10 New Guitar Tracks to Hear This Week

If It Ain’t Me Babe by S.G. Goodman

From her forthcoming debut album produced by Jim James, S.G. Goodman has released her latest single which was penned at Joshua Tree in 2018. Opening with beautiful, tremolo guitar, it has a distincly ‘Nashville’ sound, with brushed drums and percussion reverberated backing vocals.

Alapathy by Fenne Lily

Bristol-based songwriter Fenne Lily has announced her second album BREACH with the release of Alapathy. A simple, four to floor beat is elevated by acoustic guitars and chugging DI’d electrics, with a fuzzy lead melody and enthralling vocals. BREACH was recorded with Brian Deck at Chicago’s Narwhal Studios, with further work at Electrical Audio alongside Steve Albini.

Fake Empire by Molly Tuttle

The award-winning guitarist and songwriter has returned with a stark collection of acoustic covers recorded during lockdown. Here she covers The National’s Fake Empire from their seminal album Boxer. The track features an intricate polyrhythm throughout, which Tuttle masters with her right hand technique.

Racing Stripes (Acoustic) by Bombay Bicycle Club

Part of their forthcoming EP Two Lives, due out in late July, the recently reformed quartet have reimagined another track from their latest album Everything Else Has Gone Wrong. With guest vocals from Billie Marten and Liz Lawrence, the song takes on a darker tone in acoustic form, with downtrodden guitars and sultry vocals from Steadman.

Rare Air by Mildlife

Heavenly Recording’s newest band have announced their forthcoming sophomore album with a video for the single Rare Air. Opening with a synth-heavy guitar melody it then drops to a groovy, smooth jazz verse akin to Steely Dan or Robert Fripp. The vinyl pressing of Automatic also features a special locked groove section near the end – allowing the album to infinitely loop without intervention.

Gasoline by HAIM

Heard on the LA trio’s new and genre-bending third LP Women In Music Pt. III, the latest single was premiered via a live performance on Instagram. Featuring raked Strat tones interlaced with jaunty, parlour style piano, it lifts in the chorus with an undeniably 90s melody that would comfortably fit on a Shania Twain record. Skip to 2:28 for an achingly cool and laid-back guitar solo.

Agoraphobia (Official Acoustic) by Incubus

Originally released as part of 2004’s A Crow Left Of The Murder in response to the 9/11 attacks, the song has taken on new meaning during the coronavirus pandemic. Stripped back to just acoustic guitar and vocals, Einziger’s intricate guitar work on his vintage Gibson still echoes the more abrassive tonality heard from his Jazzmaster on the original recording. The new version is also spliced with black-and-white visuals of Jacques Drouin’s 1975 animation, Mindscape.

Cradle Rock by Joe Bonamassa

On the 20th anniversary of the virtuoso’s debut album, Bonamassa has opted to dig out the original masters for a remix and has re-recorded the vocals to celebrate the milestone. Remixed by Kevin Shirley, Bonamassa has revealed that the re-recording is in homage to Tom Dowd, who produced the first album. Full of Bonmassa’s signature blues-rock pomp, it’s easy to see why this opening track was a precursor to an astounding career.

Desert Rambler by Hum

Their first release in 22 years, Inlet might be perceived as a comeback or reunion tour album, but it still feels totally relevant and is arguably one of their best works. Across nine minutes, Desert Rambler opens with a rupture of guitars – sludge, doom and brutal are words that all come to mind, as Matt Talbot’s vocals are twisted through vocal effects and processing akin to Mogwai and Sabbath in equal measure.

DM-100 by Candace

Focussing and refining the sound heard on their New Ruins LP, Portland’s Candace have bettered that with their latest offering, Ideal Corners. The second track on their new album, DM-100, is built on sweet, ethereal guitar melodies swirling around heartbreaking vocals and harmonies and bass guitar drowning in chorus.