Following another week where there have been an insane amount of submissions for the Singles Bar, this visit offers a broad selection of sounds. Among the eight picks, there’s a really atmospheric slice of pop from a singer songwriter on her way to becoming a proper cult figure, some superb indie pop vibes, and even a long stoner infused jam which really doesn’t suggest a “single” at all. As usual, we hope you find something new to enjoy…

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Not to be confused with the Swedish band of the same name, Mancunians Fauna serve up a slice of feel good adult pop on their single ‘7:30’. The opening guitar riff sets a great tone by sharing a very 60s vibe, but just as soon as that starts to make an impression, the band take a sharp musical turn into smoother territory. Blending the reverbed guitar into a classic R&B groove, the band mix the soulful with a sound that presents itself a little like The Coral in a relaxed mood meeting with Paolo Nutini. If you find yourself attracted to the melody here in any way, somewhere around the mid point, this single will start to feel like an old friend, right from the first listen. Even when daring to drop in a smooth sax break that could take Fauna into the realms of easy listening, the band sound tight and absolutely committed to the perfect pop-rock sound this track has gradually layered up. This sounds like a future summer hit.

‘I’m In Bed’, the new single from Coming Up Roses, has a sound that immediately feels familiar, but a closer ear uncovers something that never really sounds like anyone else. It’s also a track that, on first listen, feels like it will never truly settle. The verse, with its punchy bass sound and busy groove, falls somewhere between 90s indie and light goth pop; a fuzzier chorus, driven by sheets of shoegaze guitar work, hints at a band with more of a musical force and yet, rather perversely, layered vocals lean further into a pop influence. A spoken word interlude adds an extra layer of something quirky, and a closing lead guitar break draws from a retro alternative source. This many different ingredients thrown into a musical blender should sound like a mess, but a powerful hook, some superb bass work and a really friendly vocal do enough heavy lifting between them to not only make everything work, but actually help to create a potential pop-rock classic. This is one of the best singles of 2025 so far…

With its almost baggy-centric rhythm and a world of swirling guitars lending a shoegaze influenced sound to the track’s noisier parts, ‘Trip Inside’ by Scottish band Quaint comes with an old school heart. Somewhere around the middle of the first verse, however, their friendly sound begins to present itself with an infectious energy. By the time the chorus hits, there’s a real power to the track’s overdriven approach, and armed with a hook that sounds like a decent (more melodic, actually exciting) take on something Noel Gallagher could’ve shared back in ’94, this single starts to sound like something that should be an immediate smash with the indie rock crowd. Making time for a huge, sweeping lead guitar break and really cashing in on a great chorus, it’s clear these guys understand the value of a great arrangement. This is solid proof that, with enough enthusiasm applied, a great sound never really dies. This is actually an older track that’s being given a re-promotion for 2025, but you’ll definitely be hearing more from these lads in the future…

Logan Richard adopts the “less is more” approach on ‘Everywhere I Go (The Grass Is Blue)’. The folk pop number works a solidly strummed acoustic guitar and simple drum beat throughout, understanding that for the most part, the focus should remain on Logan’s voice. That, too, comes with an almost disarming simplicity, with the singer songwriter sharing a light and airy tone that sometimes sounds like a distant cousin of the previously popular Jack Johnson. Even when this number opts for a slightly bigger musical flourish, everything remains restrained to the point of feeling really sedate. There are a few bell-like keys, a hugely melodic guitar solo with a vaguely bluesy tone and a descending bassline, each of which have just enough presence to make everything sound pleasingly full. This is an unbelievably mellow jam, but it’s shared with musical perfection.

Canadian prog metallers Red Cain have released some strong material in the past, but their new single ‘FWAB’ presents a slightly darker side to their sound. The core guitar riffs continue to draw from a prog metal source, and a huge vocal presence continues to feed into the genre’s typical bombast, but this single drops in a few unexpected twists. Firstly, there’s a slight industrial edge to the opening riffs, but there’s also a nod to tough sounding metalcore grooves during the middle eight taking the band’s already heavy sound into even more intense places. There’s also a vaguely symphonic quality to the closing melody, but traditionalists will find something to enjoy too, since the featured guitar solo adopts a much cleaner sound and fills several bars with long, flowing notes with much more of a classic metal feel. This isn’t an easy listen, but in terms of blending different metal influences into a tight workout, it works brilliantly.

Lloren released a couple of excellent Lana Del Rey inspired singles in 2024, and ‘La La Love’ very much follows suit with its low key approach. From the very beginning, the arrangement works a sparse piano, dropping occasional chords between a slightly echoey backdrop. Over the slow arrangement, Lloren offers a mellow voice, only to then reach for some huge notes at the point where the keys embark upon a slightly busier melody. Sinking back into the quiet, the musical sequence then repeats, and despite sharing a slow burning hook, by the second time around, the louder vocals really make an impression. After bringing in drums to flesh out the second half, along with a touch of moody guitar, everything begins to sound like the kind of arrangement you’d find scoring the end credits of a movie. If you’ve found a love for Lloren’s relatively laid back sounds previously, you’re guaranteed to enjoy this too.

It’s been fourteen years since Dotsun Moon released their debut album ‘4 A.M’, but the dreamgaze band are back and actively promoting their upcoming new record. A fantastic snapshot of their third long player ‘Tiger’ (due for release in June ’25), ‘Bring Love’ shares a sound that’s a defiant throwback to the late 80s/early 90s, working a swirling guitar part that presents itself like something modelled on My Bloody Valentine but with some actual melody applied, while a hazy vocal that’s more attuned to the indie set weaves a melodic sound between the layered backdrop. There are moments here that sound like a soundclash between ‘A Bell Is A Cup’ era Wire and Ride; others that venture a little deeper into classic shoegaze, but which ever way genre fans approach this track, they’re certainly going to discover an aural treat.

‘GABA’ – the current single from Italian psych/stoner rockers Rainbow Bridge – isn’t big on perfection, but that’s exactly what makes it work. The way the trio builds a layer of sound throughout this nine minute epic sometimes pays homage to the late 60s proto-metal sounds of bands like Blue Cheer, but the way they create waves of sound using a broad canvas slowly pulls in their audience, owing a lot to more contemporary fare like Yawning Balch. At least that’s certainly the case until around the six minute mark, when the dominant drum groove falls away and guitarist Giuseppe Piazzolla launches into a riff that takes everything more in a Hendrix/blues rock direction, showcasing his tough lead tones. It’s less stoner infused than the likes of Earthless, but there’s certainly a core sound here that’ll appeal to their fans, and lovers of similar stoner fare.

April 2025