One of the great perks of working at What Hi-Fi? is that you get to spend a lot of time listening to music on the best, and occasionally the not-so-great, audio products on the market. At any given moment in time, you can all but guarantee that at least one member of our expert team is banging out a bit of Brahms on a pair of big-money floorstanders while another is putting a budget Bluetooth speaker through its paces using a lovely slice of, say, Elliott Smith. And vice versa.
The more music we listen to, the more insight we gain into how a given piece of audio equipment is performing. It's a rather pleasing symbiosis: the equipment aims to bring the most from the music and the right music strives to get the most from the equipment. We're also a team of music lovers, of course, with our team's music tastes, as you'll see, spanning a wide variety of genres, artists and styles.
For this inaugural edition of 'Now Playing', we've got some real doozies. From perennial test room classics to the freshest records we think you should be checking out as a matter of priority, this is What Hi-Fi?’s Now Playing playlist.
- Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal
Neon Signs by The Weather Station
Ignorance by The Weather Station, the folk project of Toronto's Tamara Lindeman, became one of my go-to test albums in 2022, the year after it was released, and the band's just-dropped Humanhood record could well be a frontrunner for that feat this year. Folk doesn't really cut it as a full descriptor, by the way, as jazz, ambient and pop influence consistently mature musicianship and friendly, soothing hooks, Lindeman's dulcet vocal and relatable lyrics pulling you into her soul-searching: "Every neon sign every flashing light tries to fool you / Get you on their side, everybody swears they need you / And only you to make the buy," she sings in the album's first single, Neon Signs.
If you want to dig deeper into Humanhood, nowhere is her discography-spanning 'sound' and the album's theme of reconnecting with herself and the modern world better captured than on Window – or maybe it is. I'm only on my second listen and we all know how initial grasps at impressions can make way for more enlightened grips upon repeat plays. Still, I've heard enough to know that Humanhood is a journey I'm excited to have before me.
Words by Becky Roberts
If I Can't Change Your Mind by Sugar
“Tears fill up my eyes, I’m washed away with sorrow / And somewhere in my mind I know there’s no tomorrow.. Sugar’s If I Can’t Change Your Mind, arguably the standout track on 1992’s seminal release Copper Blue, opens on a story of anguish and sorrow. Lead vocalist Bob Mould’s heart has been broken, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t convince his estranged paramore to rid herself of the paranoia that has led to their romance's demise.
Not that you’d necessarily know it from the song’s instrumentation. Peppy, propulsive and even downright 'jangly', it’s just about the most perfect slice of ‘90s indie pop-rock that’s ever found its way across the airwaves. Perfectly produced and catchy almost to a fault, its paradoxical blend of upbeat instrumentation and heart-torn lyricism will have your system working overtime.
Words by Harry McKerrell
Risingson by Massive Attack
We might as well get it out of the way early. You just knew that something from Massive Attack’s Mezzanine was going to surface sooner or later, with the Bristol outfit’s 1998 release standing as the de facto Rosetta Stone of test records. Go to any hi-fi show or convention and I guarantee that someone somewhere will be playing Angel, Teardrop or Inertia Creeps as a way of showcasing the best (or worst) that their shiny new speakers have to offer.
Risingson is the track I’ve been enjoying this week, partly as it provides a break from the comforting shores of Teardrop and partly because it’s a stellar sampler in its own right, playing not only with differing textures and soundscapes but with dynamic fluctuations in a way that many of the other superlative tracks on Mezzanine don’t quite manage.
Eerie and sparse one moment, fuzzy and chugging the next, it’s a tricky tune to get into, but once you’re in, you’re in.
Words by Harry McKerrell
Someone Who Can by Coheed And Cambria
If you’re of a certain age (the middle kind), Coheed And Cambria were probably a part of your teenage years’ soundtrack, as well as the entry point into the exciting world of prog rock. I still listen to their iconic early works to this day, but this month I was delighted to see there’s still life in the band yet with the launch of a trio of new singles to promote Coheed And Cambria’s soon-to-be-released new album in March, The Father Of Make Believe.
My favourite of the new trio is Someone Who Can. Featuring catchy guitar riffs coupled with singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez’s immediately recognisable vocals, the moment I heard the track it felt like I was time-warped back into my teenage self’s bedroom and was head bopping along with an ear-to-ear smile across my face. On top of that, the track has a message I can 100 per cent connect with. Specifically, as Sanchez said in an interview with Kerrang!: “Over time, it’s comforting to reach the conclusion that you’ll never truly have things figured out.”
If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, Someone Who Can is one of the best-produced tracks ever made by the band, with its rocking rhythm guitar complemented by space-age shimmering lead and synth parts and a banging rhythm section that will really showcase what your audio set-up is capable of.
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Downtown by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
If you want something funky and a whole lot of fun to put your system to the test, might I interest you in this 2015 track from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis?
Featuring hip-hop royalty Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee and Melle Mel, Downtown is a track about, er, a moped, but stick with it because the entertaining lyrics (and accompanying music video) should put a smile on your face.
The track wastes no time grabbing your attention with a hugely satisfying bass drop at the start of the track. It’s a great test of your speaker’s ability to deliver weight and texture, and the rest of the track’s bassline is appealingly punchy and foot-tappingly addictive too, shining a spotlight on your system’s ability to follow a tune.
Add a broad, expansive presentation and a soaring vocal during the chorus and your system’s dynamic skills will be stretched. The trumpets, piano and cowbell that occasionally burst into sonic view can sound harsh-edged on a poorer-performing system, making the track a real test of your set-up's all-round ability.
Words by Andy Madden
Buy This Unruly Mess I've Made on Amazon
Maria También by Khruangbin
I was in a musical rut last year, but our content director Joe Cox dragged me out of it by recommending Khruangbin and, despite us having wildly different music tastes, I was hooked immediately. 2018’s Con Todo El Mundo is the album I have on repeat the most, with the Texan trio’s meld of Middle Eastern influences, psychedelic funk, surf rock and ultra-smooth fluidity evoking a hazy, meandering, timeless vibe that you can dip in and out of at your leisure.
Maria También is the track that noodles its way into my brain frequently, with the honey-toned guitars twanging melodically and having sharper intent and urgency; the rhythm section is taut, snappy and agile, while the whispered vocals add further texture to the funky, dusty feel of the tune. Regardless of whether you’re listening on vinyl or via streaming, it sounds best on a system that can reveal layers of texture, has a strong handle on rhythm and dynamics, and is just a touch on the warm, rich side of the sonic balance.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
Buy Con Todo El Mundo on Amazon
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