First Aid Kit | My Silver Lining

First Aid Kit last featured on this blog back in 2012, and admittedly I kind of forgot the band existed until they swung back onto the scene with My Silver Lining. Best described as Dolly Parton wagoning down the French Riviera, the sisters from Sweden add a new dimension to their country-pop leanings with the inclusion of lush, filmic strings. It looks odd on paper, but MSL is deceptively catchy and the mix has paid off - their latest (and 3rd) album Stay Gold made it to #11 on the UK charts last month. Prepare to be hooked:

Petula Clark | Cut Copy Me

The awkward, irrelevant computer reference aside - Cut Copy Me is a surprisingly cool track, with the veteran star sounding vulnerable yet vibrant.  The video is an ode to ancient PC technology that's right on the vintage imagery trend, but thankfully the track itself is fresh without trying to be too hip and/or happening. Okay, so there's just the slightest hint of auto-tune, but we're not talking Cher levels here. 

I must admit - I spent the entire viewing experience wondering if Petula herself would wander in and start typing an email to her beloved grandchildren, one rheumatic finger at a time - an icon for silver surfers everywhere. Alas, no such luck, but the clip does match the wistful nature of the song. 

Cut Copy Me may not be as instant as that hit of hers, and it may not take her back to the top 10 like the remix of said hit did in 1988, but it's an endearing preview to her new album Lost In You, which is out this week. 

Chvrches | Recover

Glaswegian do-it-yourself outfit Chvrches automatically score points for their old-fashioned U, which was last seen on a Victorian headstone near you. Unsurprisingly, their alphabetic symbolism matches the gothic synthpop of their sound - they make the kind of downbeat 80s balladry that Hurts, in their Coldplay/Take That mimicry, neglected to include on their latest outing. 

Lead singer Lauren Mayberry's imploring, girlish vocals may take some time to get used to, as they are literally soaking in her native accent (think the incomprehensibility of Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser meets the shrillness of Altered Images' Claire Grogan). It doesn't help that lyrics on their new single Recover (from the EP of the same name), are sung in a stop-start fashion to compliment the juddering, Dan Black-esque GarageBand production. Stick with it though - once you work out what she's actually singing, it proves to be quite affecting:

Recover is out on the 25th of March - by which time everyone will be calling it Recouer because of that pesky v. But wait! Recouer is also a word that is, bizarrely, an archaic version of the word recover. Huzzah!   

Alison Moyet | Changeling

It's been 6 years since Alison Moyet's last album, and despite now being in her 50s she's looking younger than ever. She's sounding younger than ever too, with new track Changeling containing hints of a No Doubt-esque rhythm mixed with the darker diversions of fellow 80s survivors Depeche Mode. 

Moyet's voice is a lot smoother than usual here, as she adopts a post-Red Shoes Kate Bush purr to tackle the mundanity of commuter traffic in the verses, before whipping out some unexpected high notes in the spellbinding chorus. With a fresher vibe and Guy Sigsworth taking care of production, upcoming 8th set The Minutes promises to be something of a mature soirée - downstairs at Eric's. 

Caro Emerald | Tangled Up

Hollandic vintage singing sensation Caro Emerald returns with a preview of her upcoming new album The Shocking Miss Emerald. Tangled Up opens with oh-so-continental accordions, and like a sequel to Back It Up - the word "up" is not the only similarity here - it's a mix of retro jazz with a modern twist that made her debut album Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor such an unexpected winner. The formula has worn thin here; the record scratches a la Back It Up's "do it again" breakdown sound suddenly dated, and the shakin'/quakin' rhyme reappears.

Most peculiarly of all, she seems to have adopted a more Anglicised vocal, with stiff annunciation that spoils the smooth flow of the song. Perhaps it's a nod to her success in Great Britain, as her first album went platinum here. Either way, Sophie Ellis-Bextor ought to fear for her cut-glass crown. Whilst there's nothing at all Shocking about Emerald's comeback, her second set is likely to be the soundtrack to many a dinner party in 2013.

Vanbot | Hold This Moment

Although Vanbot hit the scene before them, comeback single Hold This Moment is bound to garner them comparisons to BBC Sound of 2012 nominees Niki And The Dove. High-vocal, Swedish sadpop is on the brink of becoming passé, but who can resist a bit of heartache sung over stirring, synth-laden beats? 

Despite not currently belabelled, the duo (for they are two) stride on with preparing a 2nd album after their self-titled 2011 debut. However, with little to set them apart from the rest of the Scandi pack, like Tove Styrke, Rosanna and even Niki and her dove before them, Vanbot are unlikely to see online acclaim translate into sales. Hold This Moment is not a patch on their first single Make Me, Break Me, but it's still worth a few repeat plays before the next "new Robyn" pops up. 

Sky Ferreira | Everything Is Embarrassing

Likely to be new to approximately 0% of Sky Ferreira's fanbase, Everything Is Embarrassing is finally getting a release in the UK on an EP of the same name. Originally featuring on 2012's Ghost EP, this is a slice of of despondent, 80s disheartened pining not too dissimilar to Losing You by Solange, and is the kind of comedown song you listen to after a night out dancing with a broken heart. 

It's her first release on these shores since the criminally overlooked One (#64 in Summer 2010), and although it shares a similarly imploring tone, Everything has a much more mature sound. With an ominous computerised male vocal a la Jessie Ware's If You're Never Gonna Move and subtle instrumentation, it may be too much of a grower to hit big - but it definitely teases great things from her long overdue debut album I'm Not Alright (release date TBC). 

Charli XCX | You (Ha Ha Ha)

Fresh from getting trolled by a Tumblr hater who basically called her a rip-off of "DIY" act Grimes, and compared her unfavourably to fellow major-label act Sky Ferreira (curiously, all 3 of them appeared together on the cover of V Magazine back in the Autumn), Charli XCX releases her 6th (!) single this week.

You (Ha Ha Ha) samples a track by Gold Panda of the same name, and mixes obscenity-laden Kate Nash stroppiness with MIA-style beats. Her vocals shift seamlessly from sung-spoken verses to the triumphant, booming chorus, and is a return to catchy form after the dreary You're The One. This should mark another tiptoe towards the mainstream, in the massive game of Grandmother's Footsteps that is Charli's achingly slow rise to fame. 

First Aid Kit | Emmylou

Channelling the tight-knit harmonies of The Pierces and the wistfulness of a more mature Taylor Swift, up-and-coming folk sister act First Aid Kit are, shockingly, not from the American West but from Sweden. However, the video for their new single Emmylou (yes, Harris) does in fact hail from the deserts of California; a clip that ties in nicely with the country stylings of the track.

Johanna and Karla Söderberg (had I mentioned their names earlier the Scandi link would have been less scandalous) follow Katy Perry's lead with a reference to June and Johnny Cash, music's golden oldies du jour. Unlike The One That Got Away, the duo manage to balance out the twee with enough quirk to work - think Amy MacDonald's This Is Your Life crossed with yet another one of Bat For Lashes's dreams. As they trailer their second album The Lion's Roar, the two-piece asks: "just sing, little darling, sing with me". It shouldn't be long before the likes of Radio 2 will be taking them up on their offer.

Florence + The Machine | What The Water Gave Me

Florence + The Machine whirls back onto the scene with a flick of the lace and a whiff of granny's perfume. Not much has changed here - the lead single from the upcoming (and so far untitled) 2nd album has Florence Welch getting in touch with her inner Virginia Woolf, accompanied by the usual references to drowning and mythical beings. Although What The Water Gave Me (inspired by the Frida Kahlo painting of the same name) starts with a familiar sense of foreboding and builds into a satisfying finish, there's also a distinct lack of stylistic progression. Let's hope the album has something new to offer. Until then, here's the video:

St. Vincent | Surgeon

After 2009's Actor was inspired by Woody Allen and Disney films, it seems St. Vincent is this time taking in James Bond movies for her upcoming 3rd album Strange Mercy. With a hummed intro reminiscent of You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra, the Manhattan-based baroque pop favourite (real name Annie Clark) is up to her usual tricks again. Surgeon lulls you into a false sense of security with comfy vocals, before warped guitars signal a drastic change of pace. Aside from that and the worrying refrain best call a surgeon / come cut me open, it's a kooky but pleasant affair. Listen up below:

Tove Styrke | Call My Name

Following the moody, chic High & Low from earlier on in the year, Swedish Idol 2009 finalist Tove Styrke is taking another stab at UK chart success with Call My Name. Think Robyn's pulsating beats making friends with Sky Ferreira's effervescent charm. The best bits are the echo segments, and there's something strangely reminiscent of Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac in the electronic bleeps and bloops of the chorus. Frolicking on with the 80s feel, I'll be two steps over the water is a cheeky reference to Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush. There's no video as yet, but you can satisfy your ears at least:

Charlotte Gainsbourg | Terrible Angels

The Anglo-French daughter of the infamous 60s smoothie singer Serge Gainsbourg returns this week with the first cut from her upcoming 4th album Stage Whisper. Terrible Angels (no, not a CocoRosie cover) is worlds away from the casual strut of Heaven Can Wait, with all the stomp and circumstance of a Supernature-era Goldfrapp hit. The track, like her last album IRM, is produced once more by Beck, and packs almost as many punches as there are in the video:

Lana Del Rey | Video Games // Blue Jeans

Smokey-voiced American chanteuse Lana Del Rey has all the orchestral drama of Florence + The Machine and the brazen, pouty attitude of Gwen Stefani. Her videos are a mish-mash of movie footage and shots of Lana while her soulful vocals ratchet up the melancholic feel. The lyrics mingle passion with slang (think Littlest Things by Lily Allen), making for a heady concoction of emotion and street smarts. The double A-side single is available for pre-order on her website now, but if you just can't wait 'til the release on 16th October, then keep hitting those Youtube play buttons!

Check out the oddly uplifting Video Games:

And the unexpectedly wistful Blue Jeans:

Dragonette | Easy

The offensively underrated Dragonette soldier on with video #4 from their delectable second album Fixin To Thrill. Following on from the uplifting melancholia of the Pick Up The Phone clip, the Canadian troupe once again lend centre-stage to singer Martina Sobrara, who struts around lights and mirrors in plenty of spondiferous hairstyles. Easy is just the sort of track you need on a rainy day like today – it features the same brooding tone and brutal honesty as You Please Me, with a dash of Another Day-style vulnerability (both tracks feature on their debut album Galore). Yet, if it’s all a smidgen too mid-tempo for your liking, then there’s always the Buffetlibre reinterpretation available for free here.

Alizée | Les Collines (Never Leave You)

The phrase "Catchy foreign language pop song" is likely to strike terror into the ears of any music lover over the age of 6. Not since the heady days of The Ketchup Song and Dragostea Din Tei has such a track garnered popularity on these shores, but fear not – Alizée’s comeback single Les Collines (Never Leave You) is a sensual, enticing little number that, despite being sung half in French and half in English, still manages to get lodged in your head. The chant of "Never wanna leave you (ooh!)" in the chorus makes you instantly fall in love with her – if that won’t then the moody, stylish video surely will.

OneRepublic | All The Right Moves

Though the music video for All  The Right Moves has been out for longer than a month, a single for the track is noticeably absent from their pages on download sites. Instead, their new album Waking Up has been shoved out unceremoniously.  This is surely a shot in the foot for the standalone track, as it deserves to have a release in its own right. With a trademark Ryan Tedder drum beat and everyman lyrics like "do you think I’m special, do you think I’m nice? / Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?", it proves that OneRepublic deserve to finally step out from under the shadow of Timbaland. Gritty, and with a chant of a chorus fit for a football match, this is distinctly less wet than their debut. You’ll note, however, that the Victorian masquerade theme of the video has absolutely nothing to do with the song whatsoever, but all the same it’s still a clip that’s 100% adequate.  

Girls Can't Catch | Keep Your Head Up

With an intro that sounds not too dissimilar to Sam Sparro's Black & Gold, you'd be forgiven for thinking Keep Your Head Up was another naff pop song sampling a classic. And certainly, with auto-tuned verses and a truly awful band name like Girls Can't Catch, the new girlband on the block won't be without their doubters. But anyone who was left weeping at the news of Girls Aloud's one-year hiatus or the end of The Saturdays' Work Tour will find comfort in this track's surging chorus and kitsch lyrics like 'I've had all sorts of fantasies, even romantasies'. Who cares what a  romantasy is. Look! There's one of the girls from Hope! X Factor connections as well? A sure-fire hit I'd say. 4/5.

Beyoncé | Halo

It's not often Beyoncé sings songs she can relate to. Throughout all her big kiss-off hits like Irreplaceable and Single Ladies she was with husband Jay-Z, and after recently stating that she's only ever been with one man (him), she really was in no position to lament about cheating, break-ups or being on her own. At last comes Halo, a song she has no doubt put her heart and soul into given that she's still Crazy In Love with the rapper. A heart-warming delight. 4/5.

Lady Gaga | Poker Face

Just Dance mark II arrives with Lady Gaga's debut single still stuck in our minds. The tribal 'mum-mum-mum-ma's are attention-grabbing, and will never be removed from your mind, but the rest of the song is rather unremarkable. The line 'I'm just bluffing with my muffin' in the bridge should provide a few giggles, but Poker Face is just too repetitive to be anything more than mildly amusing. 3/5.