The Northern Express Herald

The Listener’s Songs of the Week: Tracks by Peggy Gou, Luke Buda, and Orville Peck with Willie Nelson

New Zealand Listener

Left to right: Peggy Gou, Willie Nelson, Orville Peck and Luke Buda. Photos / Supplied

1+1=11

By Peggy Gou

South Korean-born, Berlin-based electronica artist Peggy Gou has been dubbed by Rolling Stone as the “coolest DJ in the world”. High praise and aptly worded. Her new single 1+1=11 from her upcoming debut album I Hear You feels just that – cool. It’s not trying to force an emotional pinnacle that isn’t there, instead it settles on a delicate, focused melody. It’s deep and moody but not intimidating. – Alana Rae


Very Special Feelings

by Luke Buda

Glistening, astral, dream pop from the solo Phoenix Foundation singer-guitarist Luke Buda who says of this polished-up version of a song he found in his vaults: “As usual the fun is tinged with gloom and the simplicity is not as simple as it seems. That’s just how I roll”. True dat. – Graham Reid


Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other

By Orville Peck and Willie Nelson

First “Cowboy Carter” now a revival of the hilarious terrific ode to rawhide gay pride from Orville Peck and Willie Nelson. They sure are messin’ with Texas. The song was originally written in the 1980s by Ned Sublette and was previously covered by Nelson in 2006 in the wake of Brokeback Mountain. It was only a matter of time before Orville Peck made it his own and doing it with Great Uncle Willie is very sweet. – Russell Baillie


Dream State

By Kamasi Washington and André 3000