Spinal

Each week, our Songs of the Week column highlights the best new tracks from the last seven days. This week, we’re celebrating the newly-released Spinal Tap II and its Paul McCartney-featuring rework of “Cups and Cakes.”

Much like their new movie Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the new album from the greatest fictional rock band of all time draws a lot on the past as well as the future. There are multiple original tracks on The End Continues, but also featured are a few covers of Spinal Tap classics, including Elton John on “(Listen to the) Flower People” and the previously released “Stonehenge,” as well as Paul McCartney leading a new version of “Cups and Cakes” that brings with it a delightful meta element.

“Cups and Cakes” was originally released on the 1984 mockumentary’s soundtrack (though never heard in the film), and in a 2009 interview with The AV Club, Spinal Tap star Michael McKean admitted to being “a little sentimental” about it, referring to the song as “kind of like their string-laden ‘Eleanor Rigby’ sound.” So what could be better than having a gosh-darn Beatle guest on it?

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The album version is, naturally, much more produced than the rendition heard in the movie, which features McCartney sitting in on a jam session with the band as they squabble over chords. In both cases, though, it’s genuinely delightful to witness one of rock’s great legends engaging with Spinal Tap as if they are the rock legends that… Well, maybe technically, they are. They did just release a new album, after all, their fourth studio album to date, and are still playing together after literal decades. Not so many bands can say the same.

Perhaps part of that longevity is thanks to the band not being too precious about sticking to any specific genre or format: In that AV Club interview, McKean did note that “Cups and Cakes” is “certainly not textbook Spinal Tap,” but it does represent the lads playing around while maybe lightly parodying The Kinks, with all the goofy instrumental flourishes you could ever ask for. It speaks to a massive part of the sequel film’s charm — the way it showcases how McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest are still finding the joy in making music together, after these years. (Also, after listening to it more than a few times… I’m now craving a traditional British teatime.)

— Liz Shannon Miller
Senior Entertainment Editor

dust — “Alastair”

Australian rock quintet dust have a gem with “Alastair,” their new song and the latest from their upcoming debut album Sky Is Falling (out 10/10). It starts off in dreamland with crystalline guitars, a winding bass line, and a beach pop feel. They reach their stride in the chorus, oscillating between a more driven approach and a resigned haze. Then, the band collapses into a fraught, fuzzy groove for the outro, the drums escalating in energy while co-vocalist Justin Teale squeezes in one last verse. Even in their sweetest modes, dust have no problem complicating their sound to keep us on our toes. Looking for another great rock band with a saxophonist? They’re right here. — Paolo Ragusa

Rachel Bobbitt — “Hush”

Rachel Bobbitt has shared “Hush,” the latest offering from her upcoming debut album Swimming Towards the Sand (out 10/17). Keeping with the album’s oceanic theme, “Hush” is a buoyant, tender dream pop cut, the wading of waters symbolized by the ebb and flow of Bobbitt’s melodies. Most stark is the chorus, where Bobbitt is surrounded by thick harmonies, too sour for serenity but full enough to elicit powerful emotions. When she enters a full-voiced belt, like when she sings “Eye to eye,” she sounds like no one else. — P. Ragusa

Rapsody, Madlib — “Avon Thru the Wire”

Rapsody has always been in a league of her own. On “Avon Thru the Wire,” a textured, soulful track of pensiveness inspired by the character Avon Barksdale from the revered HBO series The Wire, Rapsody manipulates her voice to tell an evocative story of multiple characters. Opening with a pitched-down vocal, Rapsody takes on the role of a hustler contemplating the consequences of getting caught up in the street life, and expressing appreciation for a longtime friend who reserved judgment. The North Carolina rapper blends the deepened voice with her own natural tone, weaving a narrative of personal reflection and emphasizing the importance of support among people of different trajectories. “It’s for you to believe, it’s for you to achieve/ It’s still time for you/ For your life, I never grieved,” Rapsody spits near the end. Not unlike The Wire itself, Rapsody uses this song to stress the importance of seeing flawed individuals as humans in need of compassion and grace. — Kiana Fitzgerald

Ragana, Drowse — “In Eternal Woods Pts. 2-3”

Labelmates and fellow gloomy music makers Ragana and Drowse have officially joined forces for a full-length project. Their collaborative album, Ash Souvenir, drops November 14th on The Flenser, and judging by the lead single, avant-metal heads are in for a treat. Enticingly titled “In Eternal Woods Pts. 2-3,” the track is crushing, heavy, and incredibly emotive. There are hints of black metal in the tremolo guitars and the guttural screams of the lead vocals, while the back half offers brief glimpses of Drowse’s more atmospheric, slow-core tendencies. All the while, lyrics dealing with loss, love, and sacred places match the instrumental’s epic scope. — Jonah Krueger

Rochelle Jordan — “Sweet Sensation”

Rochelle Jordan is mounting her comeback. The British-Canadian singer-songwriter has been teasing her upcoming album, Through the Wall, since this spring. Her latest offering, “Sweet Sensation,” is yet another instance of Jordan firing a flare gun into the night sky, signaling her highly anticipated return. She hasn’t released an original album since 2021’s Play With the Changes, and prior to that, her breakthrough album 1021 was released in 2014.

Jordan may be sparing in her musical output, but every time she chooses to let us into her creative world, we learn more about what drives her. “Sweet Sensation” feels like an homage to Evelyn “Champagne” King, Cherrelle, and other R&B divas of the ’80s. With West Coast legend DāM-FunK and Jordan’s longtime creative director and executive producer KLSH behind the boards, the song is carried by a rugged bass line, twinkling production, and Jordan’s airy, sensual vocals. Settling squarely in the space of disco-inflected pop&B, “Sweet Sensation” sounds like a summer vibe, despite its near-fall release date. Not to worry: Just play this on repeat for the next 9 months. — K. Fitzgerald

TiaCorine — “Backyard” featuring JID

When TiaCorine released her viral single “FreakyT” in 2022, she put us all on alert and let us know what to expect. On that song, we learned the North Carolina rapper is a grown-ass woman who’s not afraid to talk about her wants and desires. TiaCorine keeps that exact same energy on the JID-assisted “Backyard,” the latest single dropped ahead of her forthcoming album CORINIAN. Over propulsive production that features thrumming bass and a looped soulful interjection, TiaCorine pops her shit about her preferences and capabilities in the bedroom. JID understands the assignment, contributing lyrics like “I stand up in this bih, I’m like the governor in Atlanta/ Put a planet on my wrist, she made a puddle in the passenger.” While the song largely caters to carnal impulses, both artists still find the time to establish themselves as sought-after MCs who can spit amongst the best in their field.  — K. Fitzgerald