The UK’s Lots Of Hands have been tapping into the quiet but eccentric indie delight of Alex G with their into a pretty room singles. “masquerade” is the prettiest yet, despite being marketed as their most political song to date; most listeners wouldn’t have guessed such a thing, because the soft guitars and bubbling synths lend a sense of intimacy that feels relievingly closed-off from the real world. —Danielle

Couplet comprises members of You Blew It! and Into It. Over It., but the supergroup trio is a pretty far cry from the stylistically punctuated world of 2010s emo-punk that birthed them. “Tabby Cat,” the opener to Couplet’s new EP, supplements the guitar twinkle with anxiously-skittering electronica beats. It apparently recalls a disorienting, mildly humiliating experience: “My face flooded tomato red with my mouth agape when I sang, ‘Me?’” Tanner Jones murmurs. “I don’t know what I’m looking for/ I don’t know what I’m working towards.” You can almost picture a Cheshire smile appearing, pointing you towards some ambiguous direction. —Abby

Last month, Superheaven returned with the colossal “Long Gone,” the grunge group’s first new song in nine years. Now, they’re following it up with “Numb To What Is Real,” another reverb-drenched tidal wave that brings ’90s alt-rock bands like Hum to mind. The chorus is massive, with surging guitars and Jacob Clarke’s withdrawn drawl, making us all hope that 2025 will have Superheaven’s long-awaited third album. —Danielle

“Julie” was promoted as the centerpiece of Horsegirl’s new album, and I can see why. The paean to an unrequited crush courses with the anxious, fluttery feeling that tends to accompany such an attraction. At the center of a minimal arrangement that suggests the young Chicago band (or rather their label, Matador Records) got their money’s worth when hiring Cate Le Bon to produce, Penelope Lowenstein’s vocals are mesmerizing. “I wish I could tell you what you want,” she pines, her heartsickness as palpable as her indie-pop record collection. I was impressed with the style and execution of Horsegirl’s debut, but songs as great as this one suggest it was only the beginning of their ascent. —Chris

I forget how great Hamilton Leithauser’s voice is sometimes. I mean, I know how great it is. I’ve known for decades. Maybe you have, too. But when you’re not ready for it, that voice can surprise you. The once-again Walkmen frontman hasn’t released a solo album in almost five years, and he dropped this track into the world with minimal promo. The intro keeps going for a full minute before you even hear that voice. But when that voice arrives, it’s enough to spin you around and knock you down. “This Side Of The Island” is Leithauser’s lament for a country that’s going in increasingly fucked-up directions, and the raw fire of his modulated yelp cuts through all the rich layers of keyboard and guitar and horn all aorund him. It’s enough to make me stop forgetting. —Tom