5 tracks for Friday (week11)
At the end of the week, we like to post "5 tracks for Friday". Tracks from past and present that caught our ears in terms of quality and vibe…as simple as that.
“Marianne" by Fontaines D.C.
Year: 2026
Label: XL Recordings
The lead single from their fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, Marianne blends elements of dream pop, gothic rock, and post-punk. Produced by James Ford, the track explores themes of escapism and hedonism inspired by the search for modern oblivion, utilising lush atmospheric textures, orchestral noir flourishes, and driving melancholy to create a dark yet deeply hypnotic sonic landscape.
"Like a Ship" by Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
Year: 1971
Label: Mt. Zion Gospel Productions
Like a Ship is a transcendent masterpiece of psychedelic gospel and soulful spiritual uplift. Driven by a haunting electric piano, subtle sleigh bells, and a hypnotic, drifting rhythm section, the track serves as a profound meditation on faith and endurance through life's storms. The soaring, passionate harmonies of the youth choir wrap around Barrett's charismatic leadership, creating an immersive and deeply moving soundscape.
"Can't Play Around" by Lace (specifically featuring the legendary Larry Levan mix)
Year: 1982
Label: Atlantic Records / RFC Records
Can't Play Around is a definitive post-disco and early house classic deeply tied to the legendary Paradise Garage era. Driven by a sophisticated rhythm section, infectious basslines, and soulful vocal styling, the track balances polished 1980s R&B sensibilities with a hypnotic, club-ready groove that showcases Levan's peerless touch as a remixer and producer.
"Time Present and Time Past" by The Durutti Column
Year: 2026
Label: London Records
Featured on the album Renascent, Time Present and Time Past is a delicate and deeply atmospheric piece of alternative post-punk and neoclassical ambient music. Driven by Vini Reilly's signature fluid, shimmering electric guitar work and complemented by Keir Stewart's subtle keyboard textures, the track weaves an introspective, gentle soundscape that captures the quintessential, dreamlike melancholy and artistic elegance the project has cultivated for decades.
"Jack-Ass" by Beck
Year: 1996
Label: Geffen Records
"Jack-Ass" by Beck, from his critically acclaimed 1996 breakthrough album Odelay, is a tour de force in eccentric slacker-folk and sample-heavy alternative pop. Built around a clever, reversed sample from Them's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (originally written by Bob Dylan), the track layers melancholic acoustic guitar strums with hazy slide guitar, crisp hip-hop-influenced breakbeats, and surreal, poetic lyricism. It captures a uniquely bittersweet, sun-bleached atmosphere, blending dusty Americana textures with boundary-pushing 1990s studio production.