'Missed Connection,' 'Sally Walker,' and More New Singles

“Missed Connection” – The Head and the Heart

The Head and the Heart undergoes a shape-shift on the indie powerhouse’s latest single, “Missed Connection.” Ambition and artistry come together on the track to produce a lyrically smooth, bass-heavy track with a distinct sleekness. What really differentiates the track from the band’s past tracks is the up-tempo rock beat, a welcome-departure from the slow-burning “Rivers and Roads” or folkish “Lost in My Mind.”

An echoing a cappella intro of “na na na nas rings in the groovy bassline of the track before lead singer Josiah Joseph slips into the catchy first verse. Adopting a range of vocals throughout the track, Joseph aptly recounts a haunting missed connection that leaves the singer grasping for any semblance of the brief yet visceral memory—“sunny days,” “a purple dress,” and “the heat” are just a few traces of the moment that weave their way through the lyrics.

The first single off The Head and the Heart’s upcoming album Living Mirage, “Missed Connection” leaves listeners with a desire to deep-dive into the band’s vibrant new sound.

“Sally Walker” – Iggy Azalea

Upon hearing the opening beat of Iggy Azalea’s “Sally Walker,” you might mistake it for a bonus track from The Lonely Island’s satirical Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. When the abject ingenuity of the track shows itself in the first verse—which is really just the first iteration of the chorus consisting of the lyrics to the classic children’s song “Little Sally Walker”—however, you’re sure Andy Samberg would never commission such a trainwreck of a song. An over-produced bass-heavy beat and over-sexualized embellishments of a children’s track lament the song as another flop for the fringe rapper.

“Baby Mine” – Arcade Fire

“Baby Mine,” Arcade Fire’s contribution to the soundtrack for Tim Burton’s upcoming Dumbo, is dreamy in the way a children’s film about an adorable elephant should be. The indie rock group gives the classic Betty Noyes track a modern update with the lulling, bordering-on-heavenly acoustic guitar and brushed drum beat. Adding to the cinematic quality of the cover, the husband and wife fronting duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne effortlessly gloss over the symphony of genuine, yet simple lyrics.