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 past few weeks. This time, we have what we believe is one of our most adventurous selections to date. We’ve brought together a couple of downbeat songwriters, a slab of soul with a very dark and arty core, a couple of great rock tracks, and even a track that blends a singer songwriter’s personal side with an almost prog rock grandness. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been eighteen years since Corinne Bailey Rae scored a huge hit with ‘Put Your Records On’. In the time since then, she’s not been the most prolific of artists – there was a six year gap between her second and third albums – but her well curated catalogue isn’t shy of great songs. Her current single ‘SilverCane’ doesn’t have a “radio friendly” style, or any real immediacy, but it’s absolutely superb. From the outset, a hefty beat sets a rhythm; various pulsing sounds set a deeper tone and occasional reverbed noises and it’s left to Corinne to hold everything together with an interesting vocal approach. That first verse relies heavily on a soulful voice for a melodic hook, and although it’s a hard sell, it sounds strangely alluring. From there, a bigger melody builds, firstly via a bright rhythm guitar, and then through a huge keyboard sound, with Corrine raising her voice to suit. At this point, the penny drops: what starts out sounding a little experimental takes flight, sounding like a deep cut from Prince’s ‘Lovesexy’ sessions. If you don’t love it from therein, you likely never will, but this single is very bold indeed.

With its steadily approached rhythm and shimmering strings, there’s a quiet fragility in the music of Peter Alexander Jobson’s ‘Please, Please, Please’. The arrangement doesn’t throw itself at the listener, but instead, takes the time to slowly work its way under the skin. The wavering and fractured melodies occasionally sound like a warmer take on something from the world of Paul Buchanan, and occasionally like something John Cale might share in one of his more reflective moods. Once Jobson starts to sing, his presence dwarfs absolutely everything, and he delivers every line with a richness and a volume that would make Leonard Cohen feel inadequate. There’s barely a second of vocal here that doesn’t feel as if it comes from a place of absolute purity. With deep and velvety tones set to move even the hardest hearts, this is an absolutely gorgeous track.

Ben Gorb’s ‘Just Be Yourself’ is an anthem challenging the idea that so many people – especially online – spend a great deal of time wearing a social mask, hoping that’ll be more interesting than the truth. “You’ve got your own story to tell” he opines, whilst steering a narrative that suggests life will just be more pleasant if we just accept who we truly are, and have the confidence for a little self-empowerment. In some ways, this might seem a little glib, but it creates a strong hook for his classic rock inspired belter that fuses AC/DC influenced riffs with melodic rock vocals, creating something that, going forward, will be musically hard to date. The choppy guitar work is strong, and the simple message carries almost as much power, but if anything makes this track, it’s the brave move to pepper bits of it with huge pompy vocals showing a love for early Queen, The Darkness and even the terminally unfashionable Sweet. With a no frills approach to a great riff and a confident delivery, this is the kind of single that should appeal to a huge cross-section of the rock audience.

Following his ‘City Where The Sky Subsides’, singer songwriter Joe Geni offers another very interesting listen with ‘City of Light’. There’s a very 80s feel to the performance, and certainly a retro quality to some of the instrumentation, but this is far more than a slice of nostalgia. From the outset, where Geni’s high tones rise against a blanket of keys, the track calls back to some of the more atmospheric aspects of Joe’s previous single, but the arrival of a slightly disjointed rhythm and bursts of distorted guitar gives the track a very different feel. By the time the melody has grown, there are swathes of Talk Talk and even a hint of the more experimental elements of ‘New Gold Dream’ era Simple Minds, but Joe’s distinctive – and sometimes strange – vocal tones ensure this is a track with a very distinct sound of its own, too. It’ll take a few listens to get acclimatised, but if you can tune in, the bass grooves, sizable hook and confident air are set to win you over.

‘Done Pleasing’ from Belgian band Such Great Heights is the ultimate anthem to self interests. No, not like that, you filthy people – this is purely about not putting yourself out to help others, and its selfishly themed lyric works very well within a chunky arrangement. A simple hook powers a huge chorus that has a strong melodic bent, but this isn’t necessarily a track that’s easily pigeonholed. The guitar riffs fall squarely between retro alternative rock and the spikiness of melodic punk and emo, whilst the drums power through parts of the song with nods to melodic hardcore. With the help of a clear vocal, everything fits together very well, however, and these three minutes actually act as a very strong showcase for a band making waves within the European underground.

Following their groove laden ‘La Cucaracha’, KOYO have returned with something a little chunkier. ‘Hooked’ opens with a heavy riff counterbalanced with a few Relativity Records inspired guitar histrionics, the busier moments of which are revisited throughout to create a strong musical hook. For the bulk of the verse, there are elements of stoner metal colliding with heavy garage rock, but in true KOYO style, that’s not enough. A quieter middle eight introduces high toned vocals and an ominous thud from the bass, creating something more atmospheric, before a careening lead guitar break takes centre stage, showcasing this musical act’s more flamboyant side. Often sounding like the collision of three different tracks, it shouldn’t work as well as it does. However, between great playing and a crunchy production sound, listeners are left with something that sounds immense with the volume cranked.

Scotland’s Desert Kites received positive press for their 2023 EP ‘All You Want Is More’ and associated singles, but their current single ‘Angel’ is arguably far more catchy. Retaining their 90s influenced sound, the track works a solid guitar chug which powers a simple verse, but a dual vocal and great instrumentation on the chorus gives everything a lift. The natural vocals are pleasing in the way they come together, but it’s the marriage of those voices and a whirring guitar sound which helps this stand out, since the blend of sounds creates a strong musical hook that’s very user-friendly. In terms of accessible rock, ‘Angel’ might not present the fussiest arrangement, but there’s definitely a nostalgic element here that really works for the band. If you like this, circling back to check out their previous recordings is certainly recommended.

Last up, here’s something a little more downbeat. Singer songwriter Ryan Smelle opts for the understated throughout ‘Sad Song’, a number that is, in part, a tribute to love and loss. With a mix of softly strummed chords and finger-picked motifs, the Canadian musician aims to work his way under his listeners’ skin very slowly. With echoes of Elliot Smith and M. Ward, he allows the lyrical narrative to do most of the heavy lifting, but even that seems content with not being entirely immediate. This, above all, is a track that relies on mood, and in setting up a mellow, yet strong melody, it really excels. There’s a warmth within the melancholy, and the way Ryan’s voice gradually cracks under its emotive tones presents a talent that sounds far more mature than outward appearances might suggest. By conveying the fragility of an emo songwriter, shared with the roots of a 90s performer and capturing a sound that still holds firm in the present, Ryan delivers a winner of a track. This is the kind of single that could’ve emerged at any point over the past thirty years.

September 2024