Neu The Neu Bulletin (Lime Garden, Sprints, Wasia Project and more!)

In the run up to their debut album arriving early next year, Lime Garden have unveiled their latest shoegaze offering, ‘I Want To Be You’. Written about frontwoman Chloe Howard’s first ever gig, it captures the awe-inspiring experience of seeing your idol live (which makes sense when you realise that the artist was Wolf Alice). Jangly guitars, punchy drum lines, and a reverberating bass are tethered by honeyed leading vocals that give the track an endearing sense of relatability. Evocative and escapist, it’s an exciting prelude for what’s yet to come from the Brighton quartet. (Emily Savage)

Dublin quartet Sprints are building up to the release of their debut album, ‘Letter to Self’, arriving on January 5th via City Slang Records. ‘Shadow of a Doubt’, their latest single from the record, is a cathartic burst of energy that eventually erupts from the slow-burn of its first half. The lyrics wrestle with feelings of depression and loneliness; “can you help me stop the screams?” Karla Chubb pleads over the track’s tidal wave of drums and guitar. Sprints are vulnerable here, but it’s wrapped up in the kind of banger we’ve come to expect from them. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Tapping into the universal appetite for gorgeous, heart-wrenching piano songs, Wasia Project’s 'Remember When' floats easily up there with the best of them. With the soulful evocations of Billie Eilish’s 'What Was I Made For', the storytelling of Olivia Rodrigo’s 'teenage dream', and a classical complexity that’s all their own, Wasia Project reflect serenely on memory, grief, and time. It’s melancholy, but the sibling duo don’t pass any atmospheric judgement - the track simply allows you to feel deeply. (Ims Taylor)

ELI’s latest offering combines her gleaming, fluid vocals with delicate, carefully crafted sonic textures to make for an intoxicating listening experience. During the verses, her vocal melody is bright and spiky, bouncing off the muted instrumental through the cascading pre-chorus. But then in the chorus, as she sinks into the refrain of “do you love? Do you love?”, she twists her voice into an instrument itself, complementing the building production and sharp, glitchy moments, morphing 'DO YOU LOVE' into a vibrant dance tune. It’s a transformation ELI makes with ease. (Ims Taylor)

Belfast rap trio KNEECAP have shared their first single since signing to Heavenly Recordings – and they’ve nabbed two of the Fontaines D.C. boys to help. Tom Coll is on drums while Grian Chatten takes the hook, a deadpan but nonetheless enchanting thread (delivered, in the accompanying music video, via a now-vintage square box TV). It pairs well with the track’s hip-hop stylings, making for laidback production that still makes you want to have a little boogie. (Caitlin Chatterton)

New Zealand's Molly Payton is back with ‘Asphalt’, a song which she defined on social media as signaling a ‘new era’ for her. Embracing traditional indie ballad roots and structured beautifully with an acoustic guitar backing, the song is raw and emotive; Payton sings of insecurity, awareness and shattering surroundings, with frank lyrics such as "I wanna be happy, I don’t wanna be beautiful". The cinematic and gripping - yet simple - video rings true to the homegrown tone of the track, which was created in partnership with Oscar Lang. It's certainly a collaboration which should be revisited again in the future, as Payton flourishes in this comeback. (Amrit Virdi)

Indie six-piece Home Counties provide an enjoyable dose of creative chaos in their new single ‘Wild Guess’. Continuing their shift to a more danceable approach, what starts as a sombre first verse quickly develops into an infectious anthem – peaking during its blissfully hook-filled chorus. Despite its experimental sound, newcomer Lois Kelly’s ethereal vocals manage to tie together kaleidoscopic production with starkly resonant lyricism. Alongside the single, Home Counties have also just announced news of their debut album ‘Exactly As It Seems’, set for release in May 2024. (Emily Savage)

Tags: ELI, Home Counties, Kneecap, Lime Garden, Molly Payton, Sprints, Wasia Project, Listen, Watch, Neu, Neu Bulletin