This week’s additions to NME Radio are a genre-spanning affair. There’s high-octane rave energy from India Jordan’s latest EP, Little Simz‘s spectacular ‘Woman’ – an empowering anthem that sees the artist celebrating women who inspire her – and a killer cut from Danish punks Iceage’s new album ‘Seek Shelter’.
Also new to the NME Radio playlist this week we’ve got Flight Facilities’ house-flecked, Channel Tres featuring belter ‘Lights Up’, and the latest from Alfie Templeman and Durand Jones & The Indications.
Here are all this week’s additions to the NME 1 & 2 playlists:
On the A List
India Jordan
‘Watch Out!’
Taken from India Jordan’s EP of the same name, ‘Watch Out!’ is a kinetic joyride that revels in old-school energy. Boasting an appropriately emphatic title, it fuses chopped vocals, looping sirens and synth swells, all anchored by a layer of deconstructed break rhythms, and it’s brilliant. – JX Soo
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Flight Facilities
‘Lights Up’ feat. Channel Tres
Flight Facilities’ latest is a house-flavoured treat. Its slinky, groove-laden production is bolstered by guest Channel Tres’ smooth, assured verses. “Let’s make moves outside this club / Let’s get out of here / Bout to make moves get back to the hub / I gotta go back home,” he sings on the ethereal chorus. – Isaac Chiew
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the B List
Little Simz
‘Woman’ feat. Cleo Sol
“Naija women, got the melanin drippin’/ L-O-N-D-O-N, city girl livin’,” Little Simz opens on ‘Woman’. The latest single from her anticipated upcoming album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ is a compelling celebration of female strength. Over loosely shuffling drums and effortless grooves, Simz powerfully pays tribute to the women who inspire her, in another stunning offering from the London artist. – JXS
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Iceage
‘High & Hurt’
‘High & Hurt’ is an anthemic cut from Iceage’s latest album ‘Seek Shelter’. “Will the circle be unbroken / By and by, lord, by and by / There’s another home awaiting / In the sky, lord, in the sky,” sings vocalist Elias Bender Rønnenfelt on the track’s earnest hymn-like refrain, fusing the powerful vocals with jangly guitar riffs and cantering percussion. – IC
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Saweetie
‘Fast (Motion)’
Saweetie’s ‘Fast (Motion)’ is a club anthem stuffed full of energetic hooks and assertive attitude. Inspired by Miami’s dance culture, the dance-rap belter sees Saweetie rapping over infectiously bumping beats, in the killer latest taste of her upcoming debut album ‘Pretty Bitch Music’. – IC
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Ray BLK
‘Dark Skinned’
An ode against all those who seek to undermine her, ‘Dark Skinned’ sees Ray BLK proud and defiant, as she asserts: “My Mamma told me from me born / Ray a star / That’s my calling yeah / I’m even glowing in the dark / It’s from my heart / Not because I’m dark skin”. Explaining the meaning behind ‘Dark Skinned’ on Twitter, Ray BLK said: “This song is for the underrepresented, the over plagiarised and uncredited. This song is for those the world keeps saying no to. Never stop saying YES to yourself!” This statement is echoed in the powerful final seconds of the song, as the Londoner ends the song with notes from an intimate phone call: “Don’t be talked out of it / Pursue it with everything.” – JXS
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the C List
Alfie Templeman
‘Wait, I Lied’
A funked-out affair with unstoppable grooves, ‘Wait, I Lied’ is one of Alfie Templeman’s catchiest songs yet. “I kept us moving at the beat of my heart / Your voice was soothing, how did we fall apart?” the Bedfordshire crooner inquires, his charisma flavouring the track’s thumping beats and elastic basslines. One listen is enough to make you want to dive into his mesmerising mini-album, ‘Forever Isn’t Long Enough’ – and you won’t be disappointed. – JXS
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Inhaler
‘Pamphlets’
Oozing nostalgic indie-rock charm, Inhaler’s ‘Who’s Your Money On?’ is a synth-laden winner from the Irish quartet. “Oh, we could go around to a friend’s house and get stoned / I want to tell you some things I could never really tell you before,” vocalist Elijah Hewson sings on the track’s confessional chorus, with the song’s revealing lyricism further elevated by the band’s energetic disposition. – IC
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Babe Rainbow
‘Ready For Tomorrow’
“People always getting ready for tomorrow / It doesn’t matter what you do,” Babe Rainbow vocalist Cameron Reeds sings honestly on new single ‘Ready For Tomorrow’. The Aussie band’s latest is a disco-laced psychedelic track that possesses an almost timeless quality. A delicious amalgam of shimmering cowbell licks, swooning synths and understated vocals, it’s a total belter. – IC
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Durand Jones & The Indications
‘Witchoo’
Durand Jones is embarking on a new disco journey. As drummer Aaron Frazer’s sweet falsetto takes centre stage, the Indications equip ‘Witchoo’ with all the weapons needed for glitzy dance floors: lush keys, silky harmonies, and a steady four-on-the-floor pulse. But what truly makes the groovy confection click is its undeniable bassline, inviting you along: “Come through, bring the crew,” the band holler. If that doesn’t bring you to your feet, nothing will. – JXS
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
The post NME Radio Roundup 17 May 2021: India Jordan, Flight Facilities, Little Simz and Iceage appeared first on NME.
