School’s out! But work goes on for the rest of the world… thankfully even when stuck inside at desks we have the world of music to escape into and live in paradisic splendour – or perhaps you want a different kind of transformation; to imagine yourself as a boss taking on the man? Or something else entirely? Here’s another set of tracks that might just do that for you.
Below is the track list and some notes from our team about why they’ve selected them for this month’s playlist.
Brandon Flowers – “Paradise”
If in doubt as to what instruments to use to use on your country song, follow Brandon Flowers’ example and use them all. Both pedal steel and jangling acoustic guitars, harmonica, banjo, organ, a bobbing bass, strings, and a small crew of background vocalists. Even a church bell at one point, just in case. Over that you have Flowers singing like it’s his final number of his career, his voice that bit deeper than usual, like he’s drawing up breath from the bottom of his lungs. It’s maximalist country stuff, but Flowers has never been one to go for half measures. Immersed in it all, you can practically see him line dancing across the room. “Paradise” is Flowers is in his element. – Ray Finlayson
Charli xcx – “Magic Metal Montana”
It’s quite funny that the best Strokes song in 25 years isn’t on Reality Awaits! “Magic Metal Montana” is a brilliant little song, a standout on the instantly iconic Music, Fashion, Film. From the loving characterization of A.G. Cook to the dry drum sound and the immensely memorable guitar lead, it’s a perfect new wave song – no notes, no complaints! While I might have slightly exaggerated from dramatic effect about this being the best Strokes song in 25 years, Charli widely undersells how fantastic this track is! – John Wohlmacher
Kelela – “new life forms” (feat. Foushรฉe)
new avatar has initially been hailed as Kelela’s dream pop project – which seems a little excessive a comparison. However, tracks like “new life forms” invite the assessment: an airy, elysian RnB track, the song is rooted in the same strata as Slowdive’s “Souvlaki Space Station”, the nervous beat cutting through the echoing layers of harps and – possibly? – acoustic guitars. Kelela is in strong form, as usual, but Fousheรฉ almost steals the show with an especially soulful guest spot. An excellent song, “new life forms” will likely prove to be a future fan favorite, so get on while it’s early! – John Wohlmacher
LโRain – “Borderline”
Taja Cheek aka LโRain has never been short on self-confidence and awareness of her place and value. Her latest single, โBorderlineโ, offers those of us who struggle with self-worth something of a sonic blueprint for achieving that confident mindset. It begins meditatively with finger picked, cascading guitars and Cheekโs meditative falsetto, but from that zen space blossoms into something bold and expansive. Skittering drums, chunky zags of electric guitar, even siren-like effects all come into the space, threatening to crowd out Cheek, but she remains poised at the centre of it all – she is the point around which the centrifugal force of instrumentation spins. Just as in life, she remains centred among the chaos – the calm in the storm, which she makes beautiful. – Rob Hakimian
Markis Precise & Boldy James – โHour Dollarโ
Just the four albums in 2026, following the nine his name was attached to in 2025. In the 15 years since Boldy James appeared on Cool Kids releases, he has evolved from a gangsta-rap also-ran into an unbelievably prolific, sometime-Alchemist collaborator. On this track with Cali-based producer Markis Precise, heโs still in dealer mode, but with a billy woods-like detachment while he crosses paths with addicts and cops. Preciseโs beat is like a woozy โIt Was A Good Dayโ, not that James picks his head up enough to know what day it is: โCanโt really remember a time we ainโt have no motionโ. โ Steve Forstneger
Mike D – โCryptoโ
As with football commentators who compulsively point out that X defender used to be a striker, you couldnโt swing a dead cat without hitting someone whoโd remind you the Beastie Boys started off as a punk band. Mike Dโs latest in his return only recalls the Beasties because of his legendarily tense, New Yawk vocal style. Itโs anti-capitalist targeting of crypto bros has the ring of Le Tigre or Kim Gordonโs solo album. โ Steve Forstneger
Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal – โShe Swear Iโm Colorblindโ (feat. billy woods)
Open Mike Eagle has never been one to shy away from detailing the pain of romantic relationships – even (especially!) if they make him seem like a bit of a jackass. The latest from his upcoming full-length collaboration with producer Kenny Segal focuses around an argument over the colour of a rental car and the repeated, nagging hook โpay attention when I talkโ (evidently something heโs heard many times) and its defeated weariness chimes perfectly with the woozy brass on the beat. billy woods – himself a regular Segal collaborator – drops in for his own abstract and imagistic take on the stresses and strains of a relationship on the rocks. It all adds up to a bemused banger. – Rob Hakimian
Ravyn Lenae – “Handle”
“Handle” – the opener from Ravyn Lenae’s upcoming album Blue Island – starts with three swift, punchy knocks like someone banging on a door demanding to come in. And indeed she does come powering through with a forthright banger of desires that she needs to be met โ or else, get the hell outta the way. “My love is like a landslide” she announces on the slithering, beguiling chorus, riding guitar riffs like a rodeo pro; following up with the challenge: “hold on tight / one with me in the undertow”. She knows she “might be too much to handle / but when it comes down, only one way to find out”. You ready? – Rob Hakimian
Starling Vanguard – “Safe Bet”
As far as opening lines go, “Safe Bet” is, well, a damned safe bet for a strong contender of the year. “We’re making plans for New Year’s Eve / Even though it’s not gone Halloween just yet,” is the kind of line an artist could spend a lifetime looking for and one you could imagine from any indie darling, from Phoebe Bridgers to Bon Iver. “Safe Bet” is song of love, security, and warmth, Starling Vanguard presenting a cozy image of familiarity, of socks lost under the bed and intimate conversations. Electric guitar shimmers over wide-open acoustic chords in the chorus, creating a simple and dazzling effect. “Safe Bet” feels like love wrapped up in music, an unabashed statement of adoration and with its heart firmly on its sleeve. – Ray Finlayson
The Strokes – “Dine N’Dash”
One week after its release, Reality Awaits is undergoing a process that used to take a decade or two. Instantly hit with accusations of being the worst Strokes album on release day, by the start of the following week came the first hot takes that the album could potentially be a misunderstood masterpiece, a courageous and unique re-imagination! My perspective is a little more nuanced, but since writing that review, I do wonder if this is the band’s equivalent to Neil Young’s Life or Trans: a late career experiment that is as deep as it is avant-garde in its use of pop idioms as distortion!
“Dine N’Dash” is supporting this thesis: an ominous, tense song with deeply unsettling lyrics, it sits between the album’s more experimental, auto-tune led ballads and the autumnal classic new wave tracks. Neil Young’s CIA agent of “Mideast Vacation” seems not far away, as Casablancas imagines contrasting voices, whose apocalyptic visions of war and murder seem rooted in governmental warfare. As this album gets better with each listen, “Dine N’Dash” is a painfully relevant song – one reminding us to give this album not just second, but third and fourth chances! – John Wohlmacher
Listen to our BPM Curates: July 2026 playlist here.
