Best Songs of the Week

Arthur Beatrice had already impressed with "Carter (Uncut)," the title track from their EP which is out later this month, but "Vandals" took things up another level, showing off a maturity and poise that belies the band's relative inexperience. An elegant piano melody is given space to breathe by the spare percussion, while the contrasting and eventually duetting male and female vocals recall the best of The xx's impressive catalogue. - Constant Gardner

I'm normally turned off by the super-produced pop hits, but Ellie Goulding always does it right, and it's the little touches that make the big difference. Like in "Burn," the glitchy electronic vocal manipulations blend seamlessly with those high notes that she can actually hit because she's a great singer, and it all comes together like fireworks on the fourth. It's a little over the top, but it's summer, it feels good, and while I may be tired of this song come autumn, I'm going to love it until then. - Confusion

"Strong" isn't one of those songs that hits you instantly. Instead it takes its time, carefully employing emotive verses that build up to a subtle but powerful chorus that lingers and hits you long after the track is over. It's a formula London Grammar has perfected, and "Strong" does this in the most hauntingly wonderful way - Katie K

When I hear something I love, all I want to do is to share it, so I get really excited about having the opportunity to premiere things. But this new single from Jungle? If I could blast "Drops" while projecting that little B-girl's photo onto giant buildings like 'Ye did with "New Slaves," I'd do it in a heartbeat. "Drops" is such a beautiful slice of pristine sophisticated electronic soul that it's got me impatient about when their next release might be. Hurry it up, Jungle. - Joyce

Finally, a Beta Band for the 21st century. Deafkid slows sound down to the speed of sweat with "Horns," a clap-happy song built specifically to fill in the naptime hours between a humid Saturday daydrink. Flo Sauvaire and Chris Lockington have nailed down a sound of summer, even throwing in some chirping birds to lend a little morning to the second movement. - Crax

This may be Mali Michael's first song, but it certainly won't be the last thing we hear from him. The production elements are in line with the current mash up of R&B and electronica that's been pervading the airwaves—but his voice is one of the types that only comes along every once in a while. Lush, emotion-ridden and at points on the verge of breaking, on "Ghost" Michael manages to embody the sadness of not being able to let someone go, and his rendition is so heartfelt that it will haunt the listener even after a few listens.—harmonicait

Do any of you hear a mix and, without knowing who produced a song or what it's called, know that the track would have an impact on your life? Then you hear the song, and you're like "OMGWTFHOWDIDTHISJUSTRANDOMLYAPPEARINMYLIFE?" No? Maybe that's just me. In any case, AC Slater won with this tune, a perfect bass-heavy anthem for cats hitting the club already twisted.- Khal

Any track that is named after Shabba Ranks, and includes multiple comparisons to the Jamaican dancehall badman, is immediately headed in the right direction. Add in an eerie, clanking banger of a beat and a gruff, commanding performance from A$AP Ferg, who far and away outshines his more famous fellow A$AP mobber, and "Shabba," from Ferg's forthcoming Trap Lord mixtape, is a winner. - Constant Gardner

It seems as if each week there is some new offering from a mysterious male electronic artist. It's a trend that has become so popular, you can almost predict what the song is going to sound like before even listening through the whole thing. Séyi's "Icecold" could fit into this comfortable and safe niche if it wasn't so fantastically well-done. With intricate and lush layers of instrumentation expertly mixed with smooth vocals and strong synths, the song is just the type of production that makes a genre susceptible to becoming monotonous, exciting. - Katie K

When a song as popular as "Breezeblocks" gets remixed, it's always a little risky. People went apeshit over this cut, so Zach Nicita was definitely taking a chance. But his take on the single, removing the vocals from the original and building an entirely new beat, loosely based off that of the original works. NICITA's production melds incredibly well with Joe Newman's vocals, with its perolating, looming quality. One wouldn't describe it as being dark, but there's an edge to this remix that you can't quite put your finger on, and that's why it's so addicting. - Joyce

Do I fucks with 'Merica? You're motherfucking right I do. Do I fucks with Miley Cyrus? I mean, I want to see her win, but with that short cut she looks like Bieber. I digress, though, as Giraffage's remix of her 1999 Americana hit has me hooked. Her vocals are screwed, but the laidback turnup thrown underneath is just undeniable. Proper definition of turning shit into gold. - Khal

The last time Beck released music, it was in the form of sheet music, left for anyone to interpret how they see fit. The thing is, most people can't read a bunch of notes on a piece of paper and make a Beck song. Thankfully, Beck is back to releasing songs, and with "I Won't Be Long" he proves that after all these years, he's still got it. - Confusion

In the vein of Disclosure and TNGHT, the teenage duo of Bondax is taking electronic production and flipping it on its head. The apparently unstoppable combination of Adam Kaye and George Townsend is beginning to creep across the Atlantic. More surfy and funk inclined than either of the aforementioned comparisons, "Giving it All" is the ideal introduction to a duo who are combining all the best parts about music today into one tantalizing concoction. This track is perfect for the club or a car ride with the windows down.—harmonicait