Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual MP3s that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. There has been absolutely no shortage of single tracks coming our way, and this time, our selection brings you a whole world of greatness. From retro rock to heavy synth based electronica, this visit to the bar has something for a broad audience. As always, we hope that some of these tunes will lead to further exploration.
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One of the greatest things to land in our inbox this time out, Lonely Little Kitch deliver massively overdriven riffs aplenty on ‘Monster’, a high energy romp that revels in its semi-distorted approach. Right from the opening chords, there’s plenty for fans of noisy indie and melodic punk to latch onto, and once the chorus hits with a really hooky round of “ah”s delivered by a clean vocal, the contrast between the rough and the sweet results in an instant classic. As if Metric discovered a wall of sound approach, this is an alternative single that should be heard by everyone.
All the way back in 2016, Strange Majik released ‘Raised On Rock N Roll’ – one of the greatest albums you’ve (n)ever heard. Created as homage to the best record collection in the world, its tracks blended rock soul and blues flawlessly, and the combination of groove laden guitar and sassy horns left the world with the strongest Majik to date. Subsequent albums and singles have helped keep main man David Pattillo in the eye of the musical underground, but his current single ‘Manhattan Is Back’ marks a welcome re-introduction of some of ‘Raised…’s sass. Armed with a combination of chopping funk riffs and bluesy howls inspired by Robert Cray and a soulful chorus where a choir of vocals join Patillo’s huge wail, the tune is huge. Some of those vocals are a little wayward, but there’s no denying that, overall, this is a track with a superb energy.
Looking for a hugely crashy piece of retro rock? The False Positives have you covered with their brilliantly noisy ‘It Leaves A Mark’ where the massive garage rock chords collide with an equally noisy drum part, before the track slides into a power pop infused middle eight. Dave Harrison’s shouty vocal style won’t please everyone, but there’s plenty within the music itself that whips up a familiar sound in a really pleasing way.
As if channelling the theme to an old Japanese cartoon from the 80s, 3Force deliver some huge keyboards on ‘Get Down’, and although their sound seems hugely self-aware, the track’s blend of electronica and semi-kitsch sounds great from the off. It mightn’t be the kind of thing that would sustain a full album, but as a three minute blast, this is a lot of fun.
A superb pop-rocker, ‘Bad Idea’ by Adult Leisure has a very familiar feel from first listen. Its pulsing basslines draw from 80s pop, but the track has a rhythmic groove with far more muscle, while the affected vocals could’ve been inspired by a couple of massive Kings of Leon hits. Somehow, when mashing those influences together, Adult Leisure have a much stronger identity, and on the evidence of this very radio-friendly three minutes, they know their way around a cracking chorus hook.
In terms of digital singles, The Anchoret’s ‘Buried’ is a very bold choice. The arrangement’s more melodic parts draw a musical influence from The Pineapple Thief with the presence of harmony vocals and floaty melodies, but there’s so much more to the track. When moving through more obviously metal-infused passages, listeners might hear elements of In Flames, before a pneumatic chorus injects an obvious hit of melodic black metal. For most bands, that would be enough, but The Anchoret take things a step further with a bluesy lead guitar break and coda where jazz noodles suggest even more influences will be found on other recordings to be released in the near future.
Considering the band is a collaboration between members of Fu Manchu and MOAB, the eponymously named single from Gods of Sometimes is a far more tuneful affair than you might be expecting. Eschewing the obvious stoner route, this brilliant track explores hazy, almost psychedelic indie rock sounds in a landscape where ringing guitars and wistful vocals reign. An obvious musical love letter to the retro sounds of the 90s, it’s the kind of song that’s likely to attract a broad fan base.
A lover of power pop and glam, Aussie singer songwriter Wesley Fuller has released some great music in the past. His current single ‘Back To Square One’ isn’t the warmest sounding tune you’ll hear, but it retains a retro spark that gives his pop the necessary lift. Although it comes with even more of a glam-centric flavour than anything Fuller has shared before, this fuzzy stomper sounds like a Brendan Benson demo that never was…and that’s good enough to win us over.
June 2023