NME Radio Roundup 28 November 2022: Nia Archives, PinkPantheress, Weyes Blood and more
Last week, jungle revivalist Nia Archives released her latest single, ‘So Tell Me…’. This new release shows a different side to the rising star’s sound, away from the high-octane bangers she’s dropped in the past. On the earworm, cinematic piano lines and eerie synths support her rich vocals that deliver moving lyrics which Nia has explained are about her decision to leave home.
Speaking honestly about the track’s inspiration in a post online, the 23-year-old expressed: “[I] am so grateful [to] have music as my therapy [and] way of processing life [and its] many situations – I genuinely don’t [know] where I’d be without it.” ‘So Tell Me…’ tops our picks for this week’s NME Radio additions, alongside other choice cuts including PinkPantheress’ latest collaboration with Kaytranada, a highlight from Weyes Blood’s meditative new album, and more.
Check out the newest additions to NME Radio 1 and 2 below:
On the A List:
Nia Archives
‘So Tell Me…’
Nia Archives marches to the beat of her own drum on her contemplative new single, ‘So Tell Me…’. This time around, the jungle revivalist favours mellower textures over the sensorially overwhelming breaks and bass she’s become notorious for. Over a steady breakbeat, the songwriter-producer layers a lush pianos, atmospheric guitars and even throws some distortion on her own voice, and the results are brilliant. – Eli Ordonez
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the B List:
PinkPantheress
‘Do you miss me?’
On ‘Do you miss me?’, PinkPantheress dances to a new groove. Roping in modern dance heavyweight Kaytranada for her latest cut, the Montrealer’s presence is felt in the track’s breezy, cowbell-heavy groove, whereas its sped-up feel and airy vocals are the 21-year-old’s unmistakable sonic signature. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Weyes Blood
‘Children Of The Empire’
Californian singer-songwriter Weyes Blood mourns a world gone to waste on ‘Children Of The Empire’, the second track off her contemplative fifth album ‘And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow’. Tapping into her Laurel Canyon sensibilities, Natalie Mering delivers a swinging ballad replete with glistening acoustic guitars and finger snaps. “Children of the empire know / That they’re not free even though / They wanna be free”, she sings atop a deceptively serene major key change. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
BROCKHAMPTON
‘All That’
All that glitters isn’t gold on ‘All That’, a highlight from BROCKHAMPTON’s penultimate full-length LP, ‘The Family’. Around a nostalgic hook sampling TLC’s iconic theme song for the Nickelodeon variety show of the same name, group ringleader Kevin Abstract shares vulnerable bars, that demonstrate brutal honesty about his experience in the group: “The record deal wasn’t helping either / It gave me more money for alcohol / I guess blowing up ain’t all that at all”. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott
‘Down In Atlanta’
Super-producer Pharrell Williams teams up with Travis Scott for ‘Down In Atlanta’, the groovy new preview of the former’s upcoming record, ‘Phriends’. The producer once again flaunts his offbeat aesthetic by opting for quirky, triplet-feel synth-pop, a sound which has more in common with Gorillaz than the rap bangers associated with him. Scott brings his signature auto tune and adlibs, fitting atop the unlikely instrumental like a glove. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Emotional Oranges
‘On My Way’
Los Angeles R&B duo Emotional Oranges do away with distance on their latest single, ‘On My Way’. The vibey track sees the pair taking turns on the mic, their distinct vocal textures riding the afrobeat-inspired groove with ease. Like star-crossed lovers, the pair convincingly depict both sides of a long-distance relationship; with V pining for intimacy and A responding in kind. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the C List:
The Murder Capital
‘Ethel’
Dublin post-punks The Murder Capital paint a portrait of obsession on ‘Ethel’, the brooding new preview of their upcoming LP, ‘Gigi’s Recovery’. Following the ominous chimes of church bells, a dissonant guitar riff guides James McGovern’s suspenseful lyrics: “I always wanted it to be like this for us / Strung out on love”. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
STONE
‘MOTO’
Liverpool alt-rock quartet STONE deliver a frenzied character study of a night crawler on ‘MOTO’. Taken from their debut EP ‘Punkadonk’, the big beat-indebted track matches a Chemical Brothers-worthy breakbeat with grungy, guitar scuzz, while Fin Power spits lyrics depicting a Motorola-wielding poser wanting in on nightlife debauchery: “I need sit down and breathe, my mood is so tri-polar / Snap a pic on my Motorola”. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Omar Apollo
‘Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)’
Omar Apollo says goodbye to an old flame on ‘Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)’, from his stellar LP ‘Ivory’. Now supported by a fresh music video, the track reveals itself to carry greater emotional depth: just as we witness the construction and destruction of a set appearing as Apollo’s home, ‘Evergreen’ feels every bit as torn between romanticising the blissful genesis of a relationship and its soul-crushing demise. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Mnelia
‘Closure’
Rising R&B singer-songwriter Mnelia wants answers on ‘Closure’. The dramatic track sees her wrestling with closure – or the lack thereof – against a mellow backdrop of regal strings and a syncopated beat: “I know I need answers, I gotta get answers / Maybe then there’s no such thing as closure, gotta get up and get over”. – EO
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
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