NBHAP’s Nice Ones: The Songs That Moved Us In November 2019

How to keep an overview about the countless new releases that surface on a daily basis? NBHAP’s staff provides guidance and introduces you to the five most essential new tracks that showed up on our radar over the past weeks.

5 years ago

by NBHAP Writers Staff

Soccer Mommy – ‘Yellow Is The Color Of Her Eyes’

If yellow is the color of her eyes, it is reflected by the video to this seven-minute epic of a song. Soccer Mommy’s latest DIY rock experiment spans over lengths, yet without being boring. Accompanied by a short film directed by Alex Ross Perry, it dwells on retro vibes and nostalgia, not only because of the lyrics exploring loss. The clip’s golden hue reminds of faded footage dragged from some long forgotten storage unit and shows the singer Sophie Allison pensively strolling down a coastline. To add to the hazy vibe of her guitar, the Nashville-born singer invited Mary Lattimore and her harp to collaborate. Fused with the somewhat dystopian sound of distorted synth organs towards the end, the dreamy soundscape has a tinge of bitter nightmarishness engrained in its character. Soccer Mommy vocals of losing touch with reality while the extended touring she has been tied up in, contribute to the vibe of nostalgic homesickness. This is certainly a step forward for the musician and an ear-candy of an experiment. (Liv Toerkell)

Strange Hellos – ‘Prince Of Nothingness’

A lot of my life is spent trying to get people to listen to new bands, which they never like. Strange Hellos are one of the exceptions to that rule however. In the two years since their 2017 debut Chromatics came out, it’s always been a success whenever I’ve recommended it to people. The Norwegians are of course a supergroup of sorts, so they’ve spent the last two years keeping the plates of their other projects spinning, from Birgitta Alida to Great News, but now they’re finally back together, and we have a new single to celebrate. Prince Of Nothingness is a pretty gentle way to kick Strange Hellos back into life – they’re taking a break from the shoegaze muscle they usually cloaked their pop songs in on Chromatics. Instead it’s pure, uncut guitar pop, jangling riffs, sparkling melodies and honey-sweet harmonising. It’s not quite as punch-you-in-the-face in terms of first impressions as the singles from Chromatics, but it’s an easy song to love, and one that wins you around more with every listen. (Austin Maloney)

Confidence Man – ‘Does It Make You Feel Good?’

Slowly but steady the stars line up for Australian dance pop sensation Confidence Man. Last year’s debut album has already been a joyful little bag of pop treasures and now the group that’s led by Janet Planet and Sugar Bones is ready for the next attack. Does It Make You Feel Good? is the first potential teaser of a second studi-album and it’s carried by an irresistible 90s house music vibe that mixes euphoria with a subtle melancholic vibe, something that adds a new twist to the music of the four-piece. It shows a more serious side of them but obviously the joyful fun and the dance routines you know from a Confidence Man live show (which you should definitely attend if you get the chance). The slightly sinister music video, once again crafted by our dear friends of Schall & Schnabel, underlines that approach but – of course – creating your own cult and celebrate it via an underground dance party isn’t the most subtle idea and that’s why you gotta love this band: They got a serious approach to their dance pop and that’s probably harder to craft than you might think. (Norman Fleischer)

The Japanese House – ‘Chewing Cotton Wool’

The Japanese House seems to be working relentlessly. After Amber Bain – the musician behind the architectural name – released her debut LP Good At Falling just earlier this year, she already scheduled the next EP Something Has To Change for early 2020. Chewing Cotton Wool is the second single teasing it and shows her evolving musically. Bain tames the usually blistering synthesizers down to a shy minimum to accompany her vocals. The ambient down-tempo instrumentation creates a vibe of fragility and vulnerability giving way to the intimate feeling that is the singer’s trademark. Almost like the gentle fade of colors and shapes on a foggy morning, the instruments blur into one organic creature; the perfect background for Amber Bain’s echoing and electronically distorted vocals to form the opposing end. With pensive unhurriedness, she sings of a former love who left lingering traces on her mind. ‘She’s the dust upon the still / she’s everywhere’ The Japanese House croons. (Liv Toerkell)

Pet Shop Boys – ‘Burning The Heather’

In their ambitious yet somehow partly desperate attempt to remain relevant British pop icons Pet Shop Boys have taken a few deatours in the past ten years; some more necessary than others. While some of their adventures in EDM and modern pop were quite charming (a song like 2013’s Vocal for example or their most recent Years & Years collaboration Dreamland) they often distracted from Neil Tennant’s and Chris Lowe’s original strength – being one of pop history’s finest and best songwriters. When they freshly announced the third part of their Suart-Price-produced album trilogy, Hotspot, I was midly euphoric as I was expecting another over-the-top dance pop record following 2013’s Electric and 2016’s Super. However, nothing is set in stone for the elder statesmen of pop as this new single is a surprising return to the group’s less commercial approaches (like 2002’s critically underrated Release album). Burning The Heather features Suede‘s Bernard Butler on guitar and spreads a warm feeling of autumn melancholy, delivering a more grounded and subtle approach towards pop. Pet Shop Boys have always been best in their more introverted moments but of course – the world obviously tends to worship the hands-up dance anthems a bit more. A profound tune like this gives me as a lifelong fan the hope that Hotspot might actually surprise me again. It arrives on January 24, so let’s cross fingers for that because it is followed by an overprized Greatest Hits stadium tour which will probably be a bit less subtle. (Norman Fleischer)

Find the 50 most essential fresh tracks in the ‘Nothing But Now’ Playlist!

Our Daily Tunes from November 2019

Ain’t it wonderful to start your day with a fresh piece of music? Every day the writers of NBHAP pick a new song for you, present them on our page and add the to the playlist you’ll find below. You can also sign up right here to receive them via your Facebook Messenger.

These have been our highlights from the past weeks.