Kevin Bronson on August 11th, 2021

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Here’s a quartet of new singles, courtesy of Slothrust, Film School, Cherry Glazerr and Blame My Youth …

SLOTHRUST, “The Next Curse”

Heavy rock with a heavy message: The follow-up to “One More for the Ocean,” Slothrust’s “The Next Curse” tackles global issues. “‘The Next Curse’ is a song about how even in a time when we see our planet on fire and flooding, we still don’t take the time we need to heal ourselves,” bandleader Leah Wellbaum says. “These circumstances begin to mirror each other in a self-perpetuating cycle. It is my desire that humans as a species work toward less violence and more compassion for one another despite differences. I hope we can show this kindness to planet Earth as well and treat her like the magical, generous being she is.” Slothrust gets an assist from Lzzy Hale of Halestorm on the song, the latest from Slothrust’s fifth album, “Parallel Timeline,” out Sept. 10.

FILM SCHOOL, “Said Your Name”

A month after introducing their sixth full length, “We Weren’t Here” (out Sept. 24) with the singles “Isla” and “Superperfection,” shoegaze/dream-pop warriors Film School return with the intoxicating single “Said Your Name,” which features vocals from Noël Brydebell of Wild Signals. “This is probably my favorite track on the album,” Greg Bertens says. “So many breakup songs are about fucking over, or getting fucked over. The ensuing anger can almost make that type of breakup easier; it’s black and white. This isn’t that. This is about a couple that still loves one another, but are changing as individuals and unable to align. I love the way Noël’s vocals glide over the top and gently lead the listener through this breakup, she really captures the situation.”

CHERRY GLAZERR, “Soft Drink”

With last year’s “Rabbit Hole” and then “Big Bang” early this year, Clementine Creevy has steered Cherry Glazerr into the unsteady waters of synth-pop. “Soft Drink” continues that journey. “I started with that synth line,” Creevy says of writing the track, which was co-produced by Suzy Shinn. “It just popped into my head while I was driving and I like frantically recorded it into my voice memos while driving to the beach kind of down by Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. I was randomly obsessed with the song ‘Naive’ by the Kooks and kind of listening to it a lot, and I think that sound crept in a little. The song is about yearning for some validation. Sometimes all you need is company and you’re not looking for anything specific, just someone to dance with. It was a lonely year obviously …”

BLAME MY YOUTH, “Tentacles”

The new single from the solo project of Sean Van Vleet (ex-Empires) will grab you. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) The follow-up to “Fantastic” and “Dance With My Demons,” it’s a big rocker from the prolific songwriter, as Blame My Youth preps for a couple dates opening for the Offspring. Says Van Vleet: “I wrote this about an antidepressant that I had to take because I’m a textbook raging insomniac. I have to take two pills in order to sleep. One of them is supposed to take away all the highs and lows and it keeps your personality somewhere in the middle, so you’re not anxious. ‘Tentacles’ is about being super frustrated with that middle ground and missing the extremes and all their glory — good and bad. I watched ‘My Octopus Teacher’ around the same time, so I think that’s where tentacles came from. No disrespect to octopuses, I am actually obsessed with them. They’re so strong and venomous so I made the analogy for a prescription drug. Pretty out there, I know… so uh, try and stay off the drugs, kids.”