal frustration with politicised progress and populist lies into their signature head-thrashing energy. Ahead of a summer of major festival appearances, “Mislocated” is a timely and urgent call for escape from confusion. – Katie Macbeth
Follow our Spotity Playlist for the best indie tracks
Car Seat Headrest, Nilüfer Yanya, Panic Shack, Pup, Real Farmer, The Beths
