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    The Weeknd, FKA twigs, Soccer Mommy and More New Music

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    Hear tracks by Soccer Mommy, FKA twigs, Reyna Tropical and others.Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new tracks. Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes) and at Apple Music here, and sign up for The Amplifier, a twice-weekly guide to new and old songs.The Weeknd, ‘Dancing in the Flames’It’s back to the mid-1980s synth-pop of Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and Eurythmics in the new song by the Weeknd, abetted by the symmetry-loving production of two more producers, Max Martin and Oscar Holter. Pointillistic keyboard notes bounce in stereo over programmed drums, full of major-key optimism, as the Weeknd sings about a romance that’s like fast, reckless driving: “I can’t wait to see your face/crash when we’re switching lanes,” he sings in his sweetest falsetto. A tolling keyboard coda suggests an unfortunate outcome — made explicit in the video — no matter how catchy things were. JON PARELESSoccer Mommy, ‘Driver’The grungy chug of Sophie Allison’s guitar brushes up against a lilting vocal melody on “Driver,” the third single from “Evergreen,” the upcoming album from the singer-songwriter who records as Soccer Mommy. “I’m a test of his patience with all that I do,” Allison sings of a lover who calms her clanging neuroses. “’Cause I’m hot and he stays cool, I don’t know why.” LINDSAY ZOLADZFKA twigs, ‘Eusexua’We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Seance’ Review: Summoning Trouble with Lipstick and Latin

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      In Simon Barrett’s film, something evil descends upon an all-girls boarding school after a clique of students try to contact the dead.When a group of mean girls invite Camille (Suki Waterhouse), the protagonist of “Seance,” to contact a dead classmate, she shrugs.“Why not?” Camille says. “Sounds weird.”That is essentially the thesis of this genre-confused film: Why not? Sounds weird.“Seance,” directed by Simon Barrett, takes place at the fictional Edelvine Academy, an all-girls boarding school where an evil presence emerges after a clique of students tries to summon a ghost. Newcomer Camille arrives just as girls are beginning to disappear.Given Barrett’s career as a horror screenwriter — he penned the twisty “You’re Next” and contributed to the “V/H/S” series — it’s no surprise that “Seance” is at its strongest when leaning fully into the humor of the genre. As the film reaches its lively end, bloodshed and absurdity both peak. Barrett livens things up with practical effects and fight choreography.Unfortunately, the film’s climax is at odds with its buildup, a plodding narrative constructed around flimsy characters with even flimsier motivations. “Seance” meanders for most of its running time, wavering between tones and styles. It’s both self-aware and overly serious. It tries to be a murder mystery, a slasher, a coming-of-age tale and a haunted house flick all at once.When the film does choose a genre, it occasionally sticks the landing, but “Seance” ultimately feels jumbled. Myriad bizarre choices — like costuming the teen characters in form-fitting pajamas and haphazardly inserting music into scenes — don’t help.Like its characters crafting a planchette out of lipstick and a phone case, “Seance” mashes ideas together and hopes for the best. But moments of true innovation can be found among the blunders.SeanceRated R for buckets of blood and un-ladylike language. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on FandangoNow, Vudu and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators. Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters. More