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. This week’s selection sees the return of a band who’ve been featured on our site a few times – and they’re sharing one of their best tracks to date. You’ll also find some cool downtempo electronica, some raw garage rock, a singer songwriter with a great mellow sound, and more… As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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The early pitch for ‘Clouds So Low’ suggested the new offering from Claude9 blended “Eno-esque ambient music and downtempo trip hop”, and although the end result is rather more beat oriented, there’s plenty within this single’s five minutes that might appeal to both audiences. Throughout the track, keyboards lay a blanket of ambient sound, and other elements tease with noises that are almost theramin-like. The bigger focus, though, is placed on a funk influenced bassline (like something lifted from side one of Eno/Byrne’s ‘My Life In The Bush of Ghosts’) and a spoken vocal which acts as a throwback to various alternative synth/dance records of the late 90s. Throw in a musical refrain from a melodica that sounds as if it were inspired an old harmonica loop and a big melody that has a retro appeal, and it results in an electronica themed track that comes across with a huge confidence. It’s probably more Royksopp inspired than anything…but fans of the style will discover something of great interest here.
Taking a pinch of industrial noise and an influence from groove metal, Spiralist create a strong intro for ‘Parasites’, but it’s one of those recordings that takes enough twists and turns to sound even more impressive as things gather momentum. The quieter moments of the track sound fleetingly like something from Nine Inch Nails circa ‘The Fragile’, complete with hushed vocals, but no further influence from Trent Reznor should be sought; this is concerned with crushing the audience, and when tapping into a screamo/post-hardcore vocal and abrasive guitar sound with more than a hint of Dillinger Escape Plan, Spiralist make that sound like an easy task. Not content with filling this track with hard edged riffs and vocals for an abrasive effect, they up the ante for a huge climax where the metal-edged riffs take a leap into a world of full on distortion, sharing a noise rock sound with a speaker busting intensity. More impressively, there’s nothing here you’d ever connect with their ‘Eternal Recurrence’ from two years earlier. You won’t find this troubling the singles chart any time soon (wherever you are), but it’s definitely the sound of a band that means business.
New music from Pollyanna Blue is always welcome, but ‘Lovesick’ might just be one of their best tracks to date. This “anthem for the disenchanted” is, perhaps, more melodic and hook driven than some of their previous songs, but the slightly more commercial and busier style really suits everyone. The verses come across like a supercharged Garbage tinged with a light industrial flair, and the mechanical elements really work well against Zoe’s enthused lead vocal. The chorus hints at early Paramore, further taking the listener into a cool world of alternative rock-pop, and in a move that’ll please older fans, the latter part of the track still makes plenty of time to deliver a goth-esque riff via a heavier guitar. In many ways, these four minutes play out like a showcase of all of PB’s influences to date, but in terms of catchy alternative tracks, it’s a definite winner.
Robot Hive’s ‘As Within, So Without’, released as a single in 2024, provided a great insight into the six piece band’s crossover sound. Hard beats and occasional bursts of industrial guitar were offset by influences from more of a synth pop background and some great harmonies. This cover of The Psychedelic Furs’ classic ‘Love My Way’, predictably, scales back the industrial elements, but everything else remains firmly in place. Vocal harmonies glide across a pointed musical backdrop, 80s keys drop in to deliver the main musical refrain, and a brilliantly layered sound gives the old classic a bigger, more contemporary feel. For those who think this might veer a little too close to a world of retro pop, the climax brings something more distinctive when a slightly more abrasive guitar adds a layer of shoegaze influenced noise. In terms of covers, this has been tweaked just enough to feel fresh, and for anyone using it as an entry point into the Canadian band’s catalogue, it’ll be particularly effective.
By opening with a two chord riff sharing an abrasive tone, there’s an immediate sense of chest.’s ‘Blood On Your Doorstep’ having an edge. However, that sharp intro doesn’t fully prepare the listener for what follows. That riff takes on a much bigger sound, augmented by a world of distortion and an almost hardcore infused tone; the drums attack with a hefty wallop, and the vocal – affecting something that sounds very British – brings an extra edge that further adds to a feeling of unease. At their noisy peak, this French post punk act sound like a much more aggressive version of Fugazi or Fontaines DC, but they retain their own character here, thanks to the way the angular riffs come without restraint. The whole track has an appeal for genre fans, but it really comes into its own when the band crank the tension to create a repetitive hook for a great climax. Like the Spiralist single, it’s certainly not got designs on being a “radio hit”, but it’s incredibly cool nevertheless.
Shane Alexander’s previous single ‘Something Good’ was a near perfect slice of country pop. The follow up ‘Whole Lotta Stars’ has a different feel, but a similarly warm approach. The layered vocals and sparse musical elements that open the track owe more to the indie pop of Sufjan Stevens than any obvious country influences. Even when bringing in a busy acoustic guitar, there’s a wonderfully twee feel that draws from indie folk greats, with a pinch of M. Ward. It isn’t until the drums make a full appearance that Shane takes the track further towards the expected. When the chorus hits, his voice becomes much fuller and the arrangement – evoking travel in the way the rhythm constantly pushes forward – is fleshed out by a quiet crying lead guitar. It’s only here that any country elements even colour the arrangement. At this point, the listener has already been pulled in, and Alexander’s friendly vocal adds further to a brilliantly melodic track. The fusion of styles here creates something wonderful, leading to a track that will almost certainly sound even better over time.
When a band are pitched as “pop punk”, one of the last things you’d expect is for their single to open with a massive melodic hardcore breakdown, but that’s exactly what you’ll get from Sharper Side’s ‘Lifeblood’. They make the tougher sound really work here, though, intercutting the chunky riff with some great muted chords to construct an edgy verse, and then by taking the heavier edge to create a really interesting instrumental bridge or two. There’s a more traditional pop punk/emo influence peeking through, of course, thanks to a natural but emotive vocal calling back to bands like Taking Back Sunday and Yellowcard with its higher tones. The contrast between styles ensures that this remains interesting throughout, and in terms of a crossover sound, these guys have everything down…and with ease. If you love a big riff, this’ll be a welcome listen.
Even measured against other angry garage rock recordings, Trance Bill’s ‘Booze Explosion’ has a real edge. Taking the layer of distortion beloved by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and applying that to a rousing rock and roll riff, there’s a massive energy to the recording, but if anything makes it really work, it’s the addition of a shrill keyboard sound throughout that tips the hat to Joe Meek’s raw recording style of the early 60s. With the heart of The Cramps pumping furiously, and some rough and ready guitar work set to attack the audience with an incendiary approach, this is a retro banger that’s not to be missed.
February 2025