Welcome to Future Sounds! Every Wednesday Ghettoblaster brings you a handful of singles from upcoming albums to excite and entice your ears.  Below you’ll find songs that really stand out as essential listening.  So please sit back, relax and treat yourself to some seriously great music.

Night Flowers – “Glow in the Dark”

“Glow in the Dark” is a fantastic jangly, atmospheric pop song from Night Flowers. The guitars shimmer and propel the song forward as the wonderful vocals of Sophia Pettit sing a sweet as sugar melody that you’ll be humming or whistling all day. This is the type of dreamy song to get lost in and float along with, getting better and better with each listen.  The accompanying music video matches the mood of the song perfectly. Multiple images overlay one another as Pettit walks the streets of Tokyo at night, which really adds to the dreaminess of the track. “Glow in the Dark” will be released as a single with b/w “Amy” by Dirty Bingo Records on 7-15.

Field Mouse – “The Mirror”

Field Mouse have surrounded themselves with good company.  Their new album, Episodic, was produced by Joe Reinhart, a member of the band Hop Along, and features guest appearances from members of Speedy Ortiz, Swearin’ and Cymbals Eat Guitars.  Their first single from the album is “The Mirror” and if it is any indication of what is to come they definitely belong alongside those great bands.  This is a fast and short song that burns along and leaves you wanting more.  Aggressive guitars mix with driving bass and drums with soft, yet hard vocals from Rachel Browne.  Episodic is out 8-5 on Topshelf Records and is definitely one to look forward to.

Bat for Lashes – “Joe’s Dream”

Bat for Lashes excels at making beautifully gloomy ballads and “Joe’s Dream” is another example of this.  Lyrically the song is at times a very earnest declaration of love and at others a surreal interpretation of dreams and possible doom.  Listening to it is an incredibly vivid and cinematic experience.  One does not just hear this song; you see it, hear it and feel it.  It really is a beautiful short story with a literary feel, while never compromising musicality.  Subtly brooding guitar mixes with a steady heartbeat like drum and other percussive touches, reinforcing the beauty and foreboding of the vocal performance.  Bat for Lashes new album, The Bride, is a concept album out on 7-1 from Parlophone.  The story follows an engaged couple near their wedding day and the resulting accident that occurs en route to their wedding.  “Joe’s Dream” asserts itself as a reason to look forward to hearing the whole story as told by songwriter Natasha Khan.  This is definitely one to look forward to.   

Mai Lan – “Technique”

Strap yourselves in for a truly fascinating, quite strange, yet totally awesome electro-pop song. “Technique” finds Mai Lan repeating words that she enjoys the sound of in a seemingly disjointed stream of consciousness; however, what results is a look at the mundanity of life and how technology has over taken every aspect of it.  It’s a really smart, tongue-in-cheek pop song executed to perfection. The music video adds an element of surrealism to the song as Mai Lan and dancers perform offbeat choreography with the camera shooting from all over the place and some animated elements thrown in for good measure. “Technique” is a head scratcher at first and doesn’t reveal its greatness right away, yet given time it will be on repeat for fans of strong electro-pop. As of right now there is no word on an album from Mai Lan, but hopefully one is forthcoming.