The new releases are really rolling in now, and we've got some great tracks to share with you this week, with groovy Americana from Ecuador via Switzerland, Nigerian soul, NY-based Tunisian electro-pop, a hugely exciting new name from Portugal and an astonishing new song and video from Colombia's all-female La Batucada Guaricha.

◊

Hermanos Gutiérrez 'Sonido Cósmico'

Swiss-Ecuadorian brothers have released the title-track off their forthcoming new album. The duo have made a name for themselves with their melodic, spaghetti Western-esque take on Americana, but are aiming to set off for new planes on this latest effort. With the new single and album both translating as 'Cosmic Sound', the elder Gutiérrez brother says that the new album is "not on earth," adding: "we've started to fly." What is certain is that with this album they have adopted a wider palette, with organs adding mystique, but also with cumbia and salsa rhythms, making it one of their grooviest efforts yet. If you've not discovered the Gutiérrez brothers yet, then now's the time. RUSS SLATER JOHNSON

◊

Ana Lua Caiano 'O Bicho Anda Por Aí'

Ana Lua Caiano’s new dance-inducing single gives a tantalising taste of the debut album to come. Rapid rhythms, synth snares and drums and layered, crisp vocals exemplify her grasp of electronica, traditional rural Portuguese song and the creativity that can be found in bridging the two. Rising higher and higher, the new album announcement comes after the musician wowed her audience at the recent Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS), creating massive soundscapes all on her own, through the use of machines, traditional instruments and voice-looping. The much-anticipated debut, Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado will be released by Glitterbeat Records on March 15. EMMA RYCROFT

◊

EMEL feat nayomi 'Lose My Mind'

Another female musician making waves after a hiatus, ‘Lose My Mind’ from NY-based Tunisian artist EMEL is a hypnotic new track. Taking inspiration from Arabic reggaeton and electronic music, it rides the enticing line between dark and movement-inducing. The song is described as a ‘hymn to female power and resilience.' This message of strength is echoed through the sounds of vigorous hand percussion, drums and the involvement of Iraqi-Swedish rapper Nayomi, whose oscillation between purrs and punchy lyrics makes the song both tough and playful. ERIN COBBY

◊

La Batucada Guaricha 'La Putana'

Colombia's La Batucada Guaricha have barely released a handful of singles since their first release in 2021, but this one will surely put them on the map. If you've been keeping tabs on Edson Velandia and Adriana Lizcano's potent anti-government folk anthems over recent years, then this is a continuation, but dialled up to ten. Velandia is on production duties, but it's Lizcano who is leading this all-female vocal and percussion troupe. The song pays tribute to Ana, an early 20th-century sex worker from Barrancabermeja whose clients were often workers from the Tropical Oil Company. Appalled by how the workers were treated, in the 1920s, she, with the help of other local women, decided to form a union for the workers, and end their exploitation. '¡Vamos a hacer un sindicato!' (Let's create a union), sings Lizcano in the song. The astonishing video depicts the scenes from the 1920s when Ana would receive the workers for sex, and the unity between the women and workers as they decided to come together. RUSS SLATER JOHNSON

◊

Asa 'Odo'

Her first release since her 2022 album V, Nigerian soul singer Bukola Elemide, better known as Aṣa, has released ‘Odo’ . Creating a soundscape through birdsong and sparse guitar fingering, the track transports the listener to a world full of romance, with Aṣa’s ethereal voice forming the refrain by repeating 'Odo', which simply means 'love' in Twi. This message is echoed by the new video, directed by Andy Madjitey, whose pink-hued shots of Ghana and celebration of love in all its forms, makes this the perfect track for anyone still looking for a little love after Valentine's Day. ERIN COBBY