Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the official announcement of Bright Eyes’ comeback album, the anticipated new album from the Haim sisters, and a nostalgia-fueled new track from Narrow Head. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
Haim — Women In Music Pt III
After delaying their new album at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Haim’s Women In Music Pt. III is finally here to serve as the perfect soundtrack for those quick walks outside in the warmth before retreating back to your home. Throughout, Haim zeroes in on a shimmering vibe, focusing on instrumentation and songwriting that results in their lengthiest and most consistent album to date.
Gordi — Our Two Skins
Gordi’s latest album “balances fierce intimacy with expansive ambition,” writes Philip Cosores for Uproxx. The sparse arrangements leave room for Sophie Payten’s lyrics to really sink in, allowing the listener to revel in the intricacies and impressive command of her songwriting as she describes a woman figuring out her own place in the world.
Hum — Inlet
The best part about Hum’s first album in 22 years is that it doesn’t sound like they haven’t made an album in 22 years. It’s perhaps their most exciting album to date, giving the classic Hum sound a modern revamp for thicker mixes and heavier guitars, with no song clocking in at any less than four minutes.
Arca — KiCK i
Arca has been consistently releasing new music throughout the 2010s, and the producer isn’t slowing down in the 2020s. As for what you can expect to hear on Kick I, Carolyn Droke writes for Uproxx that “it’s hard to place a finger on the distinct category Arca’s music falls into, as she expertly layers jagged, metallic samples with contemporary pop sensibilities.”
Bad Moves — Untenable
On their sophomore full-length, these Washington DC rockers tried to push to the outer edge of their influences, into territory that felt a little more unfamiliar. Untenable features flourishes of folk and garage rock, while still staying true to the band’s mission of delivering undeniable hooks and melodies.
Bright Eyes — “Mariana Trench”
At long last, Bright Eyes’ first album in nearly a decade has a title and release date. “Mariana Trench” is the latest sampling from Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was, previewing what the band called in a statement “an enormous record caught in the profound in-between of grief and clarity — one arm wrestling its demons, the other gripping the hand of love, in spite of it.”
Tigers Jaw — “Warn Me”
Tigers Jaw’s first song in three years marks the first time that Ben Walsh and Breanna Collins have recorded with their touring members, and the new input pushes the band in a welcome, fresh direction. “Warn Me” isn’t slated to appear on the band’s upcoming Hopeless Records debut, but is a promising taste of what’s to come. I’ve been hesitant in the past to write from a more positive point of view,” said Walsh in a statement, “but my entire personal life went through an upheaval a few years back and it inspired me to see things through a new lens.”
Narrow Head — “Night Tryst”
Narrow Head channel The Smashing Pumpkins on their first single for Run For Cover Records, featuring chugging instrumentals and Corgan-esque guitar leads. Lyrically, vocalist Jacob Duarte says he “wanted to create a fairly dark world with my words. I put my life and experiences into that world and those are the words that came out.”
Forest Green — “Ivory”
If you’re a reader of this column, you probably know I’m a sucker for emo-inspired indie rock. Michigan’s Forest Green fall into this category, with melodic earworm choruses sandwiched between heavy guitars and raspy vocals. “Ivory” is the latest preview of the band’s upcoming album In Waves, which is due out this week.
Rituals Of Mine — “Come Around Me”
Mixing the sonic palettes of R&B, electronic, and pop, into a unique and innovative hybrid, Rituals Of Mine previews her new album Hype Nostalgia with “Come Around Me,” where Terra Lopez takes on the music industry to call out the times she has been taken advantage of as a gay woman of color. With Lopez’s ethereal vocal over an electronic beat, “Come Around Me” is an extremely promising look at what’s to come with Hype Nostalgia.
Fenne Lilly — “Alapathy”
Fenne Lilly’s music takes a more upbeat approach on Breach, her debut album for venerable indie label Dead Oceans. “Alapathy” is a taste of this new approach, with insistent percussion that keeps up an anxious intensity throughout the track. It’s the first step toward the inner peace that Lilly searches for throughout Breach.
Katie Dey — “Dancing”
With programmed drums and glitchy synths, “Dancing” introduces Katie Dey’s latest album mydata. On the new album, the Australian musician maintains the integrity of electronic dissociation that made her previous efforts so engaging, while also utilizing strings and orchestral arrangements to expand the breadth of her songwriting.
Chloe Moriondo — “Manta Rays”
Just a few months after releasing the Split Orb EP, 17-year-old singer songwriter Chloe Moriondo is back with “Manta Rays.” With shimmering guitars and reverb-soaked vocals, the track “is supposed to feel like the moment when you sit fully alone in your room after seeing that one person you’ve been trying to dream of just to be closer to them, and reflect on how dumb you are and how much of your time goes to thinking of them,” wrote Moriondo in a statement.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.