Loraine James’ Bandcamp-only EP New Year’s Substitution 3 maintains a consistent vibe throughout, conjuring that phase when holiday melancholia gives way to midwinter doldrums. But it covers a good deal of ground stylistically thanks to a wisely curated slate of collaborators. On closing track “December Blues // -_-,” that procession of guests concludes with Copenhagen’s cult-beloved ML Buch, whose Suntub channels the essence of a Y2K-era CD-ROM into surreal hypnotic guitar-pop. James deploys Buch’s sonic point of view as a scene-setter here, letting her cycle through a snaking Mk.gee-esque riff against an uncanny rock backdrop until you’re in a trance. Then the beat drops out, and we’re left with James at her sparsest and quietest, conveying the essence of that emoticon from the song title in plaintive chords and whispers. —Chris

“Everyone told us that releasing a song at midnight on New Years Eve was crazy and we agreed with them — so that is why we did it!” Thursday wrote about the triumphant post-hardcore anthem “Taking Inventory Of A Frozen Lake” on Instagram. Though the band has been sharing their first new tunes in 13 years, it genuinely sounds like they never left. The guitars crash with dark melodrama and Geoff Rickly sings, shouts, and even screams like his life depends on it. It’s an impassioned, blazing start to 2025, and hopefully we’ll hear more from them this year. —Danielle

Dean Blunt crossed a lot of people’s ears for the first time via his lo-fi collaborations with similarly low-profile artists, many of which will take you more than a Spotify search to find. (I’m personally partial to The Attitude Era with Igna Copeland.) Over a decade and lots more media coverage later, Blunt went back to his enigmatic roots this week with a surprise project called Lucre, a team-up with fellow electronic producer Vegyn and Iceage singer Elias Rønnenfelt. As of now, it’s only available to stream on YouTube as a single track.

There are no timestamps or song titles on Lucre, but the 1:30-minute mark ushers in some warbled synths and off-kilter guitars. The only thing that sounds like it was recorded live is Rønnenfelt’s perennially-slurred vocals, bringing a sense of raw, hot-blooded emotion to an artist otherwise shrouded in mystery. —Abby

Some of the dreamiest dream-pop in recent memory comes from Los Angeles’ Goon and their new single “Death Spells.” Of all the newer, younger bands whose indie rock feels indebted to Alex G, Goon sound the most like they’ve studied his predecessors, too: The lush guitars are plucked straight out of Mazzy Star’s discography, the feathery vocals call to mind those of Elliott Smith, and the piano and glockenspiel embellishments carry the spirit of Sparklehorse. All together, “Death Spells” isn’t earth-shattering, but it does make a moment on Earth a hell of a lot more pleasant. —Abby

What a way to start a year. Ever since Jane Remover arrived on our collective radar, her music has been impossible to pin down. “JRJRJR” is a song about being impossible to pin down, if it’s about anything at all. Jane Remover talks about wanting to change her face, her name, her city. She talks about crying onstage and rehearsing music that she hates. She tells us that there’s two white horses following her, that she feels like Jesus in the moshpit. All the while, the music explodes all around her — glitchy shards of digital sound shattering and glittering, almost-rap cadences fed through so many digital filters that they barely feel human. It’s overwhelming music about being overwhelmed. Welcome to your terrible future. —Tom