Staff Playlist – Songs to listen to right now

“New”
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lately he’s dabbled in vintage jazz—”My Valentine”—and hollered a lot—the Nirvana-assisted “Cut Me Some Slack”—but Paul McCartney’s native tongue is pop. On this springy head-bobber from New, horn-loving producer Mark Ronson puts them on blast and lifts McCartney’s voice in a wash of handclapping and harpsichord that reveals the ex-Beatle remains a melody machine.

“Something Else (ft. Problem)”
TERRACE MARTIN
Terrace Martin, producer of hits for Stevie Wonder, Snoop Lion, Kendrick Lamar and Talib Kweli, creates a lush fusion of R&B, jazz and hip-hop with his latest album 3ChordFold. He may be a musical genius behind the boards, but this sultry, urbane track proves this polymath’s talent as a solo artist, too.

“I’m on Fire”
TWIN SHADOW
As Twin Shadow, George Lewis Jr.’s last album, Confess, was framed in moody 1980s nostalgia. So it’s no surprise that when he launched a web series of covers he would create a similar sound. With Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” Lewis’ aching vocals slowly build over a clicking beat and sparse synths and don’t overstay their welcome.

“There Can Be Only One”
CASS MCCOMBS
The prolific and folky singer-songwriter spent 2011 releasing two criminally underrated albums, Wit’s End and Humor Risk. This year, McCombs one-ups himself with a double album, titled Big Wheel and Others, which promises to be another showcase for one of music’s finest rambling voices.