Spooky season is officially over, meaning we've now strayed into that odd hinterland between the end of October and the start of the festive period, otherwise known as 'November'. Cue the early Christmas ads and, to accompany them, the complaints from your elderly relatives that the holiday season seems to start earlier every year.
We're not in the Christmas period just yet, so allay any fears that this edition of Now Playing is nothing but festive tunes stuffed full of jangly bells and mawkish sentimentality. We'll do that next month.
Instead, we've got sonic fireworks courtesy of new Fontaines D.C. and Max Richter, as well as a few classics from the likes of Massive Attack and William DeVaughn. Time to start practising your best "oohs" and "aahs" as we light up the sky with song.
Angel by Massive Attack
If you have ever attended an audio demonstration for a piece of hi-fi kit, then there’s a high likelihood that a song from Massive Attack’s Mezzanine album was in the mix. A lot of the time, there’s merit in steering away from the crowd and looking further afield, but every song on this album really is a great way to test your sound system.
One track that I turn to time and time again is Angel, as it’s a brilliant way to challenge a product’s bass performance in particular. The song expertly builds from a single bass track to an organised yet dangerous-sounding crescendo with crashing cymbals and roaring electric guitars.
The bass at the start of the track continues all the way through until the end, and calls for a tight and punchy leading edge to make an impact with every note. It’s also a good challenge for a product’s handling of dynamics, making it a go-to song to bring out the best in a top-notch piece of kit. If you haven’t listened to the whole album, then I implore you to go and do just that.
Words by Robyn Quick
Mimesis by Fontaines D.C.
Irish alternative rock band Fontaines D.C. has consistently impressed with their raw, bold sound and delicate balance of gloom and sincerity, and we’ve used their tracks in our testing rooms for quite some time. I’ve already flagged Favourite as a personal, well, favourite test track of mine, and I know Starburster is another highlight from their previous album that’s had plenty of airtime in our testing rooms.
The band's latest record, Dopamine Chamber, is yet another triumph, with the track Mimesis serving as a personal highlight. In a departure from the band’s trademarked crooning sound, this track plays with swelling synths, an uptempo bassline, and an airy open chorus that feels like a lighter, different vibe for the band.
There’s some New Order and perhaps a touch of Depeche Mode to this track, thanks to the blend of yearning lyrics and sweeping ’80s electronic instrumentation, making for an exceptional test for your system.
Balancing that openness and sparkle with lead singer Grian Chatten’s baritone voice is no easy task, and I want those snappy snare drums that underpin the track to be perfectly timed and crisp. The harmonious bridge should also flow with a warm and spacious presentation, allowing each layer to sing.
If your headphones, earbuds or speakers can manage that, then you should find plenty to enjoy with Mimesis.
Words by Lewis Empson
The City Was A Chaos by Max Richter
Max Richter’s new album, While The Flood Rages, is worth listening to in full. Originally commissioned for the dance adaptation MaddAddam based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian trilogy of novels, it’s an all-encompassing, deeply involving work that is utterly enchanting from start to finish.
The City Was A Chaos is a standout track, however, for its mix of discordant electronic noises that expand from a minimal soundscape to an all-out assault of big, booming, reverberating notes that demand to be heard on the largest speaker you can find.
The dynamic punch and heft of those bassier notes are quite astonishing and hit you right in the bones (when played through a proper system that can handle all this intensity with gusto), while the tension and feeling of chaos should leave you on edge.
It’s a slightly stressful but also incredibly thrilling piece that should – and will – knock your socks off.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
Try As I May (Live from Carnegie Hall) by Cameron Winter
![Cameron Winter - Try as I May (Live at Carnegie Hall) [Official Audio] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LWb5gkO51Q0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Cameron Winter’s December 2025 show at Carnegie Hall was widely predicted to be a generational moment, something akin to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense tour or Bob Dylan’s 1965 performance at Newport Folk Festival.
Thankfully, the concert recording that has since been released has met with an equally enthusiastic response, with critics and fans alike impressed by the young singer’s heart-rending, warbling vocals and free, improvisational piano style.
Try As I May originally featured on Winter’s debut, Heavy Metal, but this live version takes the song to new heights. In a fluid, stripped-back performance, Winter manipulates timing and dynamics to great effect, bringing his vocal melodies to the forefront of the mournful, ever-shifting composition.
Throughout Live At Carnegie Hall, Winter’s vocals are a highlight; his worn, characterful baritone seems to have as little difficulty reaching for high-octane, theatrical notes as it does descending to almost conversational, slacker tones.
Words by Ioan Hazell
Be Thankful For What You’ve Got by William DeVaughn
Any track that inspires a cover version from Massive Attack has got to be good, and so it proves with this masterfully smooth 1974 classic, but considering that some of Philly's famed MFSB pool of studio musicians played on the track, that’s hardly surprising.
The whole track is so chill you can practically feel waves lapping at your feet. Though to really hear it at its best, you’ll need a system capable of enhancing the finer details, from the opening bongos to the simmering organ, and those fresh electric guitar licks that populate the instrumental section.
The track was given an early ’90s makeover in Massive Attack’s cover – the organ remains, but the drums are all fractious and uneven, and of course, there’s vinyl scratching (it was the ’90s). But other than that, the composition remains remarkably intact, which is high praise indeed for DeVaughn’s exquisite original.
And that’s before you get to the tune’s timeless message, which is all in the title. That lack of subtlety is more than made up for by the track’s understated instrumentation and lilting vocal.
A treat for the ears and the heart alike.
Words by Joe Svetlik
Wristwatch by MJ Lenderman
Do you know how I’d describe the guitar on MJ Lenderman’s Wristwatch? Crunchy. A far cry from the scratchy noodling so embedded within a huge tranche of alternative indie, Lenderman’s most recognisable hit is crunchier than eating a handful of frozen gravel.
That makes it a powerful weapon to have in your go-to testing arsenal. Once you’ve established that your headphones or hi-fi system is capable of handling various single notes, you can load up Wristwatch to discover how it responds when charged with the density and slight distortion of the tune’s central guitar.
Not only will you expect your system to really latch onto all of that bite, texture and grip, but you’ll also want to hear the subtle nuances hidden beneath what superficially might sound like a load of indiscernible fuzz.
Like a keen archaeologist armed with his best trowel, the best performers will sift through the mud to uncover the various layers of treasure hidden within.
Words by Harry McKerrell
As a collective, our review team listens to a lot of music. Sometimes we rely on old favourites with which we're familiar, but we are always discovering new tracks – be they fresh releases or just songs we haven't encountered before – that give us key insights into new products we are trying out.
We also know that plenty of our readers are on the lookout for new tunes, either to assess the capabilities of a new system or simply to show off the full talents of their established hi-fi set-up. That's why we have come up with our monthly 'Now Playing' playlist, a rundown of everything we've been listening to and loving recently, whether at home with a set of headphones or at work in our fabulous test rooms.
Each instalment will bring you a handful of tracks chosen by our reviews team, detailing why we love them and what they bring out of certain products. So even if you're not looking for new tunes to play on your system, we hope you find something you'll love no matter how you choose to listen to it.
We're always on the lookout for new music, so drop a comment below to share what you have been listening to!
MORE:
Read last month’s edition: the 6 best test tracks giving our team chills this October
Yes, there is an ultimate prog rock album for testing hi-fi – at least according to What Hi-Fi? readers
Check out our ultimate test tracks collection
