Tracks of the Week: Dry Cleaning, Nina Winder-lind, Babehoven, Julia Jacklin and More!

The IINAG team has done the heavy lifting and curated this week’s essential new tracks so you don’t have to. Check out our picks below, then head over to the playlist for the full deep dive.

Dry Cleaning have always excelled at finding the uncanny in the mundane, but “I Have The Key” shifts their post-punk claustrophobia into deeply moving territory. Over a stark, minimal groove, Florence Shaw delivers a devastatingly vulnerable vocal performance. Her trademark deadpan delivery feels weighted by a heavy sadness, a direct response to global trauma. The true masterstroke, however, is Bruce Lamont’s improvised saxophone, which weaves frantically through the track like a siren in the dark. It’s an unsettling and hypnotic piece of art that demands your complete silence. – Katie Macbeth

A step-by-step guide in how to create perfect indie-folk, Nina Winder-Lind’s “Headfirst” is a gorgeous, slowburn that merges delicate acoustic picking with swells of ambience. Her voice is the track’s anchor, carrying a bittersweetness to it that lingers long after it fades. A beautifully fragile single that rewards those who are willing to just let go. – Chloe Jenkins.

Nobody exposes the raw nerves of human relationships quite like Julia Jacklin, and “I Wish” is a staggering addition to her catalogue. The track relies on a brilliant, slow-rolling tension, pairing her piercingly honest lyrics with a steady, melancholic rhythm. Jacklin’s vocals ache with a beautifully controlled desperation as she navigates the complex landscape of regret and longing. A quietly devastating triumph that cements her status as one of our finest modern songwriters – Lauren Moreton

New York’s Babehoven have shared Lasagne, the melancholy lead single from their upcoming album I See Them, I See Me. Blending grunge textures with alt-country leanings, the track is a nod to artists like MJ Lenderman and CMAT while retaining the duo’s affecting, nostalgic songwriting. Bon explains: “Sometimes when you’re deeply intertwined, you’re so close you can’t see one another. You want the other to break in two; reveal what’s underneath. You keep busy, you fill your day but the other person is waving in the wind all around you, you feel them everywhere. You feel small, stuck, and frantic.” – Kai Marshall

Continuing to rewrite the alt-hip-hop rulebook, Lava La Rue and Dan Carey have come together to create “Prince of Bologna.” Blending a hazy, psychedelic bassline with jazzy percussion, the track creates an atmosphere both nostalgic and futuristic. La Rue’s vocal delivery here is incredibly smooth, with the track oozing with confidence and vivid storytelling, cementing their reputation as an artist that refuses to be boxed in – Katie Macbeth

The post Tracks of the Week: Dry Cleaning, Nina Winder-lind, Babehoven, Julia Jacklin and More! appeared first on Indie is not a genre.