MorMor's optimistic new chapter, and 3 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:

• The Beaches.
• MorMor.
• Dan Mangan.
• Black Atlass.

Scroll down to find out why you need to listen, too.

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.

'Grow up Tomorrow,' the Beaches 

It can feel stressful or disheartening to see your friends achieving adult status before you, to see them buy a house while you're still stuck in a basement apartment. But in the sunny summer months, there are too many opportunities to enjoy yourself to have a quarter-life crisis — what's wrong with being in a state of arrested development a little longer? In the words of Bart Simpson: "I'll do it this afternoon!" That's the mindset that is captured on Toronto rockers the Beaches' latest single, "Grow up Tomorrow." "I'll grow up tomorrow/ After I throw up tomorrow," the band sings on its infectious hook (co-written by songwriter/artist Lowell). Sure, the band hasn't figured out how to do their taxes and their laundry piles grow by the day, but what will they regret more: not having a clean tee to wear, or not choosing to live in the moment no matter how uncertain or intimidating the future looks? — Melody Lau 

'Far Apart,' MorMor

It feels so good to hear MorMor's distinct falsetto again. It's been two years since his last single, "Don't Cry," and the Toronto singer has given us a taste of a "new chapter" in his songwriting with "Far Apart." Funky bass, syncopated drums and shoegaze-y synths are layered into a muffled distortion, with Seth Nyquist's resonant voice cutting through and soaring above the melody — a signature style he cemented on his first EP, 2018's Heaven's Only Wishful. On Instagram, Nyquist shared that writing the song helped him "rediscover a sense of optimism during a dark time." It has an immediate buoyancy, contrasting the lyrics about being buried in doubt and gravity weighing down. 

In a press release, he said the song is "about the toxicity that occurs in a relationship when both people haven't yet faced their demons." Although Nyquist is singing about a relationship turned sour, there's a sentiment that both parties will make it to the other side and find healing, thanks to the driving force of the grooving melody. In the video directed by Camille Summers-Valli, the idiosyncrasies in human behaviour are on full display. The languid shots of intermingled people, with bodies interlocked and heaving, are indicative of how the points of tension and connection between people can meld into each other, from snarling faces to gentle caresses. — Kelsey Adams 

'Fire Escape,' Dan Mangan

We all know by now that we're our own worst enemies, and Dan Mangan has uncannily captured that sentiment in the darkly funny video for his new single, "Fire Escape." Starring Steven Ogg and Allison Wright, who were both in B.C. filming Snowpiercer at the time, the video shows Ogg, playing Mangan's psyche, continuously sabotaging Mangan — sometimes to a violent degree — while Mangan tries to continue along with his daily life. Mangan's voice is borderline weary but hopeful, as he punches out the second verse: "Oh, won't you come around and meet me by the fire escape/ untie this tied tongue tie/ what's it that I wanna say, what's it that I really wanna say?" A song about connection — to oneself and to others — is perfect Mangan material, and he really delivers at a time when we're just figuring out how to reach each other again. — Holly Gordon

'Paradise,' Black Atlass

Infinite (Side A) is a new, five-song love letter to Los Angeles, penned by Black Atlass (a.k.a. Alex Fleming). On "Intoxicated," he addresses himself directly to the place: "California, your love is so gorgeous/ And I hope I can afford you, don't leave me in the morning/ L.A., L.A., L.A., L.A. in love." And while he doesn't mention L.A. specifically in "Losing Love," one assumes it's the destination he longs for when he sings, "Baby, I've been getting by, but my heart wants to find a home." Most striking of all is "Paradise," a spare, slow jam whose minimal guitar accompaniment puts the focus squarely on Fleming's febrile falsetto. "Paradise awaits, my love," he intones in the chorus, his voice rising like a warm Malibu breeze, "Los Angeles is calling us to run into her arms." — Robert Rowat