Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. We offer a great selection this time around, taking in power pop, something synth based, some retro sounds leaning towards the goth-esque, a massively talented singer songwriter…and more besides. Hopefully, as usual, something new will catch your ear and encourage you to dig a little deeper!
*
Fusing a new wave energy and a power pop cool, Dany Laj and The Looks present themselves at their spikiest on ‘Meet Me On The Floor’. Fans will recognise the band’s gift for huge hooks in an instant, but with a sharper guitar sound, this track has a little more energy than expected. Between its quirky use of stops and a punchy rhythm, it sounds like a genre classic with almost immediate effect, but taking a big chorus into consideration, this is very much the kind of tune that’s set to win the band new fans. It mightn’t be as insanely catchy as the They Might Be Giants inspired ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’ from 2021, but these three minutes more than suggest The Looks are back with a massive bang.
The mysteriously named Pete International Airport offers deep bass grooves and deeper vocals throughout his wonderfully dark single ‘Sea of Eyes’. The first taste of a planned EP, this track pulls together elements of ‘Faith’ era Cure and classic Bauhaus, whilst working a simple drum loop and hard edged guitar part. The repetitive nature of the music sets an effectively hypnotic mood in place, but its the almost emotionless vocal that steals the show by casting itself back to the glory days of 80s goth with its echoing sound and effortless croon. Shamelessly retro and all the better for it, this track promises more greatness ahead.
goth
With its chopping rhythms and socio-political lyric, the New Earth Farmers’ ‘War Inside Our Hearts’ immediately hits upon a classic musical style. As the track progresses, its blend of natural vocals and almost folk punk-ish melodies come together in such a way, it feels like the kind of number you’ve always known. It values melody as much as punch, however, and a round of harmony vocals filling the chorus bring an Americana-esque edge, and a roaring lead guitar break adds a pinch of influence from Trevor & The Joneses. Despite never feeling to fussy, this is a brilliantly layered track; a brief listen that brings something timeless to the former New American Farmers’ catalogue.
Following on from the mechanical sounds of ‘Dexter’s Lab’, Pet Twin shifts his musical focus to something with much more of a natural flow on ‘You’re Turning Into It’. From the opening keyboard notes, there’s a strong melodic backline which Pet Twin uses well to weave an indie-ish melody throughout the next three minutes. The bulk of the track sounds like a more electronica based Unbelievable Truth, but by bringing in a harder edged, buzzing melody for the chorus, this track still rocks a little more than extant fans might expect. There’s a strong contrast between forthright musical sounds and a semi-fragile vocal, but s rather 90s construct between loud and quiet creates one of the most accessible PT tracks to date. James Gallagher’s one man project has never been restrained by genre, but this is actually a bigger musical change than expected – but it’s certainly not for the worse.
It hasn’t been that long since Sohodolls released the excellent ‘Napoleon Baby’, but the synth based act has returned with another absolute banger. ‘Territory of Your Heart’ works a hard, pulsing rhythm, over which mechanical drums build an even bigger sound. Despite latching onto a busy tempo, the music allows plenty of room for a bright pop vocal to take centre stage. With the aid of filters, the lead vocal adopts a very bubblegum feel, but its higher registers are perfect when delivering a huge pop hook where the melody soars. The contrast between the pumping rhythm and flowing vocal is certainly what makes this track, and even if it doesn’t always feel like a massive leap forward from previous Sohodolls tunes, it’s certainly another feel good track that fans will love.
Imagine a tune that has the symphonic undertones of Moby circa ‘Play’ and the soulfulness of Amy Winehouse coupled with a strident beat, and you might come somewhere close to ‘Black Lines’ by Elisa May. This alt-pop banger manages to draw heavily from a musical past, but still sound contemporary, and most of its greatness comes from May herself. Throughout this mid tempo workout she stretches her vocal in such a way that it manages to dominate, no matter where the main melody and arrangement chooses to go. It’s a number that works a strong rigid rhythm, but still conveys a natural flow and with a blend of the familiar and the fresh, this is a flagship recording for the adult pop market. It’s also the kind of single that sounds better with each spin. [Lyrical content is NSFW]
The vocal is delivered with a heavy affectation, but the core of Boy In Space’s ‘Dancing On Dynamite’ is pure pop. Its mix of acoustic guitars and buoyant melodies conjures a sound that’s immediately radio friendly, and a hugely sunny hook further steers the main melody into a feel good territory. Over the rather light arrangement, a lyric explores a world of change and the fragile nature of some relationships. The symbolism of “shedding skin”, in particular, creates some rather strong lyrical imagery, and helps to push this towards a smarter brand of pop, and with BIS really selling a soaring melody, this single doesn’t have to try too hard to stick.
Last up, here’s something epic from God Is An Astronaut. The seven minute ‘Odyssey’ moves through several moods, each one more captivating than before. Its quiet opening bars fuse folk and gothic melodies as finger picked strings carve out a strong melody. Then, darker drones colour everything against the sounds of electric sitar, bringing a mix of gothic tones and world music. Cranking a rockier sound, a cold guitar blends goth and melodic prog, before a steady beat drives the instrumental groove into a heavy riff that’s more of the prog metal variety. By the time the sitar returns to counterbalance the heaviness, things get really busy – although never in a way that loses the track’s ear for a strong melody. Finally, multi-layered guitars bring more of a dark prog vibe, and God Is An Astronaut sound truly impressive when throwing a huge, optimistic melody over a fairly dense backdrop. In terms of arty, dark rock sounds, this is hard to beat.
August/September 2024