Mah Moud's heart-wringing ballad, and 6 more songs you need to hear this week

Here at CBC Music, we're always on high alert for new songs by Canadian artists.

This week, we're listening to new tracks from:

• Mah Moud.
• Oscar Louis.
• Tei Shi.
• NorthSideBenji featuring Unknown T.
• Hanorah.
• Jon Vinyl.
• Thelonious featuring Benita.

Scroll down to find out why you need to listen.

What new Canadian tunes are you currently obsessed with? Share them with us on Twitter @CBCMusic.

To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday and Toronto's Here and Now every Wednesday afternoon, both available via CBC Listen.

'12,' Mah Moud

As one of the albums CBC Music recommended in our fall preview: "abdalla is an intimate and insular portrait of the pivotal moments that made Mah Moud, from his early childhood through the end of his time in high school." Abdalla's final track, "12," is a heart-wringing love song that will stop you in your tracks. We encounter a reflective artist who is coming to terms with the fact he may not be able to show love in the way the person he's singing to needs to receive it. Mah Moud's voice is delicate but sure of itself, and at its best when he lets it soar with pure abandon as he sings "I love you, I'm just not that kind." The immersive, experimental production reinforces that this is a sonic journey as much as it is an opportunity for him to bare his soul through lyrics. With such a powerful song ending his debut, I can only imagine what's coming next. Mah Moud is most definitely an artist to watch. — Kelsey Adams

'HotMom.com,' Oscar Louis

Oscar Louis is back with his first single — he calls it "a bouncy reflection on porn and the psyche" — since dropping his debut EP, Ghost in the Apartment, in June. You may not care too much about one man's musings on online erotica, but in fact the lyrics of "HotMom.com" are only subtly suggestive. "Blown away, you're the one I need/ Honeydrop, I will come in peace," he sing-whispers in the second verse, his voice a febrile inner monologue. A former member of Montreal R&B trio Adhoc, Louis comes by his smooth, soulful stylings honestly, imbuing "HotMom.com" with syncopated synthesizer chords and a grounding bass line. The artwork completes the picture with a nod to seedy, '90s-era internet graphics. — Robert Rowat

'Bad Premonition,' Tei Shi

What to do? Can you just give me a sign?
And for once can I be in the right place at the right time?

The path to becoming a successful artist requires more than just talent. Sometimes you need to be at the right place at the right time, which as most musicians can attest to, is easier said than done. Those feelings of frustration, of trying to find and stay on one's path, are all summarized on pop artist Tei Shi's latest single, "Bad Premonition." Over patient synths and a metronomic beat (that almost mimics the sound of a ticking clock), Shi plays two versions of herself in conversation, one almost warning the other of the hardships ahead. "When I wrote the song, I was in the process of realizing and coming to terms with the fact that I'd hit the same dead end I'd hit many times before," she told Paper Magazine, "It's about this feeling of oncoming disaster, where you see where you're headed and that it's not good, but there's nothing you can do about it — so you kind of resign yourself to a fate you know." But instead of sounding defeated, Tei Shi remains cool and collected throughout the track, like a seasoned vet whose battle scars have emboldened her to keep moving forward. — Melody Lau

'One in the Chamber,' NorthSideBenji feat. Unknown T

For years now, one of Toronto's most popular independent rappers, NorthSideBenji has found ways to make an impact in both the U.K. and at home. Through guest verses and some major media appearances, he has become known for his ability to merge our two worlds. On his new single, "One In The Chamber," he does it again, through production that fuses the sounds of Toronto's eerie trap melodies with the UK's aggressive drill drums. The song also receives a stamp of approval from its featured artist, Unknown T, a British rapper who is credited for being one of the first to reach commercial success in the drill genre. Early in his verses, T alludes to the close relationship he has with Benji by referencing his distinctive scarf look. Benji reciprocates the shout out in his own verse, mentioning that he had to "travel overseas" to find someone as talented as Unknown T to work with. If "One In The Chamber'' is any indication of what's to come from NorthsideBenji's next project, we're definitely excited for more. — Bhaven Moorthy

'The Drudge,' Hanorah

A complicated affair
Madder than a march hare
Corporate catastrophe
Draining all the life from me, me
A cataclysmic disease
Afflicting all humanity

Hanorah's recent single from her debut album Perennial, "The Drudge," is a cry to be free from the burden of being a cog in the machine. As the beat ambles along, the Montreal singer-songwriter's resonant voice pleads — she no longer wants to be held back. On this song, Hanorah embodies the root of soul music, from the power of her voice to the emboldened desire to be authentically in tune with herself. In the music video, directed by Monse Muro and Brittney Canda, she's followed ceaselessly by "the drudge," a physical manifestation of what's keeping her stagnant. Dancers cling to her everywhere she goes, smothering her, weighing her down and pulling her back from breaking away from their clutches. It's an apt metaphor for the very real feeling of second guessing oneself for going against the status quo. — KA

'Slowly,' Jon Vinyl

From his new EP, Palisade, "Slowly" finds Jon Vinyl revisiting the cozy R&B vibe of "Sundays," his outstanding 2019 duet with Loony that made such an impression with its lyrical flow and effortless vocals. Vinyl has honed those qualities — "This project really allowed me to regain internal awareness and ride the wave of emotions," he says via press release — and imbues his new material with even greater introspection. "This love was built on wrongs, we made it right," he sings in the pre-chorus of "Slowly," before concluding, "This ain't momentary love, it's for life." On that last word, he indulges in the gorgeous vocal extrapolation that comes so naturally to him and that the song's restrained production allows to shine. — RR

'Yesterdays,' Thelonious feat. Benita

A fresh jazzy ride moving on up from the west side, Thelonious' new EP, Albion Road Demos takes you back to his old neighbourhood. The standout track "Yesterdays," makes you want to get in your car, roll the windows down and turn up the volume on a road trip through time gone by. Not forgetting the struggles and trials of yesterdays, but embracing the fruit they produced, "Yesterdays" is lyrical storytelling at its best. Poetic and soulful, it takes the listener on a journey but also asks us to remember: "We can't forget where we came from/ Can't forget what we made of."— Vanessa Francis