Bleachers’ Hate That You Know Me: early-80s synth-pop perfection

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Bleachers
Hate That You Know Me

Since the demise of his previous band, Fun, Jack Antonoff – AKA Bleachers – has become the go-to producer for female-fronted, left-of-centre pop. He’s worked with Taylor Swift and Lorde, while Carly Rae Jepsen shows up here to help transform the song’s early 80s, synth-pop-indebted sad-man grumblings into widescreen pop perfection. Best listened to on a Walkman, in a mall, after a breakup.

Lady Gaga
The Cure

After a brief dalliance with #authenticity on her soft-rock album Joanne, Lady Gaga’s recent hits-heavy Super Bowl extravaganza seems to have nudged her back into pop territory. Initially, The Cure seems like a positive move but, the more you listen, the more you realise it could literally be anyone dolling out the dodgy medical advice over some rejected Selena Gomez beats. A step in the right direction, but in used shoes.

Noah Cyrus
Stay Together

The problem with Stay Together’s tales of late-night escapades sung in a vaguely country-ish twang at a BPM slightly slower than expected is that it’s already been done. By a Cyrus, no less. While big sister Miley’s We Can’t Stop detailed a debauched house party, Stay Together’s PG-13 re-imagining of LA’s bar scene reaches its apex with Noah demanding the Aux cable in an Uber on the way home. It’s a 3.8 rating.

Linkin Park ft Pusha T & Stormzy
Good Goodbye

Credit where it’s due: rather than stick to screaming about owning three mansions over some serrated guitars and a hip-hop beat, nu-metal “pioneers” Linkin Park have changed tack. Their previous single, Heavy, recalled the Chainsmokers, while Good Goodbye utilises those pre-drop handclaps every EDM producer favours. Then, for some reason, Stormzy stumbles into the wrong studio around the 2:30 mark to shrug “now I got a tune with Linkin Park” as if he’s still unsure how that happened.

Royal Blood
Lights Out

Get this, Royal Blood don’t have a lead guitarist! Yep, it’s just a moody drummer in a cap and a moody singer with a bass. And, like the White Stripes before them, they make a hell of a lot of noise for just two people. But, unlike the White Stripes before them, their music is just loud and shiny, like the aural equivalent of Fast & Furious.