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. It’s a proper mixed bag this week, with the return of a multi-million selling singer songwriter, who is contrasted by a sharp edged alternative metal track; something that leans towards country rock, the return of a favourite pop vocalist and more besides…

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To kick things off, here’s a massive piece of rock ‘n’ roll from Matt Caskitt and The Breaks that’s really catchy. From the outset, this tune’s sharp arrangement suggests something great, but with its harmony driven chorus and hugely upbeat feel, it actually blooms into something much better than those first impressions suggested. There’s a light rockabilly rhythm from the drums constantly pushing everything forward and a grumbling bass bringing a little more attitude, but it’s the elements that serve more of a melodic role that really help this number to shine. The vocals soar with a broad sound, perfectly balanced between a radio friendly rock style and a melodic punk punchiness, and a huge guitar part acts as a strong counterpoint throughout. Loaded with big beats and ringing guitars, it’s impossible to miss the Gaslight Anthem influence on ‘Meet Me In Memphis’ but Matt and his band take the style and recycle it with love. In quick time, this sounds like the work of the favourite band you never knew you had.

Over the past year, Scottish singer Roisin McCarney has released several excellent pop singles. Here’s another. ‘The Juggler’ really doesn’t shy away from its pop roots: the curly vocal tones come with a suitably shiny production; the lyrical hooks come with a brilliantly sugary quality and the buoyant melody that’s dominant throughout aims to push that feel-good button. Best of all, though, are the nods to Fleetwood Mac that run through the core of the number, from the steady rhythm driven by a very John McVie inspired bass, to Roisin’s own vocal, which is peppered on occasion with tones that would’ve suited Stevie Nicks back in those chaotic ‘Tusk’ days. That’s not all, however. There’s even time within these two and a half minutes to throw in a synth heavy middle eight whilst Roisin uses the title to create a massive earworm. Overall, this is a great addition to the artist’s steady growing catalogue.

With mournful strings set against a mechanical rhythm, Aursjoen’s ‘Nytår’ immediately has a somewhat cold feel. It’s a recording that’s worth sticking with, though, as within its strange and mournful sound, you’ll find a dark beauty. The lead vocal blends folk melodies with a classic goth tone, and as the melody grows, the use of multi-tracked voices builds a brilliantly haunting soundtrack. This is far more introspective than Ria Aursjoen’s work with her band Octavian Winters, but it actually stands a good chance of attracting a broader and more devoted audience. There are hints of Bjork here (without the electronica), the dourness of PJ Harvey, and even a pinch of the much missed Delores O’Riordan, and yet the influences are used in a way that ensures Aursjoen’s first foray into solo recording sounds relatively fresh and very much like something with the ability to carve its own musical path. Definitely an artist to keep a close eye on.

An incessant ticking is joined by sparingly played bass sounds. A light indie-folk approach rises from the guitar. A fey vocal joins everything together. There’s immediately the sense of something growing, but the opening verse of ‘Pale Blue Dot’ from Moreish Idols doesn’t give everything away immediately. It’s a track that takes a slow burning approach in order to reach its peak, and even then, it still values atmosphere over aggression. At the point the chorus hits and the electric guitars drop a more jagged riff, this track has a rather arty feel, and that’s amplified when the middle eight takes an unexpected twist to drop in a Thom Yorke inspired vocal that’s a complete contrast to the near spoken delivery that dominates elsewhere. Finally, a breezy, jangling melody underscores the bigger vocal to provide the listener with something truly satisfying, taking indie based sounds into the realms of a pleasing grandiosity. This will take a few plays to stick, but it’s great to hear a band forging ahead with an interesting hybrid sound.

Over the years, Polar have gone through some fairly drastic changes, but that hasn’t diminished their sense of focus. The band’s current single ‘Paranoia’ offers a massively uncompromising wall of sound where metal riffs collide with a punky energy, and the heavy edges are sharpened further by industrial inspired rhythms and loops. The end result sounds mixes abrasive metalcore, the guts of an early Fear Factory classic and bits of groove metal with a pinch of nu-metal, creating something that never really fits into one genre. A raw lead vocal is left to hold everything together, often adopting more of a hardcore stance, but with an equally brutal approach, frontman Adam Woodford is a perfect fit for the angry and sometimes chaotic backdrop. With this single, Polar prove that great metal based sounds are constantly evolving, even if they draw influence from the past. The brilliantly noisy and fusion-based style that’s been perfected here earns Polar a place as one of 2024’s most exciting bands.

According to their own press, The Roamers’ music has “enough rough edges to call it rock ‘n’ roll, and enough twang to call it country”. On the basis of ‘Playboy’, that’s a fair assessment. A number written by bandleader Matt Rice a decade ago, the number pulls together influences from Keith Richards, Mike Campbell and a pinch of Steve Earle. From the outset, the steady rhythm captures the kind of spit ‘n’ sawdust roots rock you’d find on the Lost Weekend Band’s EP, overlaid with a dominant lead guitar that calls siren-like with a definite Americana influenced tone. As the number gains traction, the mid tempo gives a home to a semi drawled vocal – again of a country rock persuasion – and this is offset by the kind of lead guitar break that Keith Richards and the departed Bob Stinson would take in their stride. With a stabbed piano fleshing out a harmony filled chorus, ‘Playboy’ has a massively old heart, but its almost timeless feel is bound to attract a devoted audience over time.

The fiftieth anniversary Sparks tribute ‘Kimono My House At 50’ often took everyone’s favourite keyboard-centric, glam and avant-garde band’s works in a harder direction. Here’s something that’s the polar opposite. A preview of her full length reworking of ‘Number 1 In Heaven’, Travels With Brindle has reimagined ‘Tryouts For The Human Race’ as a piece for the ukulele. What’s more, she’s stripped it right down to its absolute basics, with the uke offering minimalist chords. The vocal is left to take the lead, and even that couldn’t be more different from Russ Mael’s huge, theatrical chops. This shouldn’t be considered a novelty; there’s something about TWB’s rather basic performance that makes the listener realise she’s deathly serious… The Sparks Brothers would surely be amused by such audacity.

It’s been decades since ‘White Ladder’ made singer songwriter David Gray a household name, and yet it’s amazing how on ‘Plus & Minus’ his signature sound remains pretty much unchanged. This single sets up a bright sounding piano against a programmed drum loop, in a way that is more than reminiscent of the massive ‘Babylon’, and Gray’s vocal, although a little thin, hasn’t aged a day. This immediately recognisable approach is guaranteed to make this number an instant hit with his fans, but the best moments here come via a strong harmony vocal. Guest performer Talia Rae brings something fuller to a great pop melody, and the way the duo’s voices work together is impressively smooth. Factor in a simple hook and this has “adult pop hit” carved right through the centre.

September 2024