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New Mix: James Blake, Luluc, Angelique Kidjo Covers Talking Heads

Clockwise from upper left: James Blake, Luluc, Angelique Kidjo, Gabriella Cohen
Courtesy of the artists
Clockwise from upper left: James Blake, Luluc, Angelique Kidjo, Gabriella Cohen

This past week singer James Blake quietly dropped an incredible new song called "Don't Miss It." Like much of his work, it's both sultry and synthetic – a mix of seductive melodies and warped production, including a piano that keeps slipping out of tune. On this week's show we share "Don't Miss It" and try to make sense of its haunting meditations on the fleeting nature of life.

Also on the show: West African singer Angelique Kidjo covers Talking Heads' classic "Once in a Lifetime" for her complete reimagining of the band's 1980 album Remain in Light; Australian duo Luluc reflects on the need to look inward to find true happiness, while another Australian singer, Gabriella Cohen, digs into what she calls the "music machine" and finds we're all more alike than we are different.

That, plus Swedish singer Thomas Jonsson, who writes and records as I'm Kingfisher, shares a breezy, carefree ballad he used to sing to his daughter before she drifted off to sleep called "Topography of Gabon." And we introduce you to the melodic guitar rock of New Zealand's The Beths.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.