Listen Tracks: The Rolling Stones, Sampha, Marika Hackman and more

'Angry' unleashes a triumphant return for the 'Stones, announces new album 'Hackney Diamonds', and reminds us why the band will forever be red-hot. Opening with an electrifying riff that nods to 'Start Me Up' from their 1981 album 'Tattoo You', a nostalgic sleazy, dirty and raucous sound defines the track - and this ferocious resurrection reaffirms that even at 80 years old, some things never change. (Angelika May)

In the six years since releasing Mercury-winning debut ‘Process’, Sampha has easily become the favourite artist of many favourite artists, something that shows little sign of stopping as he shares details of follow-up, ‘LAHAI’: Yaeji, Léa Sen, and members of Black Midi, and Kokoroko feature. With a thoroughly contemporary and insistent beat, on one level, ‘Only’ is a subtle bop, its chorus just enough of an earworm to stick. Listen further, and the delicate nature of Sampha’s voice makes it something far prettier. (Bella Martin)

Thematically a league apart from 2019’s sexually charged ‘Any Human Friend’, Marika Hackman has now turned her attentions to the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. ‘No Caffeine’ functions as a to-do list in the event of a pending anxiety attack: “Occupy your mind / Don’t stay home / Talk to all your friends, but don’t look at your phone / Scream into a bag / Try to turn your brain off”. Shifting sonic dynamics and varied instrumentation echo the building tension of pre-emptive panic, but in terms of her art, Marika remains firmly in control. (Daisy Carter)

A little extra from her repackaged debut album, ‘Street Rat’ continues the introspective indie rock sound of much of Blondshell’s output so far: it’s another one for fans of meandering guitar lines, elongated “aaaahs” in place of a wider use of vocabulary and generally wallowing in glum vibes via moderately distorted guitars. (Bella Martin)

After roping in Bruce Springsteen to feature on one of their songs, it was hard to imagine what more The Gaslight Anthem could offer ahead of 'History Books', their first new album in over nine years. On 'Little Fires' Brian Fallon's gravelly vocals are at their rugged best (and paired nicely with PUP's Stefan Babcock), the choruses are irresistibly euphoric and the guitar solo is a tasty little bonus too. They may have been gone for nearly a decade, but they kept the machine well-oiled. (Jack Terry)

All hail, her majesty CMAT. As the release of her second album ‘Crazymad, For Me’ inches closer, she’s shared another teaser of the full project in the form of ‘Stay For Something’. Heaving with unfulfilled potential and unrequited affections, the track is - like most of her singles - utterly anthemic, easily imagined featuring in a legion of breakup playlists and long drives. Accompanied by a video in which she goes full Bridgerton on us, donning a costume best described as period dress on acid, ‘Stay For Something’ is everything we’ve come to expect from CMAT - big vocals, bigger emotions, and a healthy dose of drama.

Tags: Blondshell, Cmat, Marika Hackman, SAMPHA, The Gaslight Anthem, The Rolling Stones, Listen, Features, Tracks