Neu The Neu Bulletin (C Turtle, Fräulein, Sailor Honeymoon and more!)

Having announced their upcoming album ‘Expensive Thrills’ (due on 8th March), ‘Shake It Down’ marks the start of a new chapter for London’s C Turtle. The track instantly takes off with a frenzy of playfully fuzzy guitar bends and warped drag scratching, as Mimiko McVeigh nonchalantly delivers deadpan lyrics that beg to be screamed from the top of your lungs: “read the words off of my lips / everybody move your hips”. Co-vocalist and guitarist Cole Flynn Quirke, meanwhile, howls back: “SHAKE IT DOWN! SHAKE IT DOWN! SHAKE IT OFF!”. This single instantly solidifies the band’s quintessence of carefree slacker grunge rock, reminding us to let loose and have fun. (Millie Tempo)

Fraulein’s first offering of the year is a driving, grunge-fuelled ode to taking things a day at a time. Combining both the frustration and impatience of trying to push forward with a steady striving for calm, tinges of riot grrrl and indie-punk abound as vocalist Joni Samuels laments stasis and seeks anything else. The duo’s jagged beats and punctuating guitar line anchor the track, whilst those careening vocal whips the energy back up again. (Ims Taylor)

Sailor Honeymoon’s sophomore single ‘Bad Apple’ was released this week, following their debut ‘Cockroach’ last May. The Korean duo is redefining the pop culture narrative of their native country - which encourages its artists to be flawless and pristine - with a raw and punchy attitude and a fusion of dance-pop and punk. Far from being bad apples themselves, we think they’re definitely one to watch in 2024. (Gemma Cockrell)

Up and coming singer-songwriter Yasmin Hass strips it back to showcase raw emotion in her latest single ‘Maybe’ - an emotive indie-pop ballad which explores the feelings after heartbreak, as the mind battles between “it just wasn’t meant to be” and “we’ll fall back in easily”. A tonal shift from Hass’ previous upbeat releases, ‘Maybe’ uses soft, layered production to give her naturally raspy vocals a spotlight, making it a positive sign for her upcoming EP. (Amrit Virdi)

Nxdia kicks off the year with queer anthem ‘She Likes A Boy’. It’s the Egypt-born, Manchester-based artist’s first release since their debut EP ‘in the flesh’, which arrived in August last year. Building from mellow, vocal-led verses into effervescent bursts of energy during the chorus, the track captures the ambivalence of one-sided feelings. Much like fellow indie pop stars Boyish and flowerovlove, Nxdia’s latest effortlessly blends realism with nostalgia to create a resonant coming-of-age offering – one that wouldn’t feel out of place on the Heartstopper soundtrack. (Emily Savage)

Whipper Snipper’s latest is a slice of darkness from Down Under; eerie, creeping guitars that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Donnie Darko soundtrack flicker underneath the dreaming, crystalline vocal line. It’s their debut single ahead of an EP to come this year, and it’s introducing a band who are happy to lean into the off-kilter; happy to embrace vintage soundscapes; and are absolutely at ease putting their own characteristic, charismatic stamp over the top of it. (Ims Taylor)

Tags: C Turtle, Fräulein, Nxdia, Sailor Honeymoon, Whipper Snipper, Yasmin Hass, Listen, Neu, Neu Bulletin