Why Not Allow Yourself the Acute Devastation of Hayley Williams's Affectionate Lullaby, 'Find Me Here'?

By Maria Sherman | December 18, 2020 | 10:30pm

Entertainment Music

Y: Hayley Williams, “Find Me Here” – In Paramore, her soprano fills a stadium, as a soloist, Hayley Williams’s voice fills a home. Interiority has been Williams’s fascination, long before social distancing made it everyone’s, and that’s clear on “Find Me Here,” an acutely devastating, affectionate lullaby. “As long as I’m loving you, you’ll never be alone / As long as you keep wanting me around,” Williams whispers in the chorus, “But this is one trip you’re gonna have to take alone / When you come back you’ll find me here where I belong.” If it is truly a “self-serenade,” I’m grateful she’s let us in for a listen. —Maria Sherman

No: CupcakKe, “Gum” – On the whole, this song about sucking dick while chewing gum is a delight—no different than anything else in CupcakKe’s imaginatively explicit, super sexual sonic odes—but the chewing sounds at the beginning of the track are the wrong kind of ASMR for me, damn. It’s the first and only time I’ve thought her songs were “gross.” I’m always in awe of her flow, her thrilling descriptions of pussy positive exploits—and I still am—just not those smacking samples in the intro. Am I alone here? It’s perfect if you skip the first 15 seconds. —MS

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Hm, ok: The Avalanches featuring MGMT and Johnny Marr, “The Divine Chord” – The latest Avalanches album, We Will Always Love You, is the Australian electronic duo’s third in 20 years, and also the least sampladelic in their catalog. Still, the overall vibe is one of vague recognitions of deja vu that you might have had, and the shadowed retroism is in full force on this latest single from it—a collab with neo-new wave band MGMT and legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. This one lands somewhere between children’s sing-along and a ‘70s groove, which makes it distinctly vintage Sesame Street in feel. It sounds primed for an uplifting commercial that argues for the joy of capitalism. Could make for a convincing case. —Rich Juzwiak

I like it: Lande Hekt, “December” – When I’m down, I find solace in soft songs about simple thrills: romantic indiepop tunes about friendship usually do the trick, or songs about crushing. Muncie Girls’ singer Lande Hekt’s latest, “December,” is kind of both: “What if it’s you that makes me happy for once?/ What if I tell you that and I get no response?” she posits, and I feel the rush. —MS

1000% Yes: Xylitol, “I Want A Refund” – I’ll listen to (and probably love) anything Kansas City, Missouri label Thrilling Living puts out, and pogo punks Xylitol’s “I’m Pretty Sure I Would Know If Reality Were Fundamentally Different Than I Perceived It To Be” EP is no exception. Every track on the seven-minute release slaps, but “I Want A Refund” speaks to my soul. One listen and I’ve committed, “Nazis use the internet / I want a refund / The world is shit / I want a refund” to memory. Listen loud and often. —MS