Sometimes a terrible situation leads to a great song. Such is the case with Living Hour’s shoegazy jam “Wheel.” A crappy car purchased off Facebook Marketplace left Sam Sarty scared for her life driving through mountains in the dark with dim headlights. That’s not fun, but “Wheel” is. The shrieking guitars burst with the thrill of cruising your way down winding roads and hoping for the best, with danger serving as a source of excitement rather than a threat. An explosive outro full of ecstatic shredding makes for an invigorating finale. It’ll sound great coming from a car that’s actually suitable to drive. —Danielle

Desperation suits Tasmin Stephens. According to the musical artist known as TTSSFU, “Call U Back” is inspired by being down bad for somebody who is not reciprocating, clinging to the slim hope of a romantic connection when it’s clearly not going to work out. Many songwriters have written about that experience, but not many have translated those bad vibes into a song with this much self-deprecating charm and breathless momentum. Jilted emo bros take note: This is how it’s done. —Chris

This is culturally inappropriate. —Tom

It feels like a bit of a disservice to label They Are Gutting A Body Of Water as shoegaze. “trainers,” the new single from the Philadelphia noise-rockers’ upcoming album LOTTO, certainly isn’t deficient in vacuum-roaring guitars, but those cacophonous blasts are interspersed with moments of eerie calmness and contemplative existentialism: “Dawn spreads over dead sunsets,” goes some of its most harrowing imagery. But above all, “trainers” is a real headbanger, polished off with choppy, experimental production. “I am often very aware that we’re currently watching the homogenization of art right before our very eyes,” TAGABOW’s Doug Dulgarian explains in a press release, but I can’t imagine TAGABOW ever falling in line with uniformity. —Abby

Brat-inspired indie music? Don’t mind if I do. Water From Your Eyes’ “Playing Classics” incorporates the throbbing pulse of Charli XCX’s “Club Classics” and the spiky piano that punctures “Mean Girls.” Charli would likely be envious of Rachel Brown’s masterful deadpan vocal delivery, and the cryptic lyrics feel like nonsensical secrets being whispered in your ear while you’re just trying to party at the club: “I’m concerned as a matter of fact/ Contact contact/ All this shattered impact.” It’s a world away from their previous off-kilter rock and roll anthem “Life Signs,” but it’s still undoubtedly them. Are any other indie acts going to try to harness Brat’s influence? I wish them luck in competing with this banger. —Danielle