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[BSK/Daniel Ruiz, PTV/PTV, Wednesday/Zachary Chick]

BLACKSTARKIDS, Pierce The Veil and Wednesday are our tracks of the week

Welcome to Sound Station, where we’re highlighting the best new tracks that came out this week. Head into the weekend with songs from BLACKSTARKIDS, Wednesday and more.

BLACKSTARKIDS travel back to the 2000s in style

BLACKSTARKIDS have returned with another preview of their new album, CYBERKISS*. This time, they’ve linked up with their Dirty Hit labelmate beabadoobee on a vibrant ode to their childhood music favorites (Daft Punk, Jamiroquai). As always, BLACKSTARKIDS are adventurous and colorful, deploying glitchy beats to seduce their online lover.

Pierce The Veil implore you to “Pass The Nirvana”

Pierce The Veil succeed their decade-long legacy once more, with a cut-throat sleazy grunge anthem that beckons to their early Selfish Machines days with a ’90s Deftones-eque overcast in the chorus. After a four-year hiatus, with little warning before release, this is an unexpected but greatly welcomed juxtaposition from their ecstatic Misadventures prelude, one that might suggest a more gloomy grunge root for the three-piece. ––Yasmine Summan

Wednesday ring in their Dead Oceans signing with an eight-minute scorcher

With “Bull Believer,” Wednesday deliver a maximalist ode by smashing two songs together. Vocalist Karly Hartzman calls the song “an excuse to scream onstage,” and once you reach the end, you’ll know why. The track screeches to a violent end, with Hartzman’s blood-curdling caterwaul serving as its explosive climax. ––Neville Hardman

Kelly Clarkson and Dolly Parton are the team-up of our dreams

In a duet only dreams are made of, Kelly Clarkson and Dolly Parton teamed up for a more soulful, downtempo rendition of the country icon’s 1980 classic for the forthcoming documentary Still Working 9 to 5. On it, Clarkson takes the lead, wistfully belting out the chorus that calls out capitalism and misogyny. ––Ilana Kaplan

Counterparts drop fiery new single “Bound To The Burn” 

When it comes to melodic hardcore, Counterparts may very well be the most consistent in the game. On “Bound To The Burn,” they’ve amped up their progressive guitar riffage to the max, as well as complex drum parts, creating the perfect juxtaposition between technicality and brutality. Vocalist and comedic mastermind Brendan Murphy has stepped out of his comfort zone with an impressive melodic sensibility in the chorus while also providing the usual onslaught of guttural vocals you come to expect from Counterparts. ––Alessandro DeCaro 

The Comet Is Coming supply a soundtrack for the end of the world

The Comet Is Coming create songs for end times. It’s music to party to while the world crashes down around you, like stepping onto a Day-Glo dance floor that’s crumbling at the edges. Latest single “TECHNICOLOUR” begins as a more mellow affair, like a break from the chaos, even if momentarily. By the end, Shabaka Hutchings’ saxophone is unrelenting in its apocalyptic groove, demanding movement all at once. ––Neville Hardman

Holy Wars’ “MY DRUGS ARE DIGITAL” is a frantic burst of alt-rock 

Holy Wars have released a deluxe edition of their stunning debut album, EAT IT UP SPIT IT OUTand with it comes new single “MY DRUGS ARE DIGITAL.” The track beams with ‘90s riot grrrl energy coupled with frantic, syncopated rhythms in the vein of Bloc Party and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Vocalist Kat Leon offers a snarling, soulful vocal delivery, with lyrics that chronicle society’s addiction to social media and the ensuing burnout it causes. ––Alessandro DeCaro