‘Girl Missing’ opens with a hypnotic bassline before strings and percussion kick in. As the opening track of the forthcoming long-player, it sets the scene for the story about to unfold, whilst musically it is deceptively direct and wonderfully effective. ‘Girl Missing’ is a track that has taken on many forms before arriving as a perfectly formed indie pop track. Albertine explains the song’s development: “‘Girl Missing’ has taken a few forms. At first it was a slow ballad, then an obnoxious prog song with drastic changes in time signature. At some point we agreed on a ballad version with strings.”

‘Girl Missing’ comes backed with a fantastic video, as described by Albertine here: “A few months ago, I received an email from a Hong Kong-based film production team that had recently moved to Berlin. They asked if I had any video projects in the works. I sent them Girl Missing, a song inspired by a deeply personal and sorrowful story from my life. Up until then, I had only melancholic ideas for the video.

“However, the Hong Kong team, now enjoying the relative freedom and democracy of Berlin, had a completely different take on the song. Instead of focusing solely on abandonment, they envisioned a story of breaking free—like a Free Willy moment, but set in a 14th-century monastery. Remarkably, the concept is rooted in a true story: a nun in the 14th century faked her own death to escape the cloister.

“The shoot took place on a freezing pre-Christmas weekend in Schillerpark, Wedding. With the shortest days of the year and a tight budget, we made do with dim light and damp park benches as makeshift dressing rooms. A hot water bottle was passed around to keep us warm. Despite the challenging conditions, the team worked tirelessly to create a slightly surreal escape spectacle, where I played two roles: the nun who stays and the nun who leaves.”

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‘Motherless Universe’ sees Albertine lean into her more experimental side. Programmed vocals layer and intertwine around the stately beat as guitars gently twang and strum, creating a rich and intriguing musical piece.

Albertine talks through the meaning of the track: “‘Motherless Universe’ is about the realization that this universe has made us but doesn’t care for us. We are, ultimately, alone with our decisions. And there seems to be a natural force that makes us drift apart, like celestial bodies, into a void where even sadness can’t exist.

“What I love about the song is also the emotional state: it’s not happy, not sad, somewhere entirely different. It is very sincere but the next minute it’s goofy and easygoing with the pitched vocals and fake bongos. It makes me vibe with where I come from: A messy and fun youth in Berlin Kreuzberg; sitting on the sidewalk drinking beer; wearing funny flowered jackets and eyeing people you fancy, smoking cigarettes, and discussing the vastness of the universe. It’s been super fun to stagger the different vocal samples with the loop station and use my voice rather like an instrument than like a singer (where is the line?).”

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‘Blue Lagoon’ is a pulsing, chiming track that is a piece of escapism. It conjures both mental and physical spaces of bliss and happiness, as Albertine explains:

“‘Blue Lagoon’ is about having a happy place. Everyone needs to have a place they can go to, at least in their fantasies. Your personal Blue Lagoon could be a kitchen table in Suffolk or a glam beach house in Mauritius – it really depends on your tastes. Mine is my music studio. I reference Neil Young and his track “On The Beach” because as a matter of fact, this is my very favourite song, and thus another one of my Blue Lagoons. Music will always continue transporting people to beautiful inner places, no matter the state of the world. It resonates with me what Neil says: The world is turning / I hope it don’t turn away.”

Girl Missing:

1. Girl Missing
2. Motherless Universe
3. I Love You Noodles
4. Stand Near Your Fire
5. Blue Lagoon
6. Annie Said
7. Rose Of Jericho
8. Reflection
9. Cocoon
10. On My Mind
11. Paris
12. Diving

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Somehow, we are still in the same year when the self-professed Dublin “garage noise” band Sprints released their phenomenal debut album Letter To Self. (It came out on the very first New Music Friday of 2024, which now feels like a very long time ago.) They’ve had a months of ups and downs since then, including lots of great performances but also some sordid audience behavior and the departure of founding guitarist Colm O’Reilly. They’ve also kept releasing new music in the wake of their debut LP. Back in May, Sprints shared a pair of new songs, ‘Help Me I’m Spiralling’ and ‘Drones.’ Now they’ve got one more for us. ‘Feast’ veers into the glam-grunge territory inhabited by bands like Cherry Glazerr as Karla Chubb repurposes biblical imagery in a queer context. “She chewed me up like dinner,” goes one refrain. The track gets more and more pleasingly intense as it goes along. [via Stereogum]

Albertine Sarges has released the video for her brilliantly direct single ‘Stand Near Your Fire’, via Moshi Moshi Records. Albertine Sarges enlists her band The Sticky Fingers to star in the video. It’s a fantastic explosion of glam-rock colour that captures the joy and energy of the music perfectly. The effervescent, bold and left field indie pop finds the perfect accompaniment in this video directed by Lo Selbo. Albertine talks about the video – “My new video is a vegan soap opera about wanting to belong to a cool group of people. We had this idea that I could have an inferiority complex and we made myself small as a thumbling. I am sneaking around giant rockstars (a reveal of my live band, the sticky fingers) with my binoculars, trying to get closer, but it’s hard to impress them. Eventually, I make friends with them and we sing through megaphones and eat wonton. I love the anti-lookism shots with the wind machine and my Neanderthal-Gucci clothing. “Let me stand near your fire” means I want to be close to your inspiring greatness, close to your clan.”

ATARASHII GAKKO! has released the official music video for their track ‘Omakase,’ in which the members transform into sushi chefs, blending their energetic style with fun culinary visuals. The video offers a unique and lively presentation, showcasing the group’s playful yet fierce attitude. ‘Omakase’ is part of their latest album AG! Calling, which is now available on all major streaming platforms. Fans can expect more of the bold and distinctive sound that ATARASHII GAKKO! is known for, and this music video adds a creative visual spin to their latest release. [via Tokyo Hive]

Lisel releases the video for ‘The Past Is A Tiger’ off The Vanishing Point, which comes out October 18. ‘The Past is a Tiger’ is an emotionally direct and evocative song that blends both macabre and ethereal soundscapes (harsh growls, eerie industrial whistles, bell-like synths) with incisive, probing, and self-critical lyrics. The song reflects on how the past can be both elusive and dangerous—something that lurks and occasionally resurfaces. Lisel’s floating vocals and the intricate, dark, experimental production create a haunting atmosphere, inviting listeners to contemplate how memory and melancholy can often lead to self-obsession and self-absorption. Director Julia Ponce Díaz says, “We developed a series of visual ideas that were inspired by representations of the myth of Narcissus in painting and sculpture, reflecting on how we willingly contribute to our own self-destruction through thought patterns and behavior we know aren’t worthwhile but can’t give up. The element of the pond, and the emphasis on reflections and portraiture all derived from this simple concept. The song and video balance opulent beauty and tension, offering a mesmerizing exploration of time and self-reflection. BAFTA Newcomer Fellow, Julia Ponce Díaz’s visually striking video pairs its stunning, lush scenery and baroque, extravagant garments with the song’s eerie, mournful undertone. The video encapsulates the melancholy of the lyricism, juxtaposing dreamlike visuals with the raw emotion of Lisel’s performance. ‘The Past Is A Tiger’ showcases the most evolved project between Díaz and Lisel, with stunning production value that is a continuation of their previous collaboration on Lisel’s ‘Blades of Grass.’ [via Ba Da Bing]

With 2024 marking twenty years since she shared her first album, Peakahokahoo, prolific artist (and self-proclaimed witch) Kansas-born Piney Gir has just released her latest EP, Cosmic Upside Down; thus completing a magical trilogy, following Alchemy Hand in 2022 and its predecessor Astral Spectra in 2021. The second single to be taken from the EP, following the stirring energy of ‘Witches & Covens’, ‘Show Me The Lightning’ sees Piney Gir embracing the storm of her emotions. Dripping in psychedelic synths and glistening reverb, it offers a powerful slice of retro garage-rock as Piney declares she “wants to feel it all”. Hailing from Kansas and born in a thunderstorm, extreme weather and tornadoes were just a part of every summer for her growing up, and here she recognises how weathering a storm can help us to grow; much like the plants and crops of the American plains after a heavy shower. She expands: “In the song I kind of dare the elements to pull out all the stops! Like, give it to me, I want to feel it all! And that’s true, I want to feel everything, the good and the bad, the highs and the lows. I think it’s important to be in touch with the whole spectrum of emotion & not numb the stormy weather, but to go with it.”

Dance-pop duo piri & tommy have dropped new track ‘dog’ and teased the release of their next EP, about dancing. Having returned this summer with ‘99%’ – their first new music of the year – the pair’s latest was born out of an instrumental tommy worked on in Australia, before piri transformed it into a part-rant, part-rave based on the poor behaviour of a close friend’s boyfriend. “I’m sure we can all relate to the frustration you feel when someone is stuck in that position,” she has explained. “I was venting over this very cute beat for some reason, and from my anger just half-yelled “you’re a dog!” At first I thought it was too much, but it’s actually an under-appreciated insult. We have been excited about this song coming out for a while now, and are so happy it’s out for the world to bop to. Woof.” [via DIY]

Dolores Forever have released their debut album It’s Nothing, alongside a new video for single ‘Not Now Kids’. The London-based band’s album opener ‘Not Now Kids’ takes aim at patronising politicians. “This was the last song we wrote for the album,” they explain. “It’s a bit of a scathing look at the world and the people who are running it with impunity, the feeling of being told to shut up while watching your house burn. What can we say, we love an apocalyptic bop.” Director Francesa Allen adds of the video: “Working across the visuals allowed me to play with the narrative of female friendship – which is not only a theme that runs through my personal work – but is prevalent throughout their lyricism and attitudes. Our small all-female team, Katya Bourvis (choreography) and Carmen Pellon Brussosa (cinematography), helped bring the story to life.” [via Dork]

Kylie has shared her new single ‘Lights Camera Action’. The Australian pop princess shared her album Tension to huge acclaim, but she’s not done yet. Sessions for a proposed deluxe edition were so fruitful that Kylie is lining up a stand-alone release, with Tension II set to be released on October 18. Out now, zesty new single ‘Lights Camera Action’ is perfectly timed for the weekend – laced with energy, it’s an unapologetic dancefloor burner. Produced by Lewis Thompson, it was written by Kylie, Thompson and Ina Wroldsen, a move that – in essence – reunites the team behind smash hit ear-worm ‘Padam Padam’. The full single is out now, and it boasts remixes from JACONDA, Zach Witness, and (pleasingly) filthy Australian dance-pop overlords Confidence Man. Sophie Muller directs the vide – shot in Budapest, it’s a clever flip on spy film tropes, with Kylie assuming multiple roles. [via Clash]

Billie Eilish has dropped a music video for the Hit Me Hard and Soft track ‘Birds of a Feather.’ Upon the album’s release, the song quickly became a fan favorite. In the visual, Eilish is situated inside of a corporate office. She sits in a chair in an otherwise empty room and begins being pulled in all directions by an invisible force, all while performing into the camera. After flopping on the ground, Eilish once again begins floating – a symbol that seems to relay the feeling of being pulled in different directions by someone who isn’t actually present. [via Hypebeast]

Being Dead — the Austin, TX-based project of multi-instrumentalists and best friends Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy — release their sublime new album EELS on Bayonet. Alongside the release the band also share the video for ‘Big Bovine.’ Originally written as a straight-ahead swing/country jam, the track slowly evolved into a droning, punkier final form — a testament to the way Falcon and Shmoofy’s collaboration works, pulling each other into different creative spaces. “If you love or hate Criss Angel, you might love this video,” the band says. “We worked with Kai Winikka again [director of the music video for When Horses Will Run single ‘The Great American Picnic’] so of course, this one is pretty insane. We wanted to go big with some bloody explosions and safe to say, we got the job done.” [via Click Roll Boom]

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Energy and creativity bursts out of ‘Stand Near Your Fire’, capturing the feeling of falling for someone and its wild exuberance is infectious. It’s confident and bold, packed full of personality and with punchy percussion and guitars acting as the perfect foil for Albertine’s distinct vocals.

Albertine talks about the track – “‘Stand Near Your Fire’ contains the silly happiness of meeting someone you really adore and who brings out the best in you. Meeting a person that makes you want to lay on the floor with and eat Wonton! Writing this was quite a breezy process, and was a favourite as soon as it came into being.”

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