Soundcheck
Ethel Cain’s Long Goodbye Will Ruin You (In the Best Way)
The slow burn to end all slow burns.
Every week, we bring you SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that just hit the web. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features seven of our favorite emerging and established artists.
“Waco, Texas” by Ethel Cain
Music fans often beg for the return of four-plus-minute songs, but why settle when you can have a 15-minute soul-crushing, atmospheric album closer (and a sendoff to Ethel Cain the character) that has you in tears at the 12-minute mark? — Kevin LeBlanc, style editor
“Ego” by Romy Mars
Oh, she’s a baby brat popping percs and writing about sex with the charming obliqueness of her dad. I’m slightly scandalized in a big-sister way, but that’s what good pop should do. — Chelsea Peng, managing editor
“No Cap” by Disclosure feat. Anderson .Paak
It’s not every day we get to hear Anderson .Paak over a house beat, but the R&B singer and the DJ duo have undeniable chemistry. Trust, this song will be on repeat during my Jersey Shore vacation next week. — Jillian Giandurco, editorial associate
“B2B” by Amaraae
As we previously stated, the Ghanian-American pop princess is literally incapable of making a bad song, and her third full-length project confirms this. This track stands out for its genre-f*ckery, irresistible beat, and the saccharine, sapphic tone Amaraae has perfected. — LeBlanc
“White Horses” by Wolf Alice
There’s something very cinematic about this song. Maybe it’s the explosive pre-chorus or the self-assured declaration of “Know who I am, that’s important to me,” but either way, I can’t help but feel like I’m the main character of an aughts movie riding in the back of a cab when I listen to it. — Giandurco
“Vampire Bat” by Glass Animals
Hot and chill and absurd at the same time. This is how summer should’ve felt. — Peng
“Zip Up My Fly” by Malcolm Todd
It’s definitely a Hobert-sibling skill to succinctly (and freshly) describe the awkward, mind-consuming feelings that come with a burning crush. — LeBlanc
