Throughout 2024, we’ve featured literally hundreds of new tracks in our weekly Singles Bar column. Never committed to any particular style or genre, the SB has become a haven for any new tracks that have caught our ear, and we’ve introduced people to a whole spectrum of new bands. There wasn’t time to cast a spotlight on everything we loved, however. So, as we get ready to wave goodbye to another great year for music, we’ve brought together a selection of twenty five great tracks that slipped under the radar during the second half of the year. These are more than mere leftovers – every track deserves a loving ear. We’ve got singer songwriters; we’ve got melodic prog; we’ve got a couple of metal-centric workouts, indie bangers, and even a pinch of blues. If you’re a regular visitor to the Singles Bar, we know you’ll find more stuff to love!
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Signed to English Electric Records – the home of the mighty Big Big Train – The Dave Foster Band are critically acclaimed prog act from the UK. Following the partially Floydian ‘Sleep Spindles’ single, the marvellous ‘Delicate Things’ continues to showcase some very melodic playing. The track’s busy bass part, used to anchor a core melody, allows for some very interesting interplay on the track’s verse where tinkly guitars weave a circular riff against a melodic vocal. Moving into the chorus, things rock up just a little with the band adopting a sound that blends elements of Big Big Train with other melodic prog fare, always throwing a spotlight onto a rocky guitar, but never drawing too much away from a still great-sounding bass. A rockier instrumental section allows for some melodic metal soloing, adding an old school AOR slant to an already complex palette, but everything comes together wonderfully. Those hoping for something song-based get their wish too: vocalist Dinet Poortman offers a commanding performance throughout; her tones immediately latch onto the arrangement’s most melodic elements, and the way she allows herself to soar is occasionally reminiscent of some of BBT’s grander sounds circa their ‘English Electric: Full Power’ double set. Simply put, this is marvellous melodic prog.
A mix of jangly pop and light indie informs Nathan Ball’s understated ‘Stateline’. Musically, the track works a relatively simple melody, but with his high toned vocal taking the lead, Ball seems to know, somewhat instinctively, that to add anything more complex to the opening verse would spoil its magic. There are occasional hints of Jose Gonzales and Elliot Smith, but always a feeling that Ball is very much his own man. With the addition of repetitive and mechanical beats, the indie pop core eventually gets pushed further towards a more radio friendly singer songwriter style, but the magic is never lost. Ball counterbalances the mechanics with a great lead guitar break and an unashamedly 80s keyboard line which both make this single sound even more assured.
Showing a huge love for Gaslight Anthem influenced sounds, the brilliant ‘Got Me On Your Hook’ by Matt Caskitt and The Breaks is a superb rock single. The massive ringing guitar sounds that dominate throughout bring a mix of blue collar rock and melodic punk sounds, whilst Caskitt’s slightly gruff vocal accentuates the band’s raw energy. The music may be a little predictable, but the way Matt and the Breaks play with gusto ensures that an always familiar sound continues to feel contemporary, whilst this single’s simple hook drives home a great chorus. The band ultimately bettered this with their follow up ‘Meet Me In Memphis’, but as a stand alone track, this is excellent – and guaranteed to thrill fans of the style.
Take an old school funk rock riff, a scattergun vocal that calls back to early Chili Peppers and a great drum part, and you have a solid recipe for a brilliantly retro sounding tune that feels like buried treasure from the early 90s. If you’re French band Cannonball, what do you do with that? You use it as the basis for a song about the world’s most unfashionable footwear. Their single ‘Flip Flops’ veers towards novelty for this reason alone, but thanks to some tight musicianship and a lot of self-belief, they pull off a busy rocker with aplomb. It wasn’t exactly the summer hit they were hoping for, but it definitely added a weirdly catchy gem to their catalogue.
Kelsea Ballerini’s ‘First Rodeo’ single, released in the summer of ’24, shared some perfect country pop. Her ‘Two Things’ – another single used to promote her ‘Patterns’ album – runs it pretty close. The first part of the track works a similar blend of acoustic country and pop, which really shows off a great vocal, whilst the latter part of the number is unafraid to bring in some much bigger sounds. When the number hits its peak, the marriage of music and vocal is perfect, with Ballerini letting out a huge cry against epic sounding pop-rock guitars and huge chords. No matter how big the backdrop becomes, it’s always her curling vocal melodies at the heart of everything, showing off a great talent. If not for a couple of almost dance-y beats creeping in, this would equal ‘First Rodeo’ in terms of brilliant country infused pop.
Right from its opening burst of feedback, there’s a feeling that ‘Boo Hoo!’ by garage punk duo The Sewer Cats will be exciting…and from therein, it’s a track that doesn’t disappoint. The main riff shreds throughout with classic punk oriented sharp edges and an all round rawness that calls back to the late 80s. The lead vocal works a naturally venomous tone, drawing heavily from Kathleen Hanna and the Riot Grrrl movement, and its message delivered with “big pussy energy” is as vital and vibrant as ever. Although the core of the number draws from old stock, the anger and power served within this two minute banger places The Sewer Cats at the forefront of the UK punk underground, and its angry hook creates something that’s both catchy and fantastically potent.
2024 saw the arrival of metal supergroup Category 7, featuring Anthrax/Armored Saint vocalist John Bush, Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel and Overkill drummer Jason Bittner. Joining forces with members of Exodus and Adrenalin Mob, this musical union sounds pretty much how you’d expect, and their ‘Exhausted’ single – released via the legendary Metal Blade label – really shows off their combined talents. Kicking off with a chunky riff that sounds like a throwback to ‘Stomp 442’ era Anthrax, it gets off to a superb start, and the heavy edges work brilliantly in tandem with Bush’s melodic voice. As things progress, the track finds time for a couple of really angry and pointed lead guitar breaks, a riff that further blurs the edges between classic metal and hardcore, and a chorus that really allows Bush to fly. For fans of 90s Anthrax, this is an immediate hit, but with some very different sounding guitar work challenging the vocal for dominance, this gives the feeling that Category 7 are immediately a great band in their own right.
On his earlier singles, singer songwriter Nick Hudson was unafraid of pushing musical boundaries, sharing sounds that valued art over obvious commercial success. ‘Catherine In The Curates Garden’ – released in September ’24 – is similarly arty. Working a huge drone, this musically minimalist piece is chiefly a vehicle for Hudson’s voice, and he’s rarely sounded better. There are moments on this recording where he sounds a little like David Sylvian adopting a deeper croon; others where his rich tones sound like a much fuller Mark Hollis. Behind his dominant voice, the music continues to crawl with a funereal mood, its drone augmented by shrill synths and an uneven heartbeat. This never rushes; instead, it pulls the listener further into Hudson’s bleak world until there’s a feeling of no escape. At the point where things start to feel almost too claustrophobic, an organ swirl rises and heavy beats add an almost gothic/light industrial flair. Ominous soundscapes rarely sounded so good.
Upon release in the summer of ’24, Ok Cowgirl’s ‘Forever’ showed off a superb indie pop sound driven by an almost dream pop vibe. ‘Larry David’ shows off a very different side to the US act. Loaded with fuzzy garage rock guitars, the mid tempo rocker works a very angry core, but in true Ok Cowgirl style, you’ll find a massive melody coming through a great vocal. This track is rather striking since its overdriven guitars – whether a loud rhythm or atonal lead – are often at odds with the voice itself, but given time to adjust, this gives the listener something interesting, and its repeated refrain of “everything is fucked” supplies a simple hook that brings everything together.
With a descending riff that immediately catches the ear, Willowake strike emo punk gold on their single ‘Dog’. That riff would be enough alone to make the track a winner, genre wise, but a brilliantly melodic vocal and rhythm guitars deliver just as much of a classic sound, creating something that’s impossible to dislike. It’s not straight punk thrills from therein, either; the middle eight dispenses with the louder moments to make room for a really high toned, emotive vocal and a hefty bass groove that would be at home on old Quicksand tunes from the 90s. It’s to this band’s eternal credit that they’re able to take a wealth of classic influences and deliver something so fresh.
Towards the end of 2024, one man band Tooth Gore released the brilliant ‘No Fighting In Doo Wop’, a mix of garage punk and 50s pop pastiche. The equally brilliant ‘Spoiled Milk’ opens with a Spector-ish melody that advertises the musician’s love of pre-Beatle sounds, before exploding into a slice of punk that has a folk punk undercurrent, making everything sound like a collision between early Frank Turner and the Dropkick Murphys. An underground belter!
When it comes to a riff, Welsh band Black Lakes don’t hold back. On the excellent ‘Burn’ (released in July ’24), they crash in with a guitar sound that blends the best in contemporary metal with a slightly grungy edge that recalls key works by Tremonti. The riff is peppered with solid bass drumming which brings a punchier edge throughout, but a clean vocal ensures that even this very heavy workout comes with a huge sense of melody. The crying tones makes a pleasingly old school chorus soar, which really accentuates the band’s absolute command of a huge sound. Those who’ve found a love for another new Welsh band, The Black Vultures, will absolutely love this.
With its mix of electric and acoustic guitars and emotive voice, it’s hard not to compare ‘Unless I Call’ by Veronica Lewis to the many female artists that carved out a perfect pop-rock niche in the 90s. That said, the pop heart to this single sounds pleasingly sparky in 2024, and the effects added to the lead guitar – taking the track unexpectedly into the realms of dream pop – add something a little quirkier. No matter how good the arrangement, though, it’s Veronica’s voice that’s the big draw here, and the slight warble she brings to her world of very natural melodies gives this single an extra lift. In terms of radio friendly tracks, ‘Unless I Call’ has plenty that feels immediately familiar from first listen, but that merely helps it to feel like an absolute winner.
Over the past couple of years, Fraser Morgan has shared various self-penned folk rock numbers with a strong message. ‘Festival Song’ doesn’t tackle any heavy topics – mental health has been one of Fraser’s staples – but has a lyric with which many will still relate, since it celebrates the excitement of spending time in a field, surrounded by music and people, connected by music. The lyrics regarding comradeship, excitement and “crawling back into a tent” before doing it all over again create vivid imagery, but it’s the music here that wins out, whether its the strident folk punk riffs Morgan uses in a Frank Turner-esque fashion, his busy lead work which gives the track a busy yet solid heart, or the rousing wordless chorus hook. Whichever way you slice it, this is one of Fraser’s finest records to date.
Armed with a mid tempo riff and a truckload of volume, it takes Cortez literally seconds to whip up a classic stoner imbibed metal sound on ‘Theives & Charlatans’. Going beyond the usual basic Sabbath-isms of most bands taking a similar musical stance, this track finds time for a higher toned, clean vocal and a massive chorus that calls back to the pre-grunge early 90s for melodic inspiration. With the help of a harmonic lead guitar break – again, countered by a melodic vocal hook – and some powerful drumming, what this lacks in originality it makes up for with sheer greatness, advertising a band who are able to take a huge sound and deliver something that could’ve been a smash at any point over the previous thirty five years.
Steve Hewitt’s 2019 LP ‘Bigger Than Words’ was one of that year’s finest releases. Driven by an acoustic guitar and a great voice, the material tapped into a timeless sound, and Hewitt’s songwriting – inspired by Nick Drake, John Martyn, and other folk-rock stalwarts – offered something that was clearly heartfelt. ‘Cold World’, a single that appeared on streaming services in October ’24, reintroduces a great talent to a post-lockdown world. From the outset, he presents a strong acoustic lead on top of a timeless strum, reawakening his no-frills gift for a classic melody, but as before, it’s his vocal that really stands out. His deep, rich tones lend a real gravitas to an already strong arrangement, and his earnest lyric always matches his broad and assured tones. If you liked Steve before, this will be an almost instant love. If this is your first experience of his work, be prepared to backtrack and be swept up by his great sound.
US post punkers Looking Glass War have shared a few great tracks over the past year or so. Here’s another: ‘Adamantine Chain Gang’ presents a solid bass groove and a distinctly 80s guitar tone that makes it hard to ignore the classic goth influence that drives the track, even before vocalist Glen adds a massive, almost theatrical croon. A defiantly upbeat number, this single works the whole band really hard, and the result – falling somewhere between ‘Ghost Dance’ era Death Cult and the more melodic elements of Bauhaus – is surprisingly catchy. It’s a great example of how music needn’t always plough forward into new territory to impress.
An even stronger post-punk heart beats with ‘Lullaby Lady’ from Italy’s The Whistling Heads. Busy basslines meet with punchy drums to create a strong musical base, but it’s with almost immediate effect that the sharp edged rhythm guitars command attention from the listener. With speed driven attitude and shrill tones, the guitars are strongly reminiscent of bands like Bloc Party – there are moments here that sound like bits of ‘Silent Alarm’ played at speed – but an accented vocal ensures The Whistling Heads never sound like a direct copy of their heroes. Factor in a repetitive hook and this is a single that’s bound to stick, whether or not its influences feel a little obvious.
If you like your post punk sounds to come with more of a goth-ish flavour, New Zealand’s Breaches have you covered. The intro of ‘Twist The Knife’ brings together a punchy yet warm bass and shimmering guitar to create a sound that fuses the goth pop of The Bolshoi with something a little more 90s influenced, and when the riff finds its feet, its timeless goth rock tones are set to bowl over fans of the style. Ensuring things don’t get too poppy, a heavily treated vocal smothers everything with a sinister tone and a whole world of echo, leaning towards something a little more out there. It often sounds like the sum of its influences, but this track is the collision between The Bats and Fields of The Nephilim you never knew you needed.
Arrows of Athena hit their audience with a retro sound of a slightly different kind. The bass riffs that fill ‘Insanity’ are almost as huge as those found within Looking Glass War, but these guys use their hefty rhythms to create something with a strong 90s influence. Throughout this rocky number, the bass and drums work hard to lock down a solid groove, but the strongest elements come via a semi-nonchalant vocal which blends a great pop aesthetic with some radio friendly 90s vibes. The track eventually becomes more about the groove than any immediate hooks, but a few plays will uncover a tune that sounds like those old Hammerbox, Garbage, Curve and Angelfish tunes you’ve loved forever.
2024 was a superb year for shoegaze, hazy indie and dreampop sounds. Maven Grace released their second album, and its lead single ‘Take Me To The Water’ gave listeners a rather low key introduction to the new record. Opening with keyboard drones and a quiet voice, it immediately suggested a slow burning number, but the “less is more” approach actually allowed Mary Home’s vocal more room to work an equally understated melody. By adding a gentle rhythm and a bright sounding piano gradually, this track pulls in the listener slowly, showing how a very mellow sound can be almost as effective as hitting everyone with an obvious groove. Finally, the arrival of strings lends the alternative ballad more of a cinematic quality, eventually leaving the listener feeling lulled, yet wanting to hear more. The year has delivered numerous catchier tracks, but in terms of building an atmosphere, this is hard to beat.
A steady rhythm and atmospheric guitar fill a lengthy intro on The Giraffes’ ‘The Shot’, creating a melody that’s clearly in no hurry. This creates a perfect backdrop for Aaron Lazar’s confident croon which sounds like it would feel more at home on an early Queens of The Stone Age track. As the number builds, though, firstly through a rockier riff and then with the aid of a very Eastern sounding melody blending desert rock sounds and tribal drums, Lazar becomes more settled, and eventually shares a commanding melody that’s almost as strident as the music itself. At its peak, this busy arrangement sounds like the fusion of Federale, The Shadow Majlis and Tuatara, before dropping back into something more of a standard desert rock persuasion. It’s not got the makings of an obvious hit single, but in terms of showcasing this band’s talents, it’s a hit in its own right. Now almost thirty years into their career, The Giraffes have rarely sounded better.
Flying the flag for a modern blues sound, The Harpoonist takes a delta groove and adds a fuzzy edge akin to The Black Keys on the brilliant ‘Show Me The Green’. This works most effectively when a buzzing lead guitar is placed against the number’s busy rhythm, but it doesn’t actually create the stand out moments you’d expect from such a track. Despite everything that’s presented here, and with a genuine gusto, its the blend of fuzzy lead vocals and insanely busy harmonica that gives this bluesy workout its biggest hooks. You’ll hear lots of familiar influences, but they’re used here with invention, and as a reminder that blues arrangements needn’t be formulaic or downbeat.
Within the swirling guitar work that’s present during the verses of Burner’s ‘Harborn’, you might hear traces of shoegaze cult heroes The Veldt, but a heavier chorus that flaunts a love of grunge will immediately make you rethink this band’s musical intentions. With a gruff vocal joining the noisier elements, and a deeper croon in place on the more melodic passages, the mood seems to shift constantly here, but at the same time, there’s nothing about this track that feels directionless. The band’s tight approach to a riff combined with a voice that clearly handles a range of sounds with a confident flow creates something that’s as good as anything you’d care to name from the late 90s underground alternative scenes, and these guys’ combined desire to bring that sound screaming into the final weeks of 2024 is certainly more than commendable. Burner are definitely an act to keep an eye for in 2025.
Last up, here’s a superb piece of emo from Bournemouth’s Weak Asleep. Taking hefty musical cues from bands like Yellowcard and On Sunset, the number opens with a broad sounding rhythm guitar set against a mid tempo beat, but quickly opens out into a melodic banger that captures the very best of the emo/alternative sound of ’24. The layered guitar parts that dominate the track are superb, but the real star is vocalist Chris Parsons who’s been absolutely unafraid to remind the audience of the emotion within emo, crying his way through a hugely melodic hook with volume and an easy confidence. For fans of the style, this number – chosen as one of the focus tracks from their ‘Romance & Ricochets’ album – will be taken to heart with immediate effect. It’s an instant classic.
December 2024