This week, hear Billie Eilish’s contribution to the Barbie soundtrack, a track from Andrew Bird’s atmospheric new project, new tracks from the instrumental group Explosions in the Sky and from sibling duo Disclosure, as well as a new song from Minnesota’s Mike Kota. Plus, discover the sound of emerging Seattle artist Sea Lemon.

Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For?”

Billie Eilish is still in her crooner mood for her addition to the Barbie movie soundtrack, “What Was I Made For?”, contemplating the commodification of her own personhood and the pluses and minuses of being a celebrity.

Explosions in the Sky, “Ten Billion People”

“Our starting point was the concept of an ending — death, or the end of a friendship or relationship,” is the explanation of End, the new album from Explosions in the Sky. The instrumental band’s first album in seven years is full of machine-gun drums and meditative guitar picking that builds and falls away.

Mike Kota, “Shutter Speed”

A soft and gentle start leading to frantic drum playing with crashing cymbals adds to a feeling of reins being loosened and a free fall on Mike Kota’s new track “Shutter Speed.” 

Disclosure, “Higher Than Ever Before”

The sibling duo, Disclosure, have made a name from working with some big names for their house club songs. On their recently released Alchemy, there’s no big names — no features, no samples, no hiding. Releasing the album on their own independent label, the brothers said that this is “a celebration of us feeling liberated right now.”

Sea Lemon, “Vaporized”

Natalie Lew calls her latest Sea Lemon project a “modern spin on classic dream-pop and shoegaze.” If you are into ephemeral and shifting sounds that deal with anxiety and contemplation of death, “Vaporized” will hit the spot.

Andrew Bird, “Mo Teef”

Starting with a powerful and birdcall-esque whistle that leads into a dreamy violin solo, the atmospheric track, “Mo Teef,” is part of a new Andrew Bird project, Outside Problems. The follow up to his Covid quarantine album, Inside Problems, was recorded mostly outdoors in California and is “instrumental improvisation and melodic exploration.” 

Playlist