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. This time around, we’ve got some enormous sounding post rock/metal from a still new act, an interesting excursion into the alternative end of the new age spectrum, a couple of superb singer songwriters…and more. The weight of submissions to the SB since January has been vast, so it’s been an even harder job picking tracks than ever before, but we hope you love what you hear…

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On their previous single ‘Up & Away’ Dragon Welding shared some brilliant synth pop edged sounds which, when fused with a chopping guitar line, created a sharp and hooky listen that left a very strong impression. A couple of months on, ‘We Dance Among You’ isn’t quite as immediate, but it’s certainly jusr as interesting. A busy rhythm peppered with quirky percussion sets a great tempo in place and, contrasting the fast backdrop, a world of cinematic synths lay down a blanket of sound. The energy here could appear tiring at first, but a grandiose vocal that sounds like a cross between an old new wave act and Jake Shillingford from My Life Story brings an extra layer of melody that helps everything flow just a little more naturally. This is quirky in the extreme, but also impressively tight, especially considering the track centres around musical elements that, initially, don’t seem like a natural fit.

Kety Fusco’s ‘Blow’ is a track that’s been plugged as “using the harp in a way you’ve never imagined before”. Obviously, promotion is all about the big pitch, but that’s a bit of a stretch. However, it’s an absolutely brilliant piece of music that takes new age melodies into the realms of ambient electronica and downtempo grooves in a wholly effective way. Kety’s harp melodies draw a huge influence from many of Edgar Froese’s hooks that sat at the heart of Tangerine Dream’s 80s soundtracks, and the use of bright sounding strings really highlights the semi-minimalist tune’s melodic aspects. Naturally, this isn’t about immediacy, but rather more concerned with creating a superb soundtrack. On that score, it’s absolute perfection.

Finland’s Super Glue Anxiety share fat sounding punk riffs on ‘Walking Nightmare’, but instead of opting for Ramones influences or a standard jagged pop punk approach, they’ve fused the punk edge with metallic guitar, bringing things much closer to a 90s era Misfits, but with an even bigger crunch. It’s an approach that really works, giving an accented vocal a really huge backdrop to work with. The most interesting thing here, though, is the track’s unexpected middle eight where a blast of horns changes the mood rather dramatically, giving the arrangement an extra edge. A couple of plays will also uncover a really catchy hook and, in crossover terms, this is a blast.

Adopting a slow rhythm and an acoustic guitar tone that harks back to Django Reinhardt, Levi Robin’s ‘Whole As A Broken Heart’ is a track that immediately disarms the listener. Even when a steady rhythm section brings everything further in line with a modern production sound, the core of the arrangement continues to feel like something from a bygone era. A reverbed guitar pays homage to old Chris Isaak numbers; the mournful melody is one that would have suited Johnny Cash during his “American Records” years, and Levi’s vocals have a hint of George Ezra about them. However, all of those elements combined advertise a musician with a huge talent, and the slow, thoughtful manner in which this single chooses to unwind is particularly effective. Hear it once, and it’ll share a melodic interest; two or three listens will uncover one of the finest tunes from the first quarter of 2025.

Big riffs also supply the main event for Overhaul’s rousing ‘Whoop It Up’, a number that (re)introduces the Scottish rockers with a real intent. By opening with a very distorted guitar hitting upon an ascending melody, the arrangement immediately catches the ear with the kind of energy that feels like a throwback to the early eighties NWOBHM, before branching out into a world of fuzzed up grooves that blend hard tock with a garage rock aesthetic. The vocals aren’t quite so sharp, but they really don’t need to be; the accompanying voice seems keen just to stoke up the excitement rather than make a grand statement, and what the vocal lacks in finesse is more than made up for via an absolutely ripping lead guitar break and the kind of shout-along hook that should connect with rock fans everywhere.

From the moment the intro of ‘Piles of Sand’ by Sam Robbins shares finger picked acoustic melodies, there’s a sense of it being something special. As the melody grows with Sam adding a few broader strokes and a hushed vocal, those first impressions are very much confirmed. This narrative track pulls the greatest influences from 90s acoustic sounds, and even further back with hints of Bruce Cockburn, James Taylor, and even a pinch of Gordon Lightfoot coming together flawlessly. Factor in Sam’s purity – every vocal note here has an emotive pull that’s almost impossible to resist – and ‘Piles of Sand’ becomes an absolutely timeless listen.

Without an intro, ‘You & I’ from Daioni hits the listener immediately with a strong vocal melody. Becky Barnett appears to have a big, natural voice, but it’s perfect for the band’s brand of punchy alternative rock. Even when this single’s huge, jangling guitars rise, Becky’s voice remains very prominent in the mix, really selling a simple hook. With the late 90s indie rock vibes eventually descending to allow for the band’s pop-punk/emo interests to emerge for a quirkier middle eight and a climax where dual vocals flesh out a great melody, this is a confident and full sounding number that makes good on the promise of the Welsh band’s earlier single ‘If You Let Me’. Daioni are definitely one of the names to watch out for during 2025.

Last up, here’s something with massive riffs. Following a quiet, clean toned guitar laying down a vaguely jazzy intro, Last Hyena hit their audience with absolutely crushing chords, ensuring ‘Make It Sound French’ more than makes an impression, and in quick time. At that point, their hard edged, post rock sound is every bit as strong as the scene’s best known acts, and when moving away from the direct to introduce some rather interesting rhythmic changes drawing from prog metal and more jazz, the band sound impressively tight. That would possibly be enough to sustain a few minutes, but the arrangement takes even more of a twist via some funky bass fills and doom metal grooves – coupled with a mighty roar – before arriving back at a more groove laden post rock riff, where the lead guitar shares more of a melody. Then, reintroducing the original heavy riff, the band layer up an already intense sound with extra guitars sharing a cold, almost cinematic melody and a few tones drawing a little more from the more metallic end of the shoegaze spectrum. For lovers of intense (mostly) instrumental bands like Coastlands, Russian Circles, and even early stuff by The Fierce & The Dead, this is a bite-sized treat.

February/March 2025