Songs of the Week - 20/07/2026
These are the essential tracks you need to check out this week!
Photo Credit: Muna Farah
Lava La Rue - 'Prince of Bologna'
Lava La Rue shares ‘Prince of Bologna’ as part of Speedy Wunderground’s single series, a two‑minute hit of overdriven guitars and restless momentum. It pulls together overheard lines from smoking areas and late‑night conversations, turning those scraps into something sharp and somehow intimate. It comes at you with a pace that suits Lava perfectly, marking an exciting continuation of what has been a stellar year.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw - 'Something Else to Give'
Man/Woman/Chainsaw share ‘Something Else To Give’, the closing track from their debut album ‘Cannonball’, out August 7th. It is a brilliant piece of writing about giving everything to someone who does not match that effort. The harmonious, often dueting vocals, sit perfectly against the string‑led arrangement. If the album is anywhere near as good as this and the singles that came before it, August cannot come soon enough.
MorMor - 'Don't Need It'
MorMor shares ‘Don’t Need It’, born from a freestyle over a Moog synthesizer during a break in session. I It has the spontaneous energy of something that poured out, carrying a kind of freeing, euphoric rush that makes for one of his best releases to date. A track about reaching the end of a long search for external validation and finding something closer to liberation in letting go of that need. It arrives with an urgency that makes it impossible to turn off.
Martin Luke Brown - 'aching for everyone'
Martin Luke Brown announces his third album ‘life & death etc’, out September 18th, with ‘aching for everyone’. It’s a beautifully written song about that familiar pull towards the lives you imagine for yourself, the ones you can miss even when things are going well. A mix of gentle guitar, keys and airy falsetto vocals drives home the track’s emotional weight. It’s already a standout moment from this new chapter.
The Lilacs - 'What's The Worst That Can Happen?'
The Lilacs share the third single from their highly anticipated debut album ‘Keeping Up With The Joneses’. The new track, ‘What’s The Worst That Can Happen?’, is one of their most immediately joyful songs yet. A windows‑down summer anthem driven by the kind of insistent melody the band have made their trademark, it arrives at exactly the right time of year. It’s an upbeat song about making the most of life, a positive idea carried with real charm.
FLETCHR FLETCHR - 'Streetlights'
FLETCHR announce their second EP ‘On The Island We Call Home’, with new single ‘Streetlights’. A hopeful and anthemic track about keeping the spark of a relationship alive through everything that tries to extinguish it. It’s an optimistic piece of songwriting delivered with real cinematic style, arriving as one of their strongest moments yet.
Gallus - 'Sick Bastards'
Gallus have dropped new single ‘Sick Bastards’ alongside the announcement that their second album ‘Life Is Bliss’ will land on September 25th. A frantic track about a protagonist who has burned through every last bit of goodwill and responds by doubling down and blaming everyone else, it perfectly captures the blend of sharp wit and punk urgency that makes Gallus so compelling. If the rest of the record is this good, it could well be one of the year's best.
Lois - 'Holy Water'
Lois continues her stellar year with 'Holy Water', a sharp and playful bite-back at someone who can never quite make up their mind whether they want you or not. It has the kind of relatable infectious energy and stunning vocal delivery that continues to make Lois one of the most exciting artists coming through the indie-pop scene right now.
Rachel Bochner - 'Say That You Don't'
Rachel Bochner shares ‘Say That You Don’t’, a piece of writing that sits in that very specific guilt of leaving someone even when staying was never really an option. The hope at its centre, wanting the person you hurt to tell you they are doing fine so you can breathe a little easier, is something most people will recognise. Rachel has a way of turning feelings like this into songs that sound as good as they feel relatable.
Alaina May - 'The Dog'
Alaina May shares ‘The Dog’, a warm and intimate track about the kind of love that is loyal almost to a fault. It was written while raising a puppy and finding uncomfortable parallels between a dog's unwavering devotion and her own tendency to put someone else's peace above her own wellbeing. It is tender and self aware in equal measure, impressively turning such a unique starting point into a song that feels universal.
SerpentS - 'Nerve'
SerpentS have just dropped their debut single ‘Nerve’, a cathartic gut‑punch of a track aimed squarely at small people with big egos. It has already been going down a storm live and you can hear exactly why. This is a band who have been building real momentum across their shows and now this song is out that momentum makes perfect sense. They are showing no signs of slowing down either, already teasing their debut EP for later this year.
French Film - '10,000,000,000 Reasons'
French Film share ‘10,000,000,000 Reasons’ ahead of the release of upcoming album ‘Yours + Five’ next month. Atmospheric and viscerally intense, it draws on elements of shoegaze and post‑hardcore to create something that feels constantly on edge without ever tipping into chaos. That balance gives the track its bite and makes it clear why this band has been gathering such a committed following.
Olivia Prado - 'Up n Down'
Olivia Prado shares 'Up N Down', the latest preview of next month's EP 'Dirty In The Sand'. Written while dancing around her apartment, it has exactly the effortless groove and unapologetic confidence you would expect from that origin story. The track has a playful edge that gives it its pull without overstating anything. It’s another clear highlight from an artist hitting a real stride.
Knats - 'Bowling Ball'
Knats share 'Bowling Ball', a politically charged new track written in direct response to the rise of the far right across the UK. Genre-wise it is very different to what I would normally feature, but I was truly gripped from first listen. The poetry builds in intensity and frustration over avant-rock-inflected jazz that grows more urgent with every passing second. It really is a must-listen.
ISQ - 'On Shoulders of Giants'
ISQ shares ‘On Shoulders of Giants’, a track shaped by time spent walking familiar paths in the Italian mountains. It starts from a place that feels close to home and gradually opens into something larger, tracing how our own stories are carried by the people who came before us. It’s a thoughtful release from an artist arriving at a clear, confident point with her fifth album ‘The Silence is Deafening’, out October 23rd.
Animal Animal - 'To Kill a Thespian'
Animal Animal released their debut album ‘Wrong Party’ last week, with ‘To Kill A Thespian’ showcasing exactly why this band have been turning heads. Drawing on Japanese jazz fusion and anime influences in a way that sits completely naturally within their heavy post‑rock sound, it’s their most ambitious and technically demanding track to date, and it lands with real force. A sharp introduction to a band who deserve to be heard far beyond their home scene.
Angel Wong - 'North of the River'
Angel Wong follows up her debut single with ‘North of the River’, a pop‑funk track that pokes fun at the social performance that happens when people decide their side of a divide matters more than it does. It’s sharp and playful, built around a narrator who sees through the whole thing. The song balances wit and intellect while still sounding great, a confident step forward from an artist carving out a distinct voice.
Girl Next Door - 'Shotgun'
Girl Next Door announces her upcoming EP ‘The Internet Belonged To Girls’ with lead single ‘Shotgun’, a bright electronic pop track that leans into the rush and uncertainty of late‑night drives and half‑remembered summers. Built around sharp production and a hook that lands straight away, it captures that blur between memory and imagination without ever overstating it. It’s a strong first release of the year from an artist who continues to become one of the most distinctive voices in UK electronic music.