Songs of the week: Aaradhna, Benee, and Beastwars’ Marlon Williams’ metal makeover

By Beastwars

Does doing an album of NZ cover versions make Beastwars the metal When the Cat’s Away? Well they do have a brewery sponsoring the whole hot-rodding shebang and they’re out on tour this month. Just a thought. The album is now out with its third single Marlon Williams’ already quite gothic Dark Child given a ritual burial in a cathedral’s worth of rubble. It’s about the same pace as the original but with more jackhammers and less crooning. Grim but neat. – Russell Baillie

By Aaradhna

Indian-Samoan soul and R’n’B star Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel has certainly kept us waiting, it’s been six years since she last released anything, and now two tracks almost simultaneously. There is the untitled spoken word piece on YouTube and now this, a wooing, trancelike slice of soul R’n’B, both of which have tabla and elements from her Indian heritage. This slow burner announces a new album due soon. Sounds very promising and more deeply spiritual than where she’s been in the past. – Graham Reid

by Thomas Powers

The debut solo album by the Naked and Famous frontman is gearing up to put pause on the electronica synth-pop with the old band. Instead, he’s exploring some softer James Blake-esque, bedroom pop with classical undertones. Falling down the stairs is the second single that will appear on his LP set to release early next year. It has some very layered and dynamic production for such an understated song, which pushes it along at a nice pace. Rob Moose, arranger-to-the-stars-of-indiedom (Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers), handled the strings sprinkled throughout the track and featured more earnestly in the outro. – Alana Rae

By Phoenix feat. BENEE, Chad Huge & Pusha T