UKNY for July 31

After the last couple of years of confusion and isolation, summer-released songs that convey reunion and hope are more impactful than ever — and the gorgeous new single from the London quartet The Big Moon, called "Wide Eyes," ticks all of those boxes.

The quartet, nominated for a Mercury Prize for their 2017 debut album, Love in the Fourth Dimension (and chatted to FUV about it), will release their third album, Here is Everything, on October 14. The album arrives during a time of transition for lead singer and songwriter Juliette Jackson, who had her first child last year. Describing this song, cowritten with Jessica Winter, as a “a snapshot of insane, blissed-out, hormonal joy," it's also a song of resurrection and renewal. On "UKNY" at 11 p.m., I'll spin the song a second time – and tempted to play it in every show for the rest of the summer.

Orlando Higgenbottom, who records as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, also has a handle on joy — and the latest single from his second album, When the Lights Go, his first in a decade, is sheer ecstasy for a summer's night.

Also in the mix, the rock 'n' roll g-force of the ferociously blunt London duo Nova Twins, just nominated last week for the 2022 Mercury Prize for their second album, Supernova, and making music history too. Dry Cleaning go dreamy with another song from the forthcoming Stumpwork, ex-Weaves frontwoman Jasmyn [Burke] has released her solo album, and Sons of Kemet's Theon Cross (playing SummerStage in Central Park tonight with Sons of Kemet) takes on a classic from the Blue Note label.

That's "UKNY," Sundays 11 p.m.-midnight, on 90.7 FM, streaming online, and found in the Weekend Archives after broadcast.

Songs played:

1. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, “Never Seen You Dance,” When the Lights Go
2. Connie Constance, “Till the World’s Awake,” Miss Power
3. Little Simz, “Miss Understood,” Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
4. Nova Twins, “A Dark Place for Somewhere Beautiful,” Supernova
5. (Hamilton, CA) Jasmyn, “Cruel Moon,” In the Wild
6. (UK-BR) Jon Hopkins & ANNA, “Deep in the Glowing Heart (Night Version),” single
7. Dry Cleaning, “Anna Calls from the Arctic,” Stumpwork
8. (Sydney, AU) Laura Jean, “Teenager Again,” Amateurs
9. The Big Moon, “Wide Eyes,” Here is Everything
10. Barry Can’t Swim, “Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore,” More Content EP
11. Theon Cross, “Epistrophy,” Blue Note Re:Imagined II
12. The Smile, “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings,” Light for Attracting Attention
13. (Mexico City, MX) Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” single