12 Finest Songs of the Week: Wolf Alice, Anna von Hausswolff and Iggy Pop, Flock of Dimes, and Extra

Plus Nation of Language, Florence + The Machine, bar italia, Gruff Rhys, Jeff Tweedy, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Different Notable New Tracks

Aug 22, 2025

By Mark Redfern

Welcome to the twenty ninth Songs of the Week of 2025. This week Andy Von Pip, Issa Nasatir, and others helped me resolve what ought to make the checklist. We thought of over 40 songs and narrowed it all the way down to a Prime 12.

Problem 74, The Protest Problem, is out now. It options Kathleen Hannah and Bartees Unusual on the 2 covers and could be purchased from us straight right here.

In current weeks we posted interviews with Mocky and Feist, Open Mike Eagle, Gwenno (a My Firsts), Frankie Cosmos (a My Firsts), and extra.

Within the final week we reviewed some albums.

Underneath the Radar subscriptions are at the moment 50% off, as are again points. Take a look at the sale right here.

That can assist you type via the multitude of recent songs launched within the final week, now we have picked the 12 greatest the final seven days needed to supply, adopted by some honorable mentions. Take a look at the total checklist beneath.

1. Wolf Alice: “Bread Butter Tea Sugar”

British four-piece Wolf Alice launched a brand new album, The Clearing, right now by way of RCA. Whereas all three of its pre-release singles made our Songs of the Week checklist, we additionally liked “Bread Butter Tea Sugar,” our favourite observe from the album not beforehand launched as a single, and that makes #1 on our checklist.

You’ll be able to stream The Clearing on our web site right here and likewise learn our rave evaluate of it right here.

Final night time Wolf Alice additionally carried out the album’s “Bloom Child Bloom” on Jimmy Kimmel Reside! And you may watch that right here.

“The uncooked, grunge-infused guitars of their early years have given technique to a sound that showcases what distinctive musicians and songwriters Wolf Alice have develop into,” writes Andy Von Pip in his evaluate of The Clearing.

Beforehand Wolf Alice shared The Clearing’s first single, “Bloom Child Bloom,” by way of a music video. It was #1 on our Songs of the Week checklist. Additionally they introduced some new North American tour dates for this fall, in addition to some UK and EU ones. The album’s second single, “The Couch,” was #1 on our Songs of the Week. “White Horses,” the one music on The Clearing to characteristic drummer Joel Amey on lead vocals, additionally landed on Songs of the Week.

The Clearing is band’s fourth album and follows Blue Weekend, which was #2 on our Prime 100 Albums of 2021 checklist. The band wrote the album in Seven Sisters, North London, England and recorded it final yr in Los Angeles with Grammy successful producer Greg Kurstin.

The press launch says The Clearing was influenced by ’70s traditional rock and is akin to Fleetwood Mac making an album in North London in 2025.

Learn our interview with Wolf Alice on Blue Weekend.

2. Anna von Hausswolff: “The Complete Girl” (Feat. Iggy Pop)

This week Swedish musician/composer Anna von Hausswolff introduced a brand new album, ICONOCLASTS, and shared two new songs from it, “The Complete Girl” (a duet with Iggy Pop) and “Stardust.” The previous was our favourite of the 2.

ICONOCLASTS is due out October 31 by way of YEAR0001. The album additionally options Ethel Cain, Abul Mogard, and Maria von Hausswolff.

Von Hausswolff produced the album with longtime collaborator Filip Leyman. Her final studio album, All Ideas Fly, got here out final in 2020 by way of Southern Lord. In 2022 she launched the dwell album, Reside at Montreux Jazz Competition.

Von Hausswolff had this to say about “The Complete Girl” in a press launch: “Typically we have to throw ourselves into the deepest of waters and maintain our breath so long as we will. As soon as we attain the floor we will see past the pettiness of life and communicate solely the reality. This love music is a tribute to the person who is aware of tips on how to pay attention; it’s for the lady who’s courageous sufficient to dive in.”

3. Flock of Dimes: “Afraid”

Flock of Dimes (the solo mission of Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner) is releasing a brand new album, The Life You Save, on October 10 by way of Sub Pop. This week she shared its second single, “Afraid,” by way of a music video.

Wasner had this to say concerning the music in a press launch: “This music is an intention, an incantation, a prayer. It says: I settle for what has occurred, however I refuse to let it dictate the result of my life. All of us enter this world untainted, and our circumstances dictate the burden that we must carry all through the remainder of our lives. For some, this weight is much higher than it’s for others. This music is a mantra for many who want to imagine that we will transcend the circumstances over which we had no management.”

Beforehand Flock of Dimes shared the album’s first single, “Lengthy After Midnight,” by way of a music video. It was one in every of our Songs of the Week.

The Life You Save is the third Flock of Dimes album and follows her 2021 album, Head of Roses (and its 2022 companion assortment, Head of Roses: Phantom Limb). Head of Roses was one in every of our Prime 100 Albums of 2021. Wasner produced the brand new album, with further manufacturing from Nick Sanborn. She recorded it at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC and Montrose Recording in Los Angeles, CA.

Learn our evaluate of Head of Roses right here.

Learn our The Finish interview with Wasner about endings and loss of life right here.

4. Nation of Language: “In Your Head”

Synth-pop trio Nation of Language are releasing a brand new album, Dance Referred to as Reminiscence, on September 19 by way of Sub Pop. This week they shared its fourth single, “In Your Head.”

The Brooklyn-based band options Ian Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar), Aidan Noell (synthesizer), and Alex MacKay (bass guitar).

The album contains “Inept Apollo,” a brand new music the band shared in Could after they introduced they have been signing to Sub Pop. It was one in every of our Songs of the Week. When the album was introduced she shared a brand new music from it, “I’m Not Prepared For the Change,” by way of a music video. It was additionally one in every of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared its third single, “Underneath the Water,” which once more landed on Songs of the Week.

Nation of Language’s final album, Unusual Disciple, was launched in 2023 by way of [PIAS]. It was one in every of our Prime 100 Albums of 2023. Unusual Disciple was the band’s third album and the follow-up to 2021’s A Approach Ahead and 2020’s Introduction, Presence.

Nick Millhiser (LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!), who produced Unusual Disciple, as soon as once more labored with the band on Dance Referred to as Reminiscence.

“What’s so nice about Nick is his capacity to make us really feel like we don’t must do what is perhaps anticipated of us,” says Noell in a press launch.

Of the brand new album, Devaney says: “There’s a dichotomy between the Kraftwerk faculty of thought and the Brian Eno faculty of thought, every of which I’ve been drawn to at totally different factors. I’ve examine how Kraftwerk needed to take away the entire humanity from their music, however Eno usually spoke about eager to make synthesized music that felt distinctly human. As a lot as Kraftwerk is a sonically foundational affect, with this document I leaned far more in direction of the Eno faculty of thought. On this period shortly being outlined by the rise of AI supplanting human creators I’m focusing extra on the human situation, and I want the underlying music to help that… As an alternative of hopelessness, I wish to depart the listener with a sense of us actually seeing each other, that our particular person struggles can truly unite us in empathy.”

Learn our interview with Nation of Language on A Approach Ahead.

Nation of Language additionally took half in our twentieth anniversary Covers of Covers album, the place they lined Damaged Social Scene’s “Stars and Sons.”

5. Florence + The Machine: “Everyone Scream”

This week Florence + The Machine (aka Florence Welch and backing band) introduced a brand new album, Everyone Scream, and shared a video for its title observe. Everyone Scream is due out October 31 (aka Halloween) by way of Republic. Autumn de Wilde directed the “Everyone Scream” video.

The album was made in collaboration with Mark Bowen of IDLES, Aaron Dessner of The Nationwide, and Mitski. Bowen seems within the “Everyone Scream” video.

Everyone Scream is the follow-up to 2022’s Dance Fever. Through the tour for that album Welch wanted lifesaving surgical procedure and her restoration influenced the brand new album. A press launch explains that her restoration “took her down the trail of religious mysticism, witchcraft and folks horror as she felt the bounds of her physique and explored what it means to be ‘healed.’ The album treads via womanhood, partnership, getting old and dying; exposing the murky within the mundane.”

In 2023 Florence + The Machine lined No Doubt’s 1995 hit “Only a Lady” for season 2 of Showtime’s acclaimed drama Yellowjackets (which is partially set within the Nineties).