Songs you need to hear is CBC Music’s weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.
Scroll down to discover the songs our producers are loving right now.
‘You Make My Dreams (Come True),’ Arkells
Arkells just released Disco Loadout Volume I, a covers album that finds the Hamilton band in fun, new territory. Full of pop, Motown, country and rock hits, the album’s tracklist ranges from Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” to Harry Styles’ “As it Was.” But it’s on the rendition of Hall & Oates’ irresistible bop “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” that Arkells seem to naturally find their groove. They’ve sped up the tempo a touch, making the already peppy number even more upbeat, and the raspy smokiness of lead singer Max Kerman’s voice lends itself well to the ’80s big-band sound. It’s raucous, over-the-top and bursting with energy, ready to be added to any road-trip playlist this summer. — Kelsey Adams
‘Confusion Song,’ Luna Li
I thought we were taking space,
Held my heart in a suspended place,
Never said that I missed your face.
Can love regenerate?
Toronto singer-songwriter Luna Li is back with the announcement of her sophomore album, and with it comes a lush pop meditation on the breakup recovery period. “Confusion Song” was written during a time of big changes, when Luna Li (a.k.a. Hannah Bussiere Kim) broke up with her partner of eight years, and moved from Toronto to Los Angeles. The song, co-produced by Andrew Lappin and Monsune, fuses a waterfall of keys and synths with an addictive guitar line as Kim’s voice floats above the dreamy soundscape, softening the sharp edges of her words. “It’s the stream of consciousness that my mind went through following a breakup; the denial your subconscious and body can have for a while when that one person won’t be in your life anymore,” explained Kim. When a Thought Grows Wings, the followup to Luna Li’s 2022 Juno-nominated debut album, Duality, will be out Aug. 23. — Holly Gordon
‘Watershedding,’ Super Duty Tough Work
Super Duty Tough Work’s expanded edition of 2023’s Paradigm Shift arrives in June, and the first B-side from the project, “Watershedding,” picks up where the hip-hop group left off. MC Brendan Grey tackles themes of genocide, corporate hypocrisy and more while still getting in some witty remarks: “My style is like the black adder meets the Black Panthers,” he raps before launching into a tirade about the superficiality of posting black squares on Instagram. It’s an explosive track that skips over pleasantries, with bright saxophone and jazzy drumming punctuating Grey’s thoughts. Afro-Iraqi musician Ahmed Moneka provides alluring harmonies, creating a tenderness that contrasts beautifully with the song’s earnest messaging. The verses are sharp and the lyrics are tight — it’s Super Duty Tough Work sounding the alarm against injustice once again. — Natalie Harmsen
‘Green Morning,’ Bobby Bazini
“Green Morning” is the third of four songs on Bobby Bazini’s EP Stone of June, a followup to 2023’s full-length, Pearl. Bazini traces the song’s origins to the children’s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown in which a rabbit enumerates the objects in his bedroom that make him happy before going to sleep — “a ritual of gratitude that the author employed to combat depression,” Bazini explained. “In recent years, I’ve suffered more difficult moments yet despite everything that was wrong, I had to remind myself I already had everything I needed — maybe even more.” He said “Green Morning” is a mantra that combats dark days: “Green, green morning, to the goodbye moon/ so as not to forget to keep gratitude in my life, from morning to night.” The song was co-written and produced by Connor Seidel, and its acoustic, rootsy sound — they recorded it with the studio’s windows open! — combined with Bazini’s signature raspy vocals, recall Nico & Vinz’s best moments. And speaking of gratitude, you’ll appreciate the delightful harp (played by Éveline Rousseau) that ushers the song out. — Robert Rowat
‘The Love it Took to Leave You,’ Colin Stetson
On Sept. 13, saxophonist Colin Stetson will return with The Love it Took to Leave You, his first solo album since 2017. Its title track is both our first glimpse at the upcoming release and perhaps a familiar composition for fans who have seen Stetson perform live in recent years, as it’s been a staple in his setlist. (This official version was recorded in early 2023 at Montreal’s Darling Foundry.) Featuring his signature circular breathwork and intricately layered performance on alto saxophone — a technical feat that results in a stunning synthesis between body and instrument — “The Love it Took to Leave You” is a shining example of what Stetson does best. An emotional piece that builds momentum over the course of almost eight minutes, the track is “a love letter to self and to solitude and to tall old trees that sway and creak in the wind and rain,” Stetson explained in a statement. We often connote being alone with a sense of emptiness, but on “The Love it Took to Leave You,” Stetson reveals the dazzling dimensions that lie within us. — Melody Lau
‘Baby Has a Frown,’ Ouri
Ouri is back again with another spellbinding blend of instrumental and electronic composition. The Montreal producer and multi-instrumentalist was last on our radar after releasing her 2023 EP, I had a dream you were my sister, a joint project with fellow Montrealer Antoniya. It was infinitely textural, with layers of electronic and natural sounds that crafted a tapestry of deconstructed dance music. Ouri has released a handful of singles since, all flexing her left-field production style. “Baby Has a Frown” follows in a similar vein, as spaced-out synths dance with delicate harp plucking to create a coy, pleading melody while she sings enticingly, the verses looping over and over. “This song is an infinite dance of polarities,” Ouri shared in a statement. “I wanted it to feel like a mantra and a choreographed pursuit. A slow and deep euphoria playing on loop in your head.” There’s a meditative quality to the music and once you’re in its thrall, there’s no getting out. — KA