Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Reb Fountain, Lady Gaga, The Cure and more

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Reb Fountain plays Wellington’s San Fran November 7 and The Hollywood Avondale Friday November 8. (Photo / Supplied)
by Reb Fountain

With a line from the Stone Roses, a textural sound located between pillows of clouds and being half-awake, Fountain delivers a remarkable, measured, restrained and gently mesmerising song which creeps quietly into the subconscious with a couple of hooks so subtle you barely know they
are getting to you. Alt-pop goes to the arthouse. – Graham Reid

by The Cure
The first new song in 16 years by The Cure takes its own good time to show it’s a song – Robert Smith’s oddly ageless voice doesn’t arrive until halfway through its near seven-minute running time. Though it’s hard to mistake it for anyone else before the singing starts, as the band create one of their big, dark grim moods with the doomy tom-toms, spikey bass and a grand shimmer of guitar and strings/synthesizers. “This is the end of every song that we sing,” intones Smith at the beginning, taking the words from Victorian poet Ernest Dowson’s ‘Dregs’ and which will now be the opening line on ye olde goth band’s upcoming album Songs from a Lost World, out at the beginning of November. – Russell Baillie
by Lady Gaga
As well as starring in Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga has released an album of show tunes, Harlequin, as a companion piece to the movie. Among the tracks getting her brassy treatment is The Joker, originally from 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd and which has already done long service as the theme song to Oz comedy Kath & Kim. The Gaga version? Well, it’s nice, it’s different, it’s unusual. – Russell Baillie
by Womb
An emotive, short and sweet release from Flying Nun sibling trio, Womb. Built around open acoustic chords, the song fills out with delicately reverbed vocals and synthesisers. The lyrics float by one line after the next – like they’re sung in a single breath. Comes with a lo-fi music video featuring Cello Forrester wandering through autumn leaves. (see below). – Sam Clark
by Liam Finn
The publicity is spot on – this energetic song is like the love-child of Talking Heads and Parliament-like funk beamed in from the past but filtered through an indie-rock lens. Enjoyably familiar, clever production at the psychedelic centre and the fifth – yes, fifth – single released in advance of his next solo album The Hyperverse due early next year which, on the evidence, sounds chaotic fun. – Graham Reid
by Baba Stiltz, Okay Kaya
New from California’s Swedish export, Baba Stiltz. A sweet duet, reflecting the desert-inspired sounds of his 2023 album Paid Testimony. With music spanning electronica to alternative rock – Stilz has an XL Recordings EP and original film score under his wing, not something you often hear in the same breath. – Sam Clark
by Ruthven
London’s Sean Nelson (AKA Ruthven) recently worked with Sampha and Little Simz so his smooth R’n’B sound – which he makes sound effortless – has already gained serious attention. This polite, pared-back single in advance of his debut album Rough and Ready (October 25) confirms he listens to yacht rock, Bill Withers’ laidback soul and MOR pop because this could cross over to mainstream listeners if given a chance at radio. Otherwise, we wait for the album which should be interesting given his previous singles. – Graham Reid
by Rose Grey
This third single in advance of the Londoner’s debut album Louder, Please (due January 17) is bouncy electropop which follows her acclaimed and energetic Free but isn’t quite the summer anthem of its predecessor. All the studio bells, whistles and buttons are pushed however it’s long on promise but shorter on character and delivery. Danceable pop for festival crowds however, which seems to be her target audience. – Graham Reid
by Chuck Prophet, Qiensave
One of America’s great songwriters, Prophet – formerly of the raggedly excellent post-punk, psychedelic rock band Green on Red – looks to be winding up for a new album with this thoughtful alt-country ballad with an escapist sentiment. Strings, pedal steel, dreaming of a place in the hills in Mexico and some Van Morrison yearning. Thoughtful and special. – Graham Reid
by Stereocloud
And now for something a little different: Indonesian indie rock with small interludes on traditional instruments. But mostly it is driven by distorted waves of power chord guitars and a strong sense of pop melody. No envelopes pushed but this third single confirms a band with teenage power-pop appeal. Check their debut Validasi. – Graham Reid
by Simone Drescher, cello
Enric Casals (1892-1986) was an excellent violinist, a decent composer, and a good enough conductor to have swung a stick all over the world. But it would be rare for any biography not to begin with the fact that his big brother was the legendary Catalan cellist Pablo (Pau) Casals. It’s unlikely Enric was dismayed by the association. The pair worked together in the 1920s and 30s, until the Spanish Civil War caused Pablo – an ardent opponent of Franco – leave Spain for Puerto Rico. Enric wrote his moving suite, performed here in a new recording by up-and-comer Simone Drescher, in honour of his brother. – Richard Betts
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