THE PLAYLIST

Vinegar Syndrome/ Ter Takon Tee Khao Krasib (Wired) Aside from the band’s curious name, local rock duo Wuttinun Chamchoi (vocals, guitar) and Korn Mahadumrongkul (guitar), aka Vinegar Syndrome, have impressed us previously with Koey Koey , the soundtrack to Nontawat Numbenchapol’s banned documentary Boundary. With their second single Ter Takon Tee Khao Krasib (Wired), the duo are back with a more developed sound with uplifting harmonies. ‘‘Thinking of the old days/The wounds of sorrow/The suffering that remains like always’’ sings the frontman with just the right amount of nostalgia set over a song packed with optimism. Coldplay/ Atlas Trust British rock four-piece Coldplay to deliver another epic-sounding anthem fit to be played in an arena. Written for the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, their first new single in two years, Atlas, still fits the bill perfectly. The song is a cinematic, swoonworthy piano ballad that alludes to the god of Greek mythology. The lyrics, too, are custom made for this sci-fi adventure blockbuster: ‘‘Some far away/Some search for gold/Some dragon to slay Heaven we hope is just up the road/Show me the way, lord because I am about to explode.’’ The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is set for a worldwide release on Nov 22. Ellie Goulding/ Burn British songstress Ellie Goulding puts a grittier spin on Leona Lewis’ Burn, and it really works in the former’s favour as it has instantly become her first No 1 single in the UK. Lifted from the reissue of Goulding’s second studio album, Halcyon Days, the song benefits from her unique vocals, making the whole affair sound catchier and even more appealing. While we know she’s capable of giving us so much more musically, it’s undeniable that the radio-friendly quality of Burn is earning her more mainstream fans as we speak. Arcade Fire/ Reflektor The ultimate indie outfit Arcade Fire return to their dedicate fans with Reflektor, taken from their upcoming fourth LP of the same name. Produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, the track rides on a menacing disco beat with an added bonus of having rock legend David Bowie making an appearance on backing vocals. The song, running over eight minutes, has a few French verses wedged between lines such as: ‘‘Trapped in a prism, in a prism of light/Alone in the darkness, darkness of white.’’ It’s both sexy and subversive — the combination this Canadian septet has mastered over the years. Eminem/ Berzerk On his new single, Berzerk, Eminem goes rightfully berserk by sampling Billy Squier’s The Stroke and Beastie Boys’ classics including The New Style and Fight for Your Right. Starting with scratchy guitars as Slim Shady spits out fireballs, claiming ‘‘Let’s take it back to straight hip hop and start it from scratch/I’m ’bout to bloody this track up, everybody get back.’’ The rest of the song sees him doing just that by following the Beastie Boys’ guitar-and-beats formula, and taking a few jabs at today’s rappers.