Best Songs of the Week

M83's "I Need You" is a perfect movie track, which is to say that it sets a scene. With its hazy saxs and orchestral accents, the song hints at a sunrise, not unlike the one seen on the poster for the film it soundtracks, Divergent. In certain ways, "I Need You" probably acts as a teaser for the movie itself. It tries a little too hard to be epic, it's almost cheesy, and in a month the criticism for Divergent will likely be the same. However, "I Need You" only lasts for three minutes, a brevity that no feature-length film could match.

And this difference is crucial. Sunrises aren't drawn out over long stretches of time. They're brief, distinct moments. "I Need You" fits the bill by doing more with less.—Gus Turner

Bok Bok, and his Night Slugs cohorts L-Vis 1990, Girl Unit, and Jam City are consistently pushing dance music in all sorts of exciting new directions, so Kelela choosing to work with them (not to mention Kingdom and Fade To Mind) should make you very happy. Lots of artists are combining R&B vocals with electronic production, but none are doing it as well as Kelela. "Melba's Call," which is the first single from a forthcoming Bok Bok release is just another reminder of that.—Constant Gardner

ScHoolBoy Q's long-awaited Oxymoron finally arrived on February 25, and it's been getting mixed reactions. Your reaction all depends on what you're looking for. If you want pop-friendly radio hits, you wont' find them here. Q's not trying to make you feel good, and thank God. This shit is dark and aggressive, but that's when Q's always been at his best, and on Oxymoron he makes it personal. "Purge" has Q, Tyler, The Creator, and Kurupt over a Tyler beat driven by a synth that sounds like an alarm going off or a bomb dropping from a plane in a cartoon. The entire song feels like a threat, and if that doesn't appeal to you, maybe ScHoolboy Q isn't the rapper for you.—Confusion

Check out the apocalyptic dancehall that Evian Christ is making here. While most people know dancehall from the happy happy carnival time ditties that Diplo's Major Lazer outfit provides, Evian keeps this a few shades scarier. You're hit with loud, cymbal-heavy snare hits, distorted kicks, dubbed out vocals, and loads of other feedback. It's waist-winding on meth. And we like it. Not sure where the waterfall comes into play; maybe it's the sweat dripping from your brow. Whatever the case is, this one goes.—khal

Dreamy British indie-rockers Wild Beasts released their fourth (and best) album Present Tense earlier this week. Will many people over here in America notice? I'm not sure, but they should.

I'm also not sure quite why there is such a disparity in popularity and general knowledge of the band between Europe and the US. When I talked to Tom Fleming from Wild Beasts (vocals, bass), he suggested it might be because they "play a lot with Britishness and Englishness" and "don’t quite want to sound like The Ramones as much as some other English bands." Whatever the case, their new album deals with such universal subjects as love, lust, and finding one's place in this confusing world, while the interplay of vocals and instrumentation (which includes more prominent synths this time around) is lush and welcoming. This is music that is hard to hate, but is certainly not bland. It is intelligent, engrossing, and rewarding to those who pay close attention.

"Mecca" is just one great song on a great album, smooth and catchy, a love song that treats sexuality as something beautifully complex, something to be celebrated and embraced rather than a subject that is merely caricatured or totally avoided.—Constant Gardner

INTERVIEW: WILD BEASTS ON THEIR BOLD NEW ALBUM AND WHY IT’S OK TO WALLOW IN THE MISERY OF LIFE SOMETIMES

We're back at the well again, fetching a pail of "mysterious, moody R&B." 21 year-old South Londoner HUNTAR comes with little information. A vague press shot and an excellent, messy debut single, "Expectations," fill that void. HUNTAR's voice and the song's cinematic production make up for the yawn of another enigma. Fitting its title, "Expectations" sets the stage for what's next. An enjoyable mark of promise from another shrouded voice.—Jon Tanners

MP Williams barreled down from the Bronx this week with a vicious rework of Glasser's "Shape." He has both an EP and full-length album in the works, and this Clams Casino-inspired remix will be a standout wherever it lands. Williams keeps things moody and groovy by slicing and layering Glasser's crisp, clear vocals over strings and trilling hi hats. It's one of those rare tracks that seems to be itching for a verse but is simultaneously able to stand on its own.—Crax