Cults, “You Know What I Mean.” Of the few tracks available on Cults’ SoundCloud page (including the single “Go Outside,” which samples infamous cult leader Jim Jones), their latest offering, the ghostly ballad “You Know What I Mean,” is the standout. The New York duo’s retro fetish—’60s girl-group vocals, tons of reverb—is given a modern twist with obscure samples, sparkly snyth embellishments, and loud, edgy choruses that scream “zombie prom.” (Sadly, though, no human suitcases.) Sal Cinquemani
Fucked Up, “The Other Shoe.” What the Dirty Projectors did for sweetly sung vocals supporting art rock caterwauling, Fucked Up is doing for Cookie Monster hardcore grumbles with their new track “The Other Shoe.” Over an urgent, three-chord power-pop riff, female backup vocalists sing “We’re dying on the inside” before Damian Abraham comes in roaring, confirming that, yes, this is a punk band. The tag “pop punk” is considered an insult because of bands like Fall Out Boy, but that was never the correct term for those preening youths anyway. This is pop punk: infectious, simple, anchored by those ragged shouts. Leave it to Fucked Up to illustrate so neatly that accessibility doesn’t have to herald the loss of credibility. Ross Scarano
Jill Scott featuring Eve, “Shame.” Jumping on a Jill Scott track isn’t exactly the straightest path back into the spotlight, but this horn-filled jam featuring Eve, who’s been missing from the game since her 2007 LP was shelved, is a nice reintroduction to two ladies from the 215. Following a couple of nap-inducing albums, “Shame” is hopefully an indication that Scott’s forthcoming The Light of the Sun will have a little more bounce…and that a new Eve album might finally see the light of day. “Fresh and cool” indeed. SC
Timber Timbre, “Black Water.” Canada’s Timber Timbre puts a haunting twist on their brand of neo-folk with “Black Water,” one of the standout tracks from their just-released new album Creep On Creepin’ On. The plunking piano and singer Taylor Kirk’s haunting claim that “All I need is some sunshine” are dreamy and catchy enough, but the inclusion of hooting and energetic horns gives the track a sense of understated grandeur. With the instrumentation dancing around a hazy tale of forests and Viking ships, Timber Timbre finds that slowing your sound down to a crawl doesn’t mean it needs to lose any of its punch. Michael Kilpatrick
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