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 time out, we’ve got the return of a much-loved pop band, a laid back narrative piece from a very familiar name, a great synth oriented workout, some huge riffs from the Medway area in South East England…and more besides. As is often the case with the SB, there’s no genre snobbery; just a spotlight on things we’ve found interesting. Hopefully, you’ll find something of interest too.
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Many of Deacon Blue’s best loved hits might be decades old, but the hugely popular Scottish band have recorded some equally impressive works in more recent years. There are deep cuts on their ‘Believers’ album from 2016 which show Ricky Ross’s songwriting chops with an incredible emotive strength, and the title cut from 2020’s ‘City of Love’ is amazing slice of adult pop. Their current single ‘Turn Up Your Radio!’ continues their “late career” run of gold standard material. Right from the moment the number opens with some bright sounding keys and a hard edged drum, there’s automatically a throw back to DB’s 80s pomp, but as things progress with a soul-pop melody and huge orchestration, the track conveys more of a modern feel. The core of the tune is huge, but the real selling point here are Ricky and Lorraine’s vocals. Hearing them harmonise is always a treat, and on this recording, their voices interact in a way that makes it feel as if very little time has passed since ‘Fergus Sings The Blues’ graced the top 40. …And if the first half of the track somehow feels like a slow-burner, the climax more than makes up for that by delivering a huge, simple hook augmented with a guitar part that sounds as if it were lifted from a couple of Isley Brothers bangers from 1973.
Award-winning band OK Go are back after five years of touring, and on their comeback single ‘A Good, Good Day At Last’ – their first new studio recording for a decade – they’re definitely back with a bang. A funk laden rock tune, the groove carries more than a faint echo of Funkadelic circa ‘Maggot Brain’, and the pop elements of the track recapture some of the band’s quirkier new wave tendencies. With the addition of a huge fuzz toned lead guitar break building up a busy climax and guest vocals from the legendary Ben Harper, there’s a whole world of different sounds here vying for the listener’s attention, but an incessant hook puts in some hard yards to ensure everything has a great focus. A brilliant single.
Addressing the elephant in the room first, The Rockerati is a terrible band name. Granted, it’s not as bad as Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs or Smoking Gives You Big Tits, but it certainly has an element of “Will this do?” about it… Luckily, that’s not something that can be said for their current single ‘Analogue Again’. As the title suggests, the track is very much backwards looking, but in the best possible way. After a couple of massive power chords, the band slips somewhat effortlessly into an R&B tinged rock and roll banger where the heart of Flamin’ Groovies meets the rough and ready edge of Dr. Feelgood. With a vocal that makes everything seem a little more like a supercharged Dave Edmunds, its definitely a single with an old heart that’ll appeal to souls with a very retro ear. In and out in two minutes, there’s no time for filler here – just good, honest rock ‘n’ roll fun.
At the end of 2023, Richard Evans released ‘Dream of The World’, a massively enjoyable EP centring around electronica and synth pop influences. His new single ‘Aidoru’ is every bit as good. It’s also rather “busy”. A pulsebeat signifies a fairly high tempo, over which keys share a very Japanese sounding melody. From there, the pulsing rhythms branch out into something a little more mechanical sounding, yet also more melodic – almost like the heart of Jean Michel Jarre’s ‘Rendezvous’ era material has had a massive influence. Evans makes it his own with a world of sweeping sounds, an accented vocal and a bigger nod to synth pop, leading to something that – once you tune in – really works. There’s so much here that owes a debt to the early 80s, but at the beginning of 2025, the retro stance sounds absolutely superb.
Following their album ‘The Price To Pay’ (released in May 2024), Gianni Scalera & The Jury have returned with ‘Flip The Script’, a hard edged number that could expand their fanbase. By opening with a circular, grinding riff, the track kicks off with a real intent. After introducing a more traditional melodic metal sound, this Kent-based band show a real affinity with a Tremonti inspired riff or three, with Scalera creating a massive wall of sound with his guitar. Closer listening will actually highlight a rhythm section that are almost as powerful: the drums thunder throughout the entire three minute workout, but there’s also a hefty bass sound lurking beneath everything, occasionally making its presence felt with some great fills. The track really comes into its own during the middle eight, though, with the trio quickening the tempo and teasing with some sharper edges, before an absolutely ripping lead guitar seals the deal. This is fairly old school in many of its intents, but for lovers of melodic metal, a few plays will definitely unveil a riff-laden treat that will become a firm favourite.
Spiky guitar riffs, rhythms that shift between a new wave inspired sharpness and a massive retro rock sound, and huge harmonies: these are three very different elements that come together brilliantly on When Rivers Meet’s ‘Addicted To You’. Barely allowing the listener time to get acclimatised via an intro, the duo’s enthusiasm attacks from the very start with Grace’s vocals being particularly high in the mix. Although the bigger sounding, rather retro guitar sounds don’t really emerge until the chorus, by that point the listener will find themselves completely absorbed due to the energy captured here. In fact, this whole track has a confidence that suggests the musicians know they’ve created something rather special.
Best remembered in the UK for his early 90s hits ‘I Wonder Why’ and ‘Sleeping With The Lights On’, Curtis Stigers has had a long and successful career. With his later works leaning further towards jazz influences, his now mature voice really suits a stripped back sound, and that’s very much the case on ‘I Have Everything’. This rootsy sounding number works a live sounding jazzy bass as a simple anchor, over which subtle piano lines and bluesy guitars weave a melody that falls somewhere between Van Morrison circa 1973 and Chris Isaak. Curtis, naturally, can be heard front and centre, sharing a very gentle vocal that takes in influences from both the jazz and Americana spheres, and he sounds very comfortable delivering the kind of narrative that would have suited John Hiatt back in the late 80s. Think you know Curtis Stigers? Think again… This is terrific.
Last up, a brand new band for ’25, The Elven make a rather grand entrance with ‘Shine’. As you might expect from a collaboration between members of Saturna and Earthless, the riffs are solid, but The Elven’s sense of atmosphere is just as important here. The opening guitar based motifs tap into a desert-inspired melody, sharing a clean tone, which makes the dirty blues edged sounds that gradually appear sound even more impressive. Beneath the dominant melody, you’ll discover a layer of keys that draw from a dark psych influence, and by the time the chorus hits and The Elven deliver a mix of stoner and classic rock with a late 60s/early 70s proto-metal edge, ‘Shine’ already sounds like a timeless rock track that’s been doing the rounds for three decades. There are a lot of great stoner bands out there, but this hints at The Elven potentially being one of the best.
February 2025