Five tracks to hear this week (Sept 8-14)

Sam Smith has been posting lyrics online all week to his comeback single, Too Good at Goodbyes. Today his first new song since his 2015 Bond theme can finally be heard.

Long-running pop wits Sparks are back with their 25th album this week, a quirky beast they call Hippopotamus. The beautiful animated video for the latest single, Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me), is on YouTube now.

Eclectic guitarist St Vincent’s fifth solo album is on the way in October. The memorable first single, New York, now has a colourful video on YouTube, and the audio for another new song, Los Ageless, arrived this week too.

They’ve been touring the world celebrating their Joshua Tree album, but now U2 are back to looking forwards. The rock giants’ latest album, Songs of Experience, should be here in December, and a lyric video for an anthemic new song, You’re the Best Thing About Me, is online now.

Singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey brings influences from across the world into the acoustic sounds of his second solo album. Wake Up Now, out today, includes the song Myela, which has a video made by Iranian animator Majid Adin and concerns the refugee experience.