Fefe Dobson's post-coital pop jam, and 6 more songs you need to hear this week

Here at CBC Music, we're always on high alert for the best new songs by Canadian artists.

This week, we're listening to new tracks from:

• Omah Lay and Justin Bieber.
• Avril Lavigne featuring Mark Hoppus.
• Thus Owls.
• Fefe Dobson.
• Idman.
• Pillow Fite.
• Kallitechnis.

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

What new Canadian tunes are you currently obsessed with? Share them with us on Twitter @CBCMusic.

Tune into CBC Music Mornings every Thursday to hear CBC Music's Jess Huddleston and Saroja Coehlo reveal which of these tracks is the standout new Canadian song.

'Attention,' Omah Lay, Justin Bieber

Lately, Justin Bieber has been making a specialty of pop-Afrobeat fusion, tapping Nigerian talent, specifically, for outstanding collaborations: Burna Boy was featured on "Loved by You," a highlight from 2021's Justice, and Bieber took a solo turn on Wizkid's dreamy "Essence" last summer. The trend continues with "Attention," an advance track from Omah Lay's upcoming debut full-length, Boy Alone. Bieber sounds relaxed and right at home as he sings the opening verse and chorus over a seductive dancehall beat and gently cooing synthesizer. "Should I drink up, smoke up?/ Need some freedom, show me a little attention" — this hook grows on, rather than grabs you, and the song's energy never surges beyond a mellow simmer, perfect for the poolside or rooftop terrace scenarios that beckon from the warmer months to come. — Robert Rowat

'All I Wanted,' Avril Lavigne feat. Mark Hoppus 

Three years after Head Above Water, a subdued album that became a surprise hit on the Christian rock charts, Avril Lavigne is back with her new album, Love Sux. Lavigne's goal on her seventh studio album was clear, as she told Billboard last month: "I want to make a pop-punk record, a rock-and-roll record. I don't want to be on the piano. I don't want ballads, really. I just really want to rock out." 

The result is perhaps the most pop-punk album Lavigne has ever released. (Even though many young pop-punk-influenced acts today name Lavigne as an influence, the Canadian star's comfort zone has always leaned more into mid-tempo anthems than amped-up rock tracks.) A lot of that is thanks to the signature drum sounds and production, provided by Travis Barker. Sometimes that can hew too close to Blink-182 territory — like on "Kiss me Like the World is Ending" — but surprisingly "All I Wanted," a Love Sux highlight featuring another Blink-182 member, Mark Hoppus, avoids that trap. Still a flashback to peak early 2000s pop-punk, "All I Wanted" uses buzzing guitars, oversized drums and a bombastic chorus to frame Lavigne and Hoppus's sweet duet. While Lavigne has a beautiful voice that is still highlighted on the slowed-down "Dare to Love Me," it's electrifying to hear her carry uptempo melodies again, giving a much-needed punch to lines like, "I was always crushing on the wrong boys/ I was always yelling when I should've been sitting down." Sometimes yelling is good, and we're glad Lavigne isn't holding back this time. — Melody Lau 

'Above the Sun,' Thus Owls

It's not mine so I don't speak,
It's not mine so I don't say it,
It is what is said to them and to each other.

Erika Angell's voice is stunning over a trio of saxophones, opening "Above the Sun" by taking centre stage with her reflection on the social justice reckonings of the last two years. Thus Owls, the Swedish-Canadian indie-rock outfit based in Montreal, released their fifth (and double) album on March 4, titled Who Would Hold You if the Sky Betrayed Us?, digging into the isolation of the last two years and creating a work that straddles poetry, improvisation, experimental rock and jazz. Wife-husband duo Erika and Simon Angells lean heavily on a bass saxophone and two tenor saxes to root the album, which comes across beautifully on "Above the Sun," transitioning from the trio of saxophones to their almost chugging sound alongside percussion and synth, then underpinning a simultaneously sharp and meandering guitar solo from Simon in the song's back half. In bringing everything together, the band said of "Above the Sun": "This song is a note to ourselves, a reminder of the complexities of ecosystems, how everything is linked together and that there are many perspectives to consider. In continuously seeking out communication and asking questions, and constantly educating ourselves we will help in making the right choices and take steps in the right direction." — Holly Gordon

'F--kn in Love,' Fefe Dobson 

Spring hard, young lovers! The great Fefe Dobson returns with a fun romp of a pop jam about post-coital bliss. "Damn you in your birthday suit" is a gift of a lyric: funny, real, and exactly what our own personal hormone monsters might be saying as the blood rushes back and forth in our bodies. When Dobson hits the break around the two-minute mark and offers up the list of things she'd do for this person — "I would walk to the ends of the Earth for you/ Buy a ticket with no return for you/ I would suit up and go to work for you" — it's a moment to catch our breath and take stock. This is a genuinely thrilling list of metaphorical and practical offerings and it's a nice bit of grounding in this otherwise heady, intoxicating, fist-pump of a song. — Andrea Warner

'Good Life (2022),' Idman

On her latest single, Toronto-born, L.A.-based R&B singer Idman doesn't want to hear all about her ex's "good good good good life," and who could blame her? Sometimes karma doesn't work out and those who hurt us keep winning and excelling regardless of their cruelty. Idman has penned a song about how hard it is to witness that person flourishing, while you're still working through how they left you. She taps into a vulnerable and uncomfortable space, the strain in her voice coming through as she sings about an extractive partner: "Left me dry and sitting on E/ Who does that?/ You does that." The video opens in a technicolour world of pink and purple hues, the levity of the visuals balancing the heartbreak in the lyrics. The video itself pays tribute to the late Ronnie Spector and the abuse she experienced while married to Phil Spector. There's a scene where Idman is in a car with a dummy smoking a cigarette in the passenger seat — a direct reference to one of the few times Ronnie was permitted outside alone, the caveat being that she had to drive with a dummy that looked like Phil. — Kelsey Adams

'Half Moon,' Pillow Fite

A brief drumroll into a verse of minor chords sets the mood for Pillow Fite's new and third single, "Half Moon," which came from a particularly difficult place for the new Halifax folk-pop duo: singer Art Ross wrote the lyrics during lockdown, after their partner was diagnosed with melanoma. "'Half Moon' is an ode to the heartache of seeing a loved one struggle with this life-changing event," they wrote. After singing their fears on each verse ("I'm scared half to death/ stutter under my breath"), Ross's chorus buoys: "You light up the room/ half moon come out soon," they sing, as guitarist Aaron Green matches with his support, shifting gears from the opening melancholy. "Half Moon" is honest and vulnerable, leaning into its grunge influence for a grittier backdrop than Pillow Fite's previous singles. It's perfect for feeling your feelings, then letting the chorus pull you back up. — HG

'If he Rules the World,' Kallitechnis

Juno nominee Kallitechnis's latest single is a lament on stifling, one-sided relationships. "No time to be my own friend," she sings in the pre-chorus over a gently waltzing doo-wop beat, "Always dealing with the shitty end/ I don't wanna please, I just pretend." Her normally assured voice takes on a fragile quality here, emphasizing the interiority of her monologue and the hopelessness she's expressing. This represents an interesting detour for Kallitechnis, whose pop/R&B songs generally exude confidence bordering on swagger, so it's impressive to see her expand her range and adopt a rather vulnerable tone so convincingly. — RR