Welcome to the 23rd volume of Freddie’s Finds! Each week I will spotlight 3-4 of my favorite new tracks of the week, ranging from a variety of genres and artists. This week includes Steve Lacy, Junior Varsity, THEY. x Fana Hues, and Stay Flee Get Lizzy x Lancey Foux x SL.

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“Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy

Nothing I can possibly say can encapsulate the greatness of Steve Lacy, but listening to “Bad Habit” might accomplish it. A return to his signature comforting production style after a short hiatus for the previously released “Mercury,” it is clear that his upcoming album Gemini Rights is going to contain a little bit of everything from the man who can do a little bit of everything. While the stunning music video may seem like this song is a cute love story between Steve and his dog, the lyrics follow the emotional turbulence resulting from a lack of communication of mutual feelings as he sings, “I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me.” Steve goes on to describe the perceived mask over his love interest’s feelings, singing, “Thought you were too good for me, my dear / Never gave me time of day, my dear” before he regains his confidence on the outro as the two rekindle their love. It’s been a long three years since Apollo XXI, but Steve Lacy is back and better than ever.

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“Rushh” by Junior Varsity

‍Junior Varsity are on a torrid run right now, and it feels as though their self-imposed slogan “the only band to ever exist” might become true if they continue this. Following “Share Ur Feelings” and working on AG Club’s “TRU RELIGION,” the duo are back for their second single of the year, “Rushh.” The track sees them continue to delve into a soft, delicate world with rock undertones, as Greg’s distorted vocals over varying levels of guitar strike a perfect balance. They describe a struggling relationship, grappling with the inability to get out of bed while wanting to change to make it work, singing, “I feel bad that I moved out west / It's a game of chess and we're both checkmate / Just to make some change, maybe I could stay, what do you say?” Junior Varsity are already building a theme in preparation of their second project, JV 2, and with no other bands in their way, it will surely be incredible.

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“Comfortable” by THEY. featuring Fana Hues

While I had not listened to THEY. prior to their newest release, any song with Fana Hues is destined to be nothing short of greatness. “Comfortable” depicts a steamy love story, with THEY.’s Drew Love and Fana Hues each taking on a perspective in this relationship. Behind a smooth hook, Drew opens up the song detailing the overthinking as he attempts to navigate these waters, before ending his verse by singing, “I'll let you do whatever that you want to me / I'm exit four off the highway / Park your car in my driveway / I've been waitin' on it all day.” Fana follows this up as she understands that they need to take the relationship slowly, containing their excitement in order to build something stronger. She ends her verse in the same way Drew did, but from her point of view, singing, “I'll let you do whatever that you want to me / Take exit four off the highway / Park my car in your driveway / I've been waitin' on it all day.” This is already one of my favorite collaborations of the year, and hopefully not the last one from THEY. and Fana.

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“Simple” by Stay Flee Get Lizzy, Lancey Foux, and SL

No matter how much I previously listened, I always struggled to get into Lancey Foux (apart from two incredible features with Johan Lenox and Bakar). However, hearing his unmistakable voice over Stay Flee Get Lizzy’s bass driven production works flawlessly on “Simple.” Lancey’s hook just scratches your brain the right way, and while his verse lacks flow switches, I can’t get “Rockstar wear, I been post punk” out of my head. SL takes the second verse, his animated delivery becoming a nice contrast to Lancey’s style. The accompanying video directed by Sau Ali is, simply put, an enticing watch, between Lancey doing donuts, dancing in flashing lights, and exciting editing. “Simple” serves as the sixth installment of Stay Flee Get Lizzy’s current single run, and this is definitely my favorite one yet.

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You can find all my previous finds in the playlist below: