Haviah Mighty's undeniable groove, and 7 more songs you need to hear this week

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

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

• Good Dear Good.
• Imogen Moon.
• Exco Levi featuring Charly Black and SpexDaBoss.
• Chris LaRocca.
• Arianna Reid.
• Adrian Underhill.
• Haviah Mighty featuring Omega Mighty.
• Aurora Shields.

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

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

To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday (Canada-wide) with producer Ryan Chung and host Saroja Coelho, and Here and Now with Gill Deacon every Wednesday afternoon (in Toronto). Both are available via CBC Listen.

'Other Thing,' Good Dear Good

"Where does your mind go when you're passing time? Or rather: to who?" The set of questions comes in the Bandcamp liner notes of Good Dear Good's new single, which dropped recently alongside the Halifax band's debut EP, Arrival, and once you hit play you'll realize how sneaky it is. Written about a one-sided love that lives in your personal headspace, "Other Thing" earworms its way to obsessive status with a slinky bassline, bright synths and enveloping harmonies from the band as the upbeat but moody single transports you to the last time you were unrequitedly infatuated with someone (if you're not there right now). For a band that has its naming origins in an innocent Cape Breton pleasantry — "How are ya?" "Good, dear, good" — the quartet made up of Timothy Hatcher, Brandon MacDonald, Izra Fitch and Connor Booth has nearly perfected the ability to flip a song from must-dance territory to existential crisis and — thankfully — back again.

Bonus: Fitch released a solo single alongside Arrival: the captivating "California," which is recommended companion listening. — Holly Gordon

'Nicolston Dam,' Imogen Moon

Moon is the perfect last name for an artist whose voice is a luminous tidal force. "Nicolston Dam" is Imogen Moon's sparkling first single from her forthcoming EP, When They Start Rebelling (July 21). The 21-year-old Vancouver-based soul-jazz-pop artist has some musical legends supporting her debut: members of the Dap-Kings play as part of the backing band, including saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith, who also co-produced and engineered the record. 

An intergenerational passion project, When They Start Rebelling features Moon and her mother, Joanne Randle, singing backup, as they reimagine six songs by Moon's grandfather, Doug Randle, from his 1971 record, Songs for the New Industrial State. Moon's grandfather worked at CBC when he recorded his climate- and social issues-themed folk-rock-pop album, which ultimately became a sought-after vinyl rarity before it was reissued in 2009 by Light in the Attic. If "Nicolston Dam" is any indication, Moon's tribute to her grandfather is more than just a familial love letter; it's a confident emerging artist reinventing timeless classics for a whole new generation to discover. — Andrea Warner

'Change Your Mind,' Exco Levi feat. Charly Black and SpexDaBoss

With a fusion of reggae, dancehall, Afrobeats and reggaeton, five-time Juno Award winner Exco Levi delivers the perfect song to kickstart your summer — but he didn't come alone. For "Change Your Mind," Levi recruited the talents of one of Jamaica's most sought-after artists, Charly Black, and called on SpexDaBoss, one of Canada's most respected and renowned DJs, to up the ante and give his new single that house-party vibe. On one side, it's a hip-shaking, leg-raising, body-moving track, but on the other, it's a lament from Levi, pleading for redemption from a lover to come back to him. Black takes it one step further, adding his instructions to move to the beat while telling that same lover to fall in love again "one more time." SpexDaBoss adds his flair by becoming your personal radio announcer, guiding you through the hard-driving rhythm that puts you in a musical trance. If heartache songs are what you need this season, Levi, Black and SpexDaBoss have provided the formula to make it work all summer long — one dance and one chance at a time. — Ryan Chung

'Like U,' Chris LaRocca

The sad story behind this song from Chris LaRocca has a happy ending. He wrote it in 2018 but lost the files when his laptop crashed. According to an Instagram post, producer WondaGurl convinced him to bring it back, and we're the richer for it. It's the lead single from his new EP, Smile Because it Happened, and its message is timeless: you can't deny life's most intense feelings, no matter how unsettling. "No one gets me stressed like you do," he sings in the chorus, enumerating the attributes of a beguiling ex who could talk, "hit the press" and "sex" like no other. After two iterations of the chorus, a woozy-sounding piano ushers in a coda — an extrapolation during which LaRocca repeats "Nobody brings it out of me like you" while the beat slaps and his trademark falsetto swirls. — Robert Rowat

'Love Heals All,' Arianna Reid

"How can I describe this feeling?" asks Brampton, Ont., R&B singer Arianna Reid on her angelic debut single, "Love Heals All." Lush harmonies slowly build, as Reid delicately balances restraint and longing. For her, love is effortless, surreal and most importantly, comfortable. "I wanted to encompass what it feels like to be healed enough to venture into the unknown that love offers," she wrote on Instagram. The dreamy chorus is understated but effective: "Your love heals all," she sings, before explaining that she finds refuge in her lover's embrace. Although it's her first solo release, Reid's voice might be familiar to fans of Daniel Caesar, as Reid provided her celestial vocals to his 2019 track "Too Deep to Turn Back." But "Love Heals All" feels especially transcendent, as Reid is the architect of every heavenly sound, acting as the producer and songwriter. She might be exploring the unknown, yet she sounds self-assured while doing so — which is not an easy feat. Every word floats on the dulcet melody before being distilled into an atmospheric rush. — Natalie Harmsen

'Be There for Me,' Adrian Underhill 

Taking risks can feel overwhelming and terrifying, like releasing a new song for the first time in five years. Such is the case with Toronto-based artist Adrian Underhill, who returned recently with "Be There for Me," a synth-pop gem that explores the very topic of taking a leap of faith and embracing a new artistic direction. "I know you're gonna be there for me," he sings, honouring the people who make up his support system. "When I try/ when I fall/ I know you're gonna be there for me." While the track sonically feels more grandiose than Underhill's previous work, the message at the heart of it is as intimate as a hug between friends, a symbol of trust that gives us the courage to fearlessly chase after our dreams. As Underhill explained in a statement: "'Be There for Me' gathers up the nervous energy and releases it as a comforting refrain.'" — Melody Lau 

'Zoom Zoom,' Haviah Mighty feat. Omega Mighty 

On July 14, Haviah Mighty will return with Crying Crystals, her followup project to 2021's Juno-winning mixtape Stock Exchange. Like other recent singles from the Toronto artist, "Zoom Zoom", finds Mighty exploring Afrobeats, dancehall and more — sounds she found in her hometown that influence her upcoming album, as she explained in a statement: "The amapiano sound has a grip on the city because of its amalgamation of dance and Afro sounds fused together. I wanted to explore producing in that world." The result gives Mighty's heartbreak and confusion on "Zoom Zoom" an undeniable groove, as she and her sister Omega Mighty dive into the regret of letting someone go and rushing back to that loved one. "Give me one more chance," Haviah pleads over a steady beat. Similarly, "Zoom Zoom" is an infectious track that'll be hard to let go of after one listen. — ML 

'People in Apartments,' Aurora Shields 

Aurora Shields' latest single, "People in Apartments," is an '80s-tinged explosion of nostalgia perfect for a balmy summer afternoon. Shields released her first song, "Only You can Make Me Blue," in 2018, and although we haven't received any full-length projects from the Toronto singer, the handful of singles she's dropped since show the markings of an artist with a distinct vision. Whether she experiments with synthwave, nu disco, bubblegum pop or folk, Shields' airy and ethereal vocals give all her music an otherworldly quality. Often singing about young womanhood and the love and loss it entails, her lyricism flits between irreverence and earnestness. 

"People in Apartments" was produced by Young Clancy and Dan Only, and the '80s synths, toned-down disco and swinging house come together to create an insatiable groove. Shields' vocal delivery is part Donna Summer, part Debbie Harry, with lyrics that paint vivid imagery: "If you're looking for love/ come and choke on my mind." Listening to the track, I'm immediately whisked away to an iridescent lake hit by golden-hour sun, glittering like a disco ball as the waves undulate. It's pure escapism. — Kelsey Adams