Photo:
Glad it's Friday? We know the feeling and, to celebrate, why not tuck into our weekend-ready playlist?
It's a brief clutch of the most exciting music we've heard this week and there's something for everyone - from the rampaging headbang of Royal Blood to the fractured storytelling of Frances.
And the best of it? Like these, we'll make sure you never miss out on the best tracks of the week.
Haus - 'Haze'
Who knows when 'Haze' was written, but it certainly has the feel of a track that was penned with a heady Friday night in mind. Overlapping with infectious melodies and a soaring, turbo-charged chorus, you'll be hitching a ride on its coattails straight into a bleary-eyed weekend, particularly when the chaotic, chopped and screwed nature of the video is left ingrained on your brain.
Frances - 'Let It Out'
If you think you've heard everything when it comes to piano balladry, Frances should put you right. Working with the same team behind Sam Smith and Disclosure, this is hypnotic, sobering songwriting with a fragility that lives long in the memory.
Royal Blood - 'Hook Line And Sinker'
There's not much in the way of variety when it comes to Royal Blood's output but who cares when they craft rock music that is this much fun. Debuted at Reading + Leeds last week, 'Hook Line And Sinker' offers little in terms of a new direction, however the beefy riffs and thundering choruses remain, cementing the duo as one of our most promising exports.
The Big Moon - 'The Road'
There's no ramshackle chorus, nor clattering crescendo with this one - The Big Moon simply allow the muffled feedback and absorbing melody to speak for themselves. And they do, resulting in a track that forces repeat listens in quick succession.
El Vy - 'I'm The Man To Be'
This new track from the side project of The National's Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf of Menomena/Ramona Falls isn't surprising in its brilliance, merely a continuation of what came before it. 'Return To The Moon' was a blistering anthem of bittersweet melancholy and 'I'm The Man To Be' marks another departure of fun but menacing funk - it's still astoundingly strong.
Empress Of - 'Standard'
Do we need any further evidence that Empress Of is head and shoulders above her contemporaries? With her debut album set to drop imminently, the singer had been relatively quiet as of late. No matter, as 'Standard' is a shimmering pop gem that we would wait an awfully long time for.
PINS - 'Dazed By You'
We get it, you're road trippin' across the US. It's been done too many times before. What sets the new PINS video aside, however, is the effortless cool that seeps from the shots, vivid chalk scrawls decorating every frame as the band survey breathtaking landscapes with instruments in hand. It's a masterful lesson in freewheeling abandon and we should all strive to make our weekend as euphoric as this one.
