Fresh Sounds Canada: PUP, Neil Young, Gloin and More

In Fresh Sounds Canada, Billboard Canada puts you on to the must-hear songs of the week by artists on the rise and those about to break. Here's what we're listening to this week.

PUP, “Paranoid”

PUP are playing as opener on the final leg of Sum 41's farewell tour, including the final shows this week at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Jan. 28 and 30. In some ways, the Toronto band is living in a world Sum 41 has built — one where pop-punk is taken seriously as a critical genre and bands can prioritize having a good time without sacrificing hooks and melodies or commercial viability. "Paranoid" is PUP's first song in two years, and its video by longtime collaborator Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux takes you right into one of their shows. The vertical clip is a much smaller, sweatier, circle pit-ier venue than the arenas they're currently playing, but if you're catching the Sum 41 final shows, it's a good argument to show up early. – Richard Trapunski

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, “Big Change”

Neil Young’s got a brand new band. Ahead of his upcoming lost album Oceanside Countryside, the 79 year-old rocker is still blasting out fresh tunes and assembling new groups: “Big Change” by Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts is a walloping rock tune that proves Young still knows how to wail with the best of them. The Chrome Hearts band consists of guitarist Micah Nelson (son of Willie Nelson), drummer Anthony Logerfo, organist Spooner Oldham and bassist Corey McCormick, and they sound big and brash here, as Young sings about upheavals at the doorstep. Accompanied by a video of Young carrying around an American flag, the song seems a reflection on the U.S. election — with Young ominously intoning that we’ll all have to face what’s coming. – Rosie Long Decter

Braden Lam feat. Michaela Singer, “Wide Open"

Halifax-based roots/Americana singer-songwriter Braden Lam has been grabbing attention in advance of the release of his debut full-length album, The Cloudmaker's Cry, coming April 11 and following a series of EPs. "Wide Open" has a classic country feel reinforced by haunting pedal steel and the harmony singing of Vancouver’s Michaela Slinger, who co-wrote the tune with Lam in Nashville. Lyrically it digs deep, probing a challenging time in a relationship (Sample lyric: "If you wanna try to forgive / I’ll be your window in the morning / Crack me wide open"), and the warm and poignant vocals of Lam deliver the message skillfully. – Kerry Doole

Casa Country Club & Mandyspie, “SALEM”

“Salem” is a dynamic trap collaboration between Casa Country Club and Mandyspie. The track masterfully blends hard-hitting beats with a lo-fi aesthetic. Mandyspie’s mellow yet captivating voice adds a unique depth, evoking comparisons to the sounds of artists like Lala &ce. One of the few rising female voices in Montreal’s rising rap scene, Mandyspie stands out with her charisma and sharp flow. She’s poised to make waves on the international French rap stage. – Yasmine Seck

Gloin, “controlfreak69”

Toronto post-punkers Gloin are back with their sophomore release, All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry), set for release March 28 on Montreal indie label Mothland. Lead single “controlfreak69,” is an industrial headbanger, driven by a punishing four-on-the-floor beat and yelped vocals. The lyrics “I am in control!” belie a sense that something is spinning off its axis, as noise overwhelms the mix, only to be forcefully reined back in by that mechanical rhythm. The song is fighting with itself — trying to keep a lid on a crisis that won’t be silent. – RLD