Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have dropped into our inbox over the previous few weeks. This time around, we bring you some moody singer songwriter pop, a well crafted slice of Americana, something that falls between dance and pop, the return of an underground rock band with an excellent track…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
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Taking a sidestep from her previous punchy pop sound – as heard brilliantly on ‘The One’ – Lloren opts for something a little more low key on ‘Mad Woman’. The heavy use of effects that make a strummed guitar sound like an underwater electric piano immediately signifies something different, but as the tune takes flight, its slowburning melodies work brilliantly. The moody base is joined by occasional lead guitar dropping in elements that feel almost cinematic, but the stage is ultimately dominated by Lloren herself. Lloren’s vocal delivers a massive sound: a mix of soul and pop that’s perfectly suited to the music’s minimalist traits. It’s perhaps a little easy to draw a parallel with the likes of Lana Del Rey, but fans of a hugely emotive sound will almost certainly find something to love here.
Bren Berry’s ‘Turn On Your Radio’ is a melodic rock tune that shares an almost timeless sound. The steady rhythm sets in place a sound that calls back to the 70s; the lead guitar, often adding a superb counter melody, takes a cue from the melodic end of 90s alternative rock and even the rockier end of Americana works, and Berry’s heavily filtered voice leans further towards something contemporary at the time of release. There are traces of many influences, but seemingly nothing that stands out as being an obvious lift, and Berry’s mournful approach to performance leads to a track that shows how rock music can be emotive and thoughtful without trying too hard to stand out. This isn’t an immediate hit, but a few plays allows a great melody and a classic sound to really work its magic.
Take “indie rock maverick” Love Ghost and industrial musician Skold, put them together and you have an especially potent combination. They’ve released a couple of good singles already, but ‘Ski Mask’ – the third track to emerge from their full length collab could be Love Ghost x Skold’s best yet. With a deep synth sound lurking beneath a layer of guitars, the number sets up a brilliantly sinister mood, but as the expected layer of noise falls away and an electronica/goth-pop hybrid sound begins to power the first verse, there’s a much more interesting atmosphere here. Bringing the chugging guitar back for the chorus gives the track a great punch and a strong melody, but the second verse, with its pulsing sounds and other electro-based noises, confirms the duo sound stronger when pitching something in more of an understated fashion – relatively speaking, of course…
Within a couple of bars of Tawny Ellis’s ‘Sweet Georgia’, the listener is hit with a classic Americana sound. The hard strummed acoustics set up a solid, rhythmic base, whilst a slightly twangy electric reinforces a rootsy feel. A subtly approached electric piano adds an extra texture, whilst an understated rhythm section holds everything together. The show really takes off, though, once Tawny starts to sing. Her tone blends a rootsy pop sound and traces of country with the utmost ease, sounding great on the verse, but really coming into its own on a huge, harmony drenched chorus. In terms of adult oriented Americana pop, you’d be hard pressed to find anything better as 2024 starts to draw to a close.
Barber Q’s previous single ‘Dynamite’ shared a hybrid sound of indie rock and metal that was immense, but pinning down an obvious influence was impossible. Their distinctive genre bending sound presents itself in a little more of a commercial way on ‘Afraid’, but their approach to arrangement continues to be out on its own. This number is anchored by a deep, fuzzy bass drawn from the school garage rock; the chopping guitars fall between hard edged indie rock and a melodic metal sound, but the vocals come from an entirely different place. On the verses, they glide with an almost soul-ish flair, always in contrast with the music, before being layered with huge rock and soul harmonies on the chorus. There’s time enough here, too, for a massive old school guitar solo. With an enormous groove employed throughout, it comes with a great musical hook, despite its complex nature. ‘Afraid’ isn’t just a great guitar driven number – it’s a musical statement that should see Barber Q rising through the ranks.
A muted guitar part, a waltzing time signature, understated brass: all indispensable features found within a brilliantly theatrical single from Gustaffson. ‘On Broadway’s timeless style blends adult oriented pop rock with a grandiosity that sounds cinematic, making it the perfect vehicle for Andrew Gower’s vocal. Bringing in a jazzy piano at a later stage adds a welcome extra layer, without drawing too much away from Gower’s centre stage performance, and by the number’s end, this sounds like a timeless work. With a broader sound than a couple of the band’s earlier singles and a much more accessible vocal, this is one of the band’s best tunes to date. Although Gustaffson have a sound of their own, it’s easy to imagine that fans of Richard Hawley and Peter Alexander Jobson will find something of huge interest here.
It takes a while to really click, but Branjae’s ‘Release’ adds something strong to the pop performer’s canon. The number’s steady beat straddles pop and dance with ease, and a multi-layered vocal continues in the expected Branjae vein where a soulful tone jostles between the danceable rhythms. In some ways, the track’s greatest strength is its desire to share something that already feels familiar, but a few plays unveils some very welcome deeper musical textures. A chopping guitar suggests a late 80s influence and a jazzy lead guitar on loan from a couple of chill out tracks arriving at the eleventh hour lifts the number in a really subtle way. In and out in three minutes, this is sharp, but also very radio friendly.
A pulsing rhythm dictating a solid mid tempo and ringing guitar sound really make their presence felt during the intro of ‘Bluebird’. Within seconds, Genius of The Crowd advertise a great dark indie/post punk sound that could’ve been spawned at any point over the previous thirty five years. The vocal brings more of a modern feel – conveying hints of The National and their ilk – but still manages to share a very old heart. This results in a track that’s often more concerned with a mood and the way a great arrangement ebbs and flows than immediate hooks. It’s far more mature than their earlier, rather shouty ‘What Shall Be’, but it’s also far superior, and shows how these Stoke On Trent lads can really latch onto a classic sound.
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October 2024